Drug Addiction Treatment

Drug addiction is a form of substance abuse disorder. That means that it is a chronic disorder most commonly identified by compulsive and uncontrollable drug use, even if there are negative or harmful effects.

Long-term drug addiction can lead to long-lasting or even permanent brain changes that can lead to harmful and dangerous behaviours.

Like many other chronic diseases, even after someone recovers from drug addiction and gets sober, they may face relapse, which is returning to use a drug after you attempt to stop using.

Drug use starts as a voluntary choice. It may be due to coercion or peer pressure, but the person has no physical cravings for the drug that causes them to feel compelled to take it.

However, as an addiction develops, a person loses that ability to choose, and drug use becomes compulsive and uncontrollable. For some people, this can happen after just one use, but for others, it is a slower process that happens over an extended period of time.

How long it takes depends on a number of different factors such as genetics and the type of drug in question. The compulsions occur due to physical and psychological changes that happen when a person is addicted to drugs.

The brain and body will adjust to functioning with the substance, so when you take away or stop providing the substance, the brain, and body both feel like it can no longer function properly.

This leads to a person feeling a variety of different physiological and psychological withdrawal symptoms. If withdrawal happens without the guidance of a medical professional, it can be nearly impossible not to use it again, and it can even be dangerous.

Often people with drug addictions cannot even control the compulsions long enough on their own to get to the other symptoms of withdrawal.

Drug Addiction Statistics in the UK

Drug addiction, also known as Substance Use Disorder (SUD), is a non-discriminatory disease that can affect anyone in the community. In the UK, despite various treatment options, those suffering from a drug use disorder are subject to ongoing stigmatization that can affect whether or not they seek professional aid.

Government research conducted over the past two years has shed light on drug addiction and its harrowing, country-wide impacts. According to NHS data, 2019/2020 saw 7,027 hospital admissions for drug-related mental and behavioural disorders: 21% higher than in 2010 (5,809 admissions by comparison).

The same report revealed that in 2020, UK hospitals received a shocking 16,994 admissions for poisoning by drug misuse. While this figure is 6% lower than in 2018/2019, it’s 9% higher than in 2013.

Tragically, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) disclosed that in 2021, 4,859 people in the UK lost their battle with drug addiction, and succumbed to substance poisoning. This is 6.2% higher than the rate recorded in 2020 and is equivalent to a rate of 84.4 deaths per million people.

Approximately half of all drug poisoning deaths recorded this year involved an opiate (2,129 deaths), while 840 deaths involved cocaine and stimulant drugs: 8.1% more than in 2020 and more than seven times the amount recorded a decade ago (112 deaths in 2011).

While these figures are a cause for concern and represent an immeasurable tragedy for those affected, other reports have made more positive discoveries. Gov reports showed that in 2020, over 130,000 people began some kind of formal treatment for their substance use disorder.

This marks a rise in those seeking drug addiction treatment compared to previous years and shows that many more individuals are receiving the help they need.

Here at Rehab 4 Addiction, our expert team work with clients to ensure they receive the best treatment possible for their unique drug use disorder.

Diagnostic Tools For Drug Use Disorder

Accessing drug addiction treatment is rarely a simple process, with obstacles ranging from victims in denial about their addiction to unhelpful advice. If you’re currently battling a drug use disorder, or know someone who is using, it’s crucial to access a proper diagnosis from a medical professional.

Doctors, psychiatrists, and drug addiction specialists utilise a variety of diagnostic tools to help patients access the appropriate services.

Many of the following drug addiction screening tools are also available in the form of self-administered tests. This means that those starting to interrogate their drug use can receive clarity about their possible addiction, before consulting a professional.

However, it’s important to note that while these assessments can be taken at home, they shouldn’t be interpreted as an official diagnosis. Instead, they are a stepping-stone towards further treatment to be used in conjunction with clinical advice.

The CAGE AID Questionnaire

Though the CAGE Questionnaire was initially used to identify alcohol use disorders, it has since been adapted to include drugs following years of effective diagnoses.

The adapted assessment is often used to identify opioid abuse, addiction to prescription medication, or any other drugs carrying an elevated risk of dependence.

This assessment is for regular drug users, as occasional consumers answering the questionnaire are unlikely to receive accurate results. The letters CAGE stand for Cut, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye: which are elements of drug addiction expanded upon by the questions themselves.

The four questions represented by the CAGE acronym are:

1. Have you ever felt that you should cut down on the drugs that you use?
2. Have people annoyed or irritated you by openly criticising or questioning your drug use?
3. Have you ever felt bad or guilty after taking drugs?
4. Have you ever used a substance first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or start the day (an “eye” opener)?

Whether someone answers “yes” or “no” to these articles will decide whether they have a possible drug addiction. Each affirmative answer is, therefore, indicative of hazardous drug use and increases the probability of an individual needing formal treatment.

While CAGE-AID is a useful measure of severity, as previously mentioned, it shouldn’t be used to self-diagnose. If you’ve completed the CAGE assessment and need help understanding your results, don’t hesitate to contact one of our specialists at Rehab 4 Addiction.

We can point you in the right direction and help you access professional drug addiction treatment.

The DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria

Unlike the assessment format of CAGE-AID, The DSM-5  is a diagnostic test considered the gold standard for investigating, diagnosing, and drug addiction treatment. It was last updated in 2013 with input from leading experts in the psychiatric field.

According to the DSM-5 philosophy, there are 11 symptoms associated with SUD that should be referred to when assessing someone’s relationship with drugs or alcohol.

These 11 characteristics appear in the DSM-5 handbook as follows:

1. Hazardous Use: Putting yourself or others in frequent danger by consuming a substance. Examples of hazardous use include operating a vehicle while under the influence, or blacking out/passing out due to drug use.
2. Social Issues: Frequent drug consumption has led your relationships with others to break down, or caused social isolation. Unfortunately, this is all too common among those with a drug use disorder.
3. Neglecting Responsibilities: Oftentimes, those addicted to drugs fail to meet their daily responsibilities at home or work. Friends and family members may notice your failure to meet domestic, academic, or occupational duties.
4. Experiencing Withdrawal: As a drug addiction festers, you’ll begin experiencing uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. These occur once you stop consuming the drug at the heart of your addiction, and appear in the form of psychological and/or physical symptoms.
5. Climbing Tolerance: Over time, your tolerance will increase: meaning you must consume more of a substance to feel the same high.
6. Increase in Consumption Frequency and Quantity: In conjunction with increasing tolerance, you’ll start to consume higher quantities of a drug, and may consume them more frequently, too.
7. Failure to Abstain: Trying to moderate your drug intake or quit altogether often fails due to withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings.
8. Time Spent Consuming: You’ll spend more and more time-consuming drugs, and find there’s little time left for other activities or responsibilities.
9. The Onset of Psychological or Physical Problems: You’ll notice that your drug use disorder has led to various health complications affecting both the body and mind. Psychological signs can include anxiety, low mood, or hallucinations (drug-induced psychosis) while physical withdrawal symptoms include, diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue, seizures, and many more.
10. Loss of Personal Interest: Eventually, you may give up many activities and hobbies that once interested you. Oftentimes, this is because drug use has taken precedence.
11. Experiencing Cravings: You’ll find that you often crave your addictive substance and feel compelled to consume it if you attempt to abstain.

These symptoms can be categorized as either risky use (consuming in dangerous situations or high quantities), impaired control (unable to abstain), physical dependence (experiencing withdrawal symptoms) and social issues (strained relationships with loved ones as a result of drug use).

The more symptoms a patient identifies in themselves from this list, the more likely they are to have a diagnosable drug addiction. Identifying with one symptom means you could be at risk of developing addiction while associating with two or three indicates mild to moderate SUD.

In a more serious scenario, battling six or more symptoms on the criteria would imply that someone is suffering from chronic drug addiction. Patients should immediately seek professional assistance in this situation, as uncontrolled drug use carries the risk of overdose, and can be fatal.

If you’ve completed a self-assessment by examining the DSM-5 criteria, and are concerned for your welfare, don’t be afraid to seek medical attention.

Knowing how severe a drug use disorder is can help addiction specialists and physicians determine the best course of treatment for your unique situation.

Oftentimes, clinicians will use other patient assessment criteria in conjunction with their DSM-5 results. Such examples include the ASAM Criteria.

The ASAM Criteria

The ASAM Criteria define the standard for planning drug addiction treatment and placing patients in the optimal recovery programme for their unique situation. It’s “the most widely used and comprehensive set of guidelines for placement, continued stay, transfer, or discharge of patients with addiction and co-occurring conditions”.

According to the ASAM criteria, six dimensions should be considered to determine the severity of someone’s drug addiction. These cover all emotional, behavioural, physical and environmental factors of drug use disorder as a chronic disorder.

The six elements include:

1. Withdrawal Potential: This refers to the patient’s likelihood of experiencing uncomfortable physical or psychological withdrawal symptoms when they abstain.
2. Biomedical Conditions: Referring to the patient’s physical and mental health.
3. Any Behavioural, Cognitive, or Emotional complications and issues.
4. Readiness to change: How motivated the individual is to begin recovery via formal treatment.
5. Potential for continued use or relapse: Referring to the likelihood of a patient relapsing or failing to abstain.
6. The Living Environment and its influence on recovery: Analysing the social and environmental factors which may trigger relapses

After the patient has been assessed and their addiction severity is ascertained, their doctor or specialist will assign them a level. These dimensions are taken into account and the addiction severity is understood, patients will be assigned a level.

These levels are indicative of the form of treatment deemed suitable for each subject.

They are;

• Level 1: Outpatient care
• Level 2: Intensive outpatient care
• Level 3: Inpatient treatment
• Level 4: Intensive inpatient treatment

Once they’ve assigned their patient a level, it’s the clinician’s job to explain the kind of treatment that would be most beneficial for their addiction.

For instance, if an individual is assigned level 3 or 4, it’s strongly advised that they undertake comprehensive care as an inpatient at a drug rehab.

Staging an Intervention for Drug Addiction

From developing a structured plan to enlisting the help of a professional, staging an intervention to help an addicted loved one consists of various stages. Rather than confronting the addicted individual about their drug use out of the blue, an intervention should be carefully and sympathetically planned.

Many families choose to prepare an intervention for an addicted loved one after they show resistance to change. It could be that they fear opening up to a therapist about the trauma underlying their drug use or simply can’t see that they have a problem.

Irrespective of their unique situation, every family’s intervention will have the same basic structure. A group of concerned loved ones will gather for a series of meetings, in which they’ll ask the addicted individual to accept treatment and change their self-destructive drug use.

The intervention group that is formed should include all the important individuals in an SUD victim’s life: including family, friends, and even work colleagues that are important to them.

To facilitate effective discussions, each member should have some sort of specific examples of how they have been impacted negatively by their family member’s drug addiction.

It’s hoped that, often over multiple sessions, the subject will begin accepting their pre-arranged drug addiction treatment programme.

Post-intervention treatment plans should be discussed in as much detail as possible: from the length of their rehab programme to the treatment procedure, plus the likelihood of relapse and experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

Though family and friends wishing to plan an intervention can do so themselves, it’s often beneficial to consult with a professional interventionist. They are specially trained mental health professionals with experience in planning interventions, guiding participants, and leading the event as a whole.

Not only will a certified interventionist choose an appropriate location, date, and time for the event to take place, they’ll help mediate family discussions and ensure conversations remain on track.

They’ll also ensure that each crucial step of the intervention process is completed. These are as follows:

• Step 1: Create an intervention team. An interventionist will help the family members/members who sought out their services create an intervention team. Oftentimes, this core group of participants include close family, friends, and co-workers. However, if someone close to the addicted individual is struggling with drug addiction themselves, their presence may not be conducive to recovery.
• Step 2: Form a plan. The intervention must remain a highly structured process. This means scheduling a specific date, time of day, location, and participant list. It also involves planning what everyone will say during the intervention meetings to help guide the overall process.
• Step 3: Collect appropriate information. When determining how best to help the SUD victim, an interventionist will learn about their unique drug abuse history. They’ll also educate intervention participants about the importance of rehabilitation, detox, and consistent therapeutic interventions.
• Step 4: Encourage participants to write impact statements. Each member of the intervention will have something to say about their loved one’s drug addiction, and these perspectives must be conveyed effectively. As such, loved ones are encouraged to write personal statements detailing how the drug addiction has harmed them, and how worried they are for the addicted person.
• Step 5: Propose help. Intervention participants should be encouraged to support their loved one in their drug addiction treatment journey. For instance, family and friends could offer to attend group therapy sessions or support meetings where loved ones are welcome.
• Step 6: Maintain/set boundaries. Setting boundaries is crucial in fostering healthier familial relationships and ending enabling behaviours. Intervention participants should commit to ending codependency in their relationship with the addicted individual.
• Step 7: Facilitate Rehearsals. In situations relating to drug addiction treatment, emotions often run high. In the context of an intervention, unchecked emotions can lead to a derailment, throwing blame, or falling into self-pity. Therefore, it’s crucial to rehearse the intervention at least once before it takes place, with each participant planning what to say and when to speak/withhold.
• Step 8: Plan for complications. While in many interventions, the affected loved one agrees to undertake drug addiction treatment, this is not always the case: they might initially refuse, or take a while to accept help. To prepare for this, family members should plan consequences to follow through on.
• Step 9: Offer Follow up support. To stop addicted individuals from experiencing excessive stress, interventionists need to offer follow-up support. This could be in the form of future therapy sessions or facilitating community-based support.

Furthermore, many interventionists have a preferred style of intervention that they use. One commonly used model is The Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or CRAFT method.

This framework is considered an updated version of the Johnson method: known for encouraging confrontational interventions.

A CRAFT intervention focuses not only on the welfare of the addicted individual but the well-being of their family members. Intervention participants are taught how to communicate effectively, and how to practice self-care after emotionally-charged discussions.

Interventionists using CRAFT methodologies often encourage the use of positive reinforcement. This process involves rewarding the addicted individual when they abstain from drugs or accept treatment methods.

However, if they relapse or engage in destructive behaviours once again, positive reinforcement can be withdrawn.

Treatment For Heroin Addictions

Also known as “smack” or “dope”, heroin is a powerful street drug that has been known to ruin people’s lives in a matter of days. While those battling heroin addictions are labelled as “deadbeats” or “junkies”, anyone in the community can find themselves afflicted, regardless of age, gender, and situation.

Fortunately, with the help of comprehensive inpatient rehab, the effects of heroin use disorder can be addressed, and even cured. This specialised form of drug addiction treatment involves an intensive medicated detox, followed by between 28-120 days of behavioural therapy.

Before progressing on to the main bulk of therapy, effective treatment for heroin use disorder begins with medical detox. This crucial process allows patients to safely withdraw from heroin and flush toxins from their system in a safe, clinically supported space.

Within just 24 hours of their last heroin dose, addicted individuals can develop debilitating withdrawal symptoms: ranging from headaches and flu-like symptoms to fatal seizures.

Given the likelihood of these complications, patients are offered a range of bespoke medications as part of their clinically supported detox.

Medications prescribed by clinicians will stabilize the brain and reduce distressing symptoms. Commonly used examples include clonidine, buprenorphine, codeine phosphate, naltrexone and methadone.

For instance, clonidine is a medication originally used to treat high blood pressure, but can also be used to alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms like muscle aches, cramping, agitation, and anxiety. However, this drug won’t reduce heroin cravings.

This psychological withdrawal symptom is tackled by prescribing naltrexone on a more long-term basis.

In total, a medicated heroin detox will take anywhere from a few days to around two weeks. The exact duration of detox depends on how much heroin is in a patient’s system, their tolerance, and other factors determined in their initial evaluation.

After stabilising successfully, patients can transition to behavioural therapies specifically catered toward treating heroin addictions. Forms of counselling and psychosocial interventions provide a wealth of support and motivate patients to continue attending their personalised drug addiction treatment.

Styles such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) help patients earn more about what drives their addictive behaviours. During these communicative workshops, they’ll also learn how to make healthier life decisions and handle stress/ relapse triggers.

Alongside CBT, effective treatment methods such as Contingency Management (CM) are frequent additions to treatment programmes. CM uses a voucher-based system in which individuals earn “points” based on clean drug tests, which they can exchange for items that encourage healthy living.

Treatment For Cocaine Addictions

Made from the leaves of the coca plant and mixed with bulking properties like cornstarch, cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug. Though often used recreationally, high doses and frequent use can lead to cocaine use disorder: a complex disease that causes changes in the brain.

Thankfully, there are many specialised drug addiction treatment programmes for those battling cocaine use. Of these, immersive residential programmes at cocaine rehab are often the most beneficial.

Here, patients have the best chance of achieving long-term recovery through combining behavioural interventions with holistic, emotionally supportive treatment.

All this must begin with an inpatient detox to ensure any withdrawal symptoms are properly managed.

This is especially important in the initial 72 hours post-cocaine use: a period known as “the crash”. During this phase, individuals have a heightened risk of anxiety, agitation, or depressive symptoms.

A professional detox protocol allows a patient’s system to clear itself of cocaine while clinicians monitor withdrawal progress and take action needed to keep patients comfortable.

While there aren’t currently any medications specifically approved for cocaine detox, various medications can be used to manage insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness.

For example, modafinil is often prescribed to increase the brain’s release of dopamine, while topiramate can be taken to alleviate agitation and associated sleeping problems.

Alongside medical intervention, the cocaine detox protocol has a heavy focus on holistic support: including mindfulness practice, meditation, and counselling sessions.

Withdrawal management for cocaine addiction should primarily serve to prepare patients for further psychotherapeutic treatment. After stabilising via detox, patients must tackle the psychological components of their cocaine addiction through both motivational and behavioural therapies.

A popular drug addiction treatment approach used for cocaine is Motivational Interviewing (MI) combined with cognitive or dialectical behavioural therapy.

The former is a counselling approach designed to boost motivation and self-confidence during treatment, while the latter uncovers the root cause of someone’s cocaine addiction.

Treatment For Cannabis Addictions

Cannabis is among the most popular and frequently used illegal drugs in the UK: with government surveys revealing that 14 million people have used the substance.

Though not everyone who uses cannabis will develop a dependency, many individuals find themselves consuming the drug daily to relax and unwind.

With frequent, uncontrolled use, these individuals become susceptible to developing the condition known as cannabis use disorder. This is an illness characterised by intense psychological dependence and is affecting thousands of individuals across the UK. 

In a recent government survey, 9,832 young people admitted to problematic cannabis use. In these cases, hazardous consumption has likely turned into a diagnosable illness requiring comprehensive drug addiction treatment.

Many inpatient rehab clinics across the UK offer specialised programmes for those battling cannabis use disorder. While these dependencies aren’t as intensely physical as heroin or cocaine addictions, professionals recommend residential treatment nevertheless.

Whether a patient is due to undergo long-term residential care or remain an inpatient temporarily, detox is the first stage of treatment for addiction. Detoxification is the period of abstinence in which the body’s natural processes flush the accumulated THC from the system.

While it’s possible to detox safely at home, heavy cannabis users are at risk of experiencing psychological withdrawal symptoms ranging from insomnia to anxiety. This makes residential detox the most beneficial solution: wherein patients remain in the comfortable, clinically supported environment of a rehab centre.

The detox period for cannabis addictions usually lasts between 2-7 days depending on the patient’s severity. During this time, they’ll receive a range of counselling-based therapy, nutritional aid, and holistic workshops to make sure they leave detox feeling good.

Detox is often followed up with a range of personalised psychotherapy methods, either completed residentially or on an outpatient basis. Behavioural treatments include Contingency Management, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for mental health conditions, art therapy, and group support or family therapy.

Of these therapy styles, Group Support Therapy is often found to be beneficial for those battling a cannabis addiction. During sessions, subjects have the chance to discuss their relationship with cannabis openly and with those going through the same struggles.

Group therapy is also incredibly versatile and is available in a variety of formats for different addiction severities. Therapeutic communities such as Marijuana Anonymous (MA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are available outside of rehab, while group support therapy is recommended for individuals as part of an inpatient treatment programme.

How Much Does Drug Addiction Treatment Cost?

Whether an addicted individual must fund their recovery, or they are receiving financial aid from a family member, estimating the cost of drug addiction treatment is a crucial factor for most people. The UK is home to a range of different clinics and rehabilitation programmes: from private inpatient rehab clinics to outpatient NHS treatment.

The most influential factor in deciding how much someone will pay for treatment is their time commitment. While inpatient care includes the costly process of accommodating and feeding each patient, outpatient programmes simply require subjects to make their own way to therapy sessions: often held at a hospital or doctor’s office.

Due to their lower cost, combined with the NHS’s lack of funds, outpatient programmes are usually offered to patients free of charge.  Thanks to their affordable nature, outpatient drug addiction treatment on the NHS is a popular scheme.

However, with thousands of patients opting for NHS care, waiting times have risen exponentially: causing a dangerous backlog of individuals needing urgent care.

Furthermore, those with severe drug addictions are more likely to recover when removed from their home environment and placed in the care of a residential rehab clinic.

Typically, residential treatment programmes aren’t offered by the NHS as they require major funds to run. Instead, they are available via privately funded rehabilitation centres offering food, board, and fully bespoke treatment.

While the cost of private drug addiction treatment can quickly mount up, especially for those requiring long-term care, budget-friendly options are available along with payment plans to increase affordability.

While a luxury drug rehab might set clients back between £8,000-£12,000 per week of treatment, budget clinics offer similar services for a fraction of the price. By opting for shared accommodation in one of these cheaper clinics, patients can expect to pay between £4,000-£5,000 per week.

This amounts to around £20,000 for one month of treatment and there is often the option to pay in segments.

Does Health Insurance Cover Drug Addiction Treatment?

This question often appears in our FAQ section, and it’s easy to see why considering the potentially high cost of drug addiction treatment.

The good news is if you own employee health insurance via a job, or you’re privately insured, you’re usually entitled to partial or full reimbursement.

While many insurance providers now provide cover for substance use disorders, your compensation figure will depend on myriad factors. Each company has a different policy and small print, and each individual has a unique plan to check the details.

Renowned UK insurance companies such as BUPA provide cover for an entire residential programme, while others barely reimburse outpatient therapy for drug addictions.

After noting the specific policies of your company, usually available on their website, it’s crucial to note the type of treatment that has been prescribed to you.

It might be that you require a medicated detox followed by behavioural therapies/counselling, which some companies deem to be two separate treatments.

Moreover, individuals receiving drug addiction treatment under a dual diagnosis may only receive reimbursement for one condition (e.g, either SUD or Bipolar disorder).

Once you have all the information regarding your planned treatment, it’s important to contact your insurance provider directly.

With notes of your proposed recovery plan before you, call your insurance company and ask for an exact reimbursement quote. They’ll be happy to help and discuss your level of coverage.

Does That Mean Drug Addiction Cannot Be Treated?

No, just because getting over a drug addiction is hard (and near impossible on your own) does not mean that it cannot be treated.

However, because it is a chronic disorder, recovery is not a quick fix. Most people need a long-term care plan, which most of the time includes a stay at an inpatient rehabilitation centre.

Even after the initial sobriety is achieved, a person will most likely have to take an active role in their sobriety most every day for the rest of his or her life.

What Are Treatments for Drug Addiction?

There are some key principles that have been developed related to drug addiction treatment through scientific research.

To summarise these points: while addiction is a treatable disease, there is not one singular treatment that will work well for everyone.

Whatever treatment you end up receiving, you need to stick with it for a long enough time period, it needs to treat all of your needs (not just your addiction), and it may need to be modified over time as people’s needs tend to change while they are in the recovery process.

So, keeping that in mind, here are some of the most effective forms of drug addiction treatment:

1. Medical Devices and Medications

There are a few different ways that medical devices and medications can be used to help people with addictions. They can be used to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse, and treat co-occurring conditions.

• Withdrawal: Medications can be used while a person is going through withdrawal and detox to both make them more comfortable and keep them safe. In regards to the prior, withdrawal can be a very uncomfortable and even painful experience with symptoms like fever, cramps, nausea, headaches, etc. There are lots of different medications that a doctor can prescribe to minimise these symptoms and make the detox process easier. In regards to the latter reason, medications and medical devices can be used to keep a person safe through detox. There are some detox symptoms that can be dangerous and even deadly if not monitored and treated properly. When a person goes through detox in an inpatient programme, doctors and a team of professionals can monitor him or her to make sure the patient is safe throughout the entire process
• Relapse prevention: There are medications that can help people deal with opioid, tobacco, and alcohol relapse. Additionally, scientists are currently developing medications that can help prevent relapse with other substances such as cocaine and cannabis. These drugs can work in a number of different ways. They may make a person’s cravings less intense, or they may cause the person to have an adverse reaction to the substance, so if they do relapse once, they will not want to again. By minimising the positive associations a person’s brain makes with a substance and highlighting negative associations, a person is less likely to relapse
• Co-occurring conditions: Often people deal with a variety of other mental health or physical health conditions when they have a drug addiction. It is a rather common practice for doctors to prescribe medications to help a person deal with or heal from these co-occurring conditions

2. Behavioural Therapies

Behavioural therapies or counselling can be broken down further into a number of different specific forms of counselling, but all of them have a few common goals: to help patients modify attitudes and behaviours related to their drug use, learn new, healthy coping mechanisms and life skills, and aid other forms of treatment such as medication.

People can partake in behavioural therapies in both outpatient and inpatient programmes. In fact, it is often recommended that even if a person has already gone through behavioural therapy in an inpatient programme, they should continue with some form of counselling or therapy after they leave.

Examples of behavioural therapies are:

• Cognitive-behavioural therapy
• Multidimensional family therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Motivational incentives or contingency management

You can find all of these options as individual counselling programmes, or you can find most of those options and more at inpatient treatment centres such as therapeutic communities, short-term residential treatment, and recovery housing.

3. Evaluation and Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders

As previously stated, it is important for someone in recovery to get treatment for any co-occurring disorders along with their addiction.

Generally, this treatment has to start with some sort of evaluation where a doctor and patient work together to figure out what other mental health disorders the patient is dealing with.

This can be done through interviews, surveys, or observation over time. After the evaluation is complete, treatment depends a lot on the individual’s specific disorders.

The patient may need the behavioural therapy explained above, but they may also need other forms of therapy like psychotherapy.

4. Long-Term Follow-up and Treatment

Long-term follow-up and treatment are a key part of most people’s recovery, even if they complete a more short-term programme like a stay at an inpatient rehabilitation facility or some form of an outpatient programme.

Long-term follow-up and treatment may look like long-term counselling, mentoring, or entering some sort of support group or recovery programme that is designed to aid people in their long-term sobriety.

The relapse rate with drug addiction is high, and it is even higher if a person does not choose to take an active role in their long-term sobriety.

Inpatient Vs. Outpatient Rehab

All rehabilitation programmes can be put into two main categories: inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient rehabilitation. There are some programmes that have components of both, but for the most part, you can just split them into those two categories.

There are benefits and disadvantages to both options, which is explained in more detail below, but the most important thing is that you pick the option that works best for you and will most guarantee your long term recovery.

While one person may need the freedom that outpatient treatment allows for in order to even get into recovery in the first place, other people need to be able to get away from all temptation in order to get sober.

Inpatient Rehabilitation

Inpatient rehabilitation is the more intense option of the two. When someone enters an inpatient rehab programme, they have to check into a facility for an extended period of time (often a period of either 30, 60, or 90 days.)

During that time, they will have absolutely no access to drugs or alcohol and will be provided with 24/7 treatment, support, and supervision.

This kind of programme allows a person to focus completely on their sobriety and recovery during the beginning phases of their sobriety and learn new, healthy coping mechanisms without the temptation of following into their old, dangerous ones.

For some people, they do not feel like they have the ability to commit to such a drastic plan due to a number of different reasons.

It might feel intimidating to sign themselves into something with so many restrictions; they may have responsibilities that they find themselves unable to get covered for that long of a time or any other number of potential reasons.

For some people, it is simply the cost of an inpatient programme, which keeps them from going because they are often more expensive than outpatient rehabs.

However, despite these potential downfalls, the most important thing to consider about inpatient rehab is that people who complete inpatient have a higher success rate and a lower relapse rate than those in outpatient.

Self-Help and Mutual Support Groups

As previously stated, long-term support and treatment are key to long-term sobriety because it is a chronic, life-long disease. One of the most popular and most effective forms of long-term treatment is self-help and mutual support groups.

These are long-term programmes where people who all deal with addiction are able to support and encourage each other in sobriety.

Self-help groups are programmes that encourage people to rely on themselves, and their own self-control and mutual support groups encourage people to lean on each other or a higher power. Some groups, of course, promote both ideologies.

Often, certain groups will have a specific curriculum that the people work through while they are a part of the group. Some programmes even match people who are newly sober up with people who have been sober for a longer period of time who can act as a mentor or sponsor.

There are many different programmes out there when it comes to self-help and mutual support groups, so you should be able to find a programme that works for you.

Sometimes, the rehabilitation facility that you use will get you started in a long-term support programme before you even leave the facility.

The most common group is alcoholics anonymous (AA) or NA, which are twelve-step programmes, but other programmes include:

• Women for Sobriety
• Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others (JACS)
• Celebrate Recovery
• Moderation Management
• SMART Recovery
• Secular Organisations for Sobriety (SOS)

Finding Drug Addiction Treatment Near You

Suffering from a drug use disorder can make you feel as if there’s no way to break the cycle of addiction. However, lifelong recovery is possible, and a range of treatments are available.

Those who suspect they are suffering from drug addiction, or who worry for the safety of a loved one, should contact Rehab 4 Addiction today.

During this phone call, your unique situation and individual needs will be taken into close account.

To design the best treatment plan for you or help you decide which steps to take next, a member of our team will suggest a brief health assessment.

This is conducted at complete discretion and is free of charge. You’ll simply provide information about your physical and mental well-being, alongside your personal addiction story.

After this, a consultant psychiatrist will examine your case and determine the type of care you need. They might recommend receiving the support of a public or private clinic, as either an outpatient or inpatient.

Any drug addiction treatment they suggest will be carefully tailored to your unique needs, and you’ll reap the rewards of a personalised recovery format.