Addiction is defined by the American Medical Association as a chronic and debilitation disease. Often there are underlying issues that are at the heart of addiction. People struggling with drug addiction sometimes believe that they have failed themselves and their family and friends.
Finding a quality drug treatment center is an important first step in recovery. An inpatient program allows one to focus on both the body and mind while working towards the ultimate goal of a healthy life. An inpatient drug treatment center will provide the medical and psychological support necessary to do the full time work of recovery.
An inpatient drug treatment center will usually consist of a medically supervised detox program, which will involve managing any withdrawal symptoms and complications of addiction. Psychotherapy is an important component of an inpatient program at a drug treatment center.
Inpatient programs at drug treatment centers focus on getting healthy and learning ways to live life without drugs. Short term inpatient programs at drug treatment centers are based on the 12 step approach. In recent years, part of the problem has been the reduction of insurance coverage for inpatient substance abuse treatment. As a result, there are fewer programs at drug treatment centers around the country and more restrictions on what the insurance companies will cover.
Long-term inpatient programs offer around the clock treatment in a residential setting. Therapists and other recovering addicts help to smooth the road to recovery. Patients in these programs usually remain at the drug treatment center anywhere from a few months to a year. The most well-known model at drug treatment centers is called the therapeutic community.
Achieving a sober and healthy life can only happen in a program that addresses both the psychological and physical reasons for addiction. An effective inpatient program will meet all the addict’s needs, not just the abusive behavior. Often, an underlying psychological illness may have contributed to the destructive and addictive behavior. Successful treatment involves changing the unhealthy behaviors and replacing them with new, healthy ones
