Drug addiction affects millions of Americans each year. For many individuals struggling against drug addiction, residential drug addiction centers provide treatment that leads to lasting sobriety.
In a dedicated environment of healing, inpatient drug addiction programs offer patients on-site drug detoxification, family and one-on-one counseling sessions, nutritional and fitness guidance, holistic treatments, life skill building and transitional planning as part of a concerted, comprehensive drug addiction help program.
Aspects of Residential Drug Addiction Centers
There are four main ways that inpatient drug treatment programs provide effective drug addiction help to those facing substance abuse issues.
Drug Detoxification
When brain chemistry is at optimal and natural levels, a state of homeostasis (balance) occurs. However, as drugs enter the system, the brain experiences an excess of certain vital chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and GABA. These chemical imbalances are responsible for creating the “high” experienced by the drug user, as feelings of energy, euphoria, calm and happiness set in.
However, over time and with repeated use, the brain begins to compensate for these imbalances initiated by drug use. The drug user feels “normal” only when drugs are present in the body, experiencing the jolt of chemical deficiencies when substances exit the body in the form of drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Detoxification allows the body to eliminate drugs from the system in a supervised, medically managed environment where withdrawal symptoms and cravings can be treated. Drug-addicted individuals can allow their bodies to register the chemical imbalances drugs have created and resume natural production of neurotransmitters, allowing their bodies and brains to return to a drug-free state.
Psychological and Emotional Healing
In addition to the physical addiction to drugs, inpatient drug addiction programs seek healing on both a psychological and emotional level for patients. Many drug-addicted individuals turn to drug use to escape the fallout of emotional trauma or self-medicate preexisting psychological issues.
In order to prevent the development of substitute drug addictions in the future, root causes of drug addiction are also treated during inpatient care. Psychological counseling, psychiatric medications (in cases of Dual Diagnosis), family therapy and group counseling sessions all aim to resolve underlying factors that may have contributed to the development of addiction.
Development of Coping Skills
For many individuals, the inability to cope with life challenges, work pressures, anger and stress also contribute to the formation of drug addiction. In inpatient drug addiction treatment, individuals can learn anger management skills, stress reduction techniques such as meditative practices and visualizations, and conflict resolution skills to help lower emotional tension.
Organizational skills and time management techniques may also be emphasized, to help recovering drug-addicted individuals interact with the world around them in productive and beneficial ways that eliminate undue stress and facilitate sobriety.
Transitional Planning
Unfortunately, many individuals who successfully graduate from drug rehabilitation programs experience relapse upon returning home — some as early as within the first month following treatment. Transitional planning services are now offered by the majority of inpatient drug recovery programs in order to plan for drug use triggers and to prevent relapse.
Assessment of social relationships, physical environment, work pressures, familial issues and drug accessibility are all addressed during the transitional planning phase of treatment. Additionally, options for continual care — such as referrals to local therapists, physicians or support groups — are set into motion to help the recovering individual gather support for a drug-free future.