Different Ways of Treating Addiction

Addiction is a complex disease that can affect many areas of a person’s life. It’s estimated that millions of people all over the world need treatment for substance use disorders; however, only a fraction of them received specialized substance use treatment.

Addiction requires individualized treatments and modalities that address the symptoms and underlying causes of the disease, as well as the consequences that substance use has on different areas of a person’s life. This includes their ability to socialize, their physical and mental health, and consequences at work, home, school, or with the law. There are many types of therapy available to effectively treat addiction.

Causes & Risk Factors for Addiction

There are a variety of causes and risk factors that can contribute to the development of a substance use disorder. These may include:

Genetics, such as a family history of substance abuse.
Starting substance use at an early age.
Easy access to drugs or alcohol, especially at a young age.
Exposure to heavy advertising of substances (like alcohol).
A current mental health diagnosis.
Low parental monitoring.
A high amount of family conflict.
A history of abuse or neglect.
Family conflict or violence.

Through therapy, counselling, rehab, and other treatment modalities, the core reasoning for development of addiction can be discussed and coping mechanism and healing can commence. Because addiction impacts everyone differently, the course to addiction recovery can be different for each person. Fortunately, there are a variety of specialized rehab types and treatment programs to choose from to suit each person’s individualized needs.

Types & Levels of Rehab Treatment

Depending on the severity of the addiction, you or a loved one may require either 1 level of care or multiple levels to achieve long term recovery. The following are the types of rehab where therapy programs will be utilized:

Detoxification: A medically managed detox program will help stabilize the patient and help them overcome the symptoms of withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. These programs may last a few days to weeks. Once stabilization is achieved, the patient may need an inpatient program.
Inpatient/Residential Rehab: Inpatient and residential rehab programs are live-in solutions where patients will receive supervised treatment and structured care plans to overcome their addiction. These programs may last anywhere from a few weeks to a number of months, and may be followed by outpatient rehab. Depending on the program, patients may receive 24/7 monitoring from a licensed professional.
Outpatient Rehab and Intensive Outpatient Programs: Outpatient programs allow users to attend therapy and receive treatment on their own time as patients do not need to be on-site or live at the facility. Treatment may occur at a substance abuse treatment center, community health clinic, hospital-affiliated clinic, or other facility, meeting on a regular basis. Some outpatient programs may even offer night and weekend programs which make them a favorite for those personal, family, and/or professional responsibilities that may prevent them from attending an inpatient rehab.

Does the prospect of working with people suffering from substance abuse interest you? If so - start your journey into addiction counselling with ACCSA.