Effective drug rehabilitation must be a multi-pronged approach. It simply is not possible to treat one aspect of the disorder without addressing the underlying issues, physical dependency and other psychiatric disorders that may be present. Attempting to put a person through detox without addressing the issues that led to addiction to begin with will only result in a fast rebound to the drug of choice. Similarly, the other issues and problems will never be effectively addressed as long as the physical need for the drugs remains.
Phase I – Getting Clean
The first step is entering a supervised rehab program. This is necessary to help the addict navigate the challenging waters of withdrawals. While some people will not have serious withdrawal symptoms other may experience severe shaking, nerves, anxiety and even seizures. Going through the process with doctors and nurses nearby will ensure that the process is completed safely and smoothly. In addition to staying safe physically, the chances of successful detox will be greater.
Phase II – Finding the Root Problem
The root of an addict’s problems does not typically lie with the drugs themselves. The underlying problems typically have more to do with an inability to handle stress, depression or other problems. Finding the core problem and learning healthy ways to deal with the problem can help prevent the addict from relapsing later.
Phase III – Group and Family Therapy
Learning from others and allowing others to share in their pain is part of the process. Group therapy lets them know they are not alone and helps them start to reconnect in ways that are healthy.
Family therapy is important for addicts to make their apologies and learn how their actions have damaged the family. It’s the first step towards healing, and a necessary one for all the people involved to move forward.
Phase IV – Learning New Coping Skills
It’s important to learn better ways of coping. Some of this can be done through therapy, but it’s also advisable to choose a program that offers art therapy, music therapy or other hobbies as part of the program. Finding a new hobby that can help them relax and deal with stressors that will come up can be a vital key in avoiding future addictions.
Phase V – Checking for Co-Morbid Disorders
It is far too common for addicts to also be dealing with other psychiatric disorders. Symptoms for addiction, bipolar disorder and depression can all be similar. It is impossible to know how well a patient is healing from one disorder if the other is not also being treated. Determining if there is another problem is the first step. The next step lies in treating both conditions at the same time. Co-morbid disorders will make the treatment slightly more complicated, but treating both problems will greatly increase the patient’s chances of staying clean.
These phases are listed separately but in reality they will happen at the same time once detox is completed. After the addict has a clean body they are ready to begin working on cleaning their mind and spirit of the poisons left behind from years of addiction. Therapy, coping skills and learning how to control underlying psychiatric disorders are all phases that work together during the same time period. Only be addressing all these problems can Effective Drug Rehab be successful.