Many people wonder how drug addiction rehabilitation works and if it is worth the cost. Anyone whose life has been changed due to successful completion of the programs can testify to its great benefit. The steps involved include physical, emotional and mental treatment to help an addict overcome the physical addiction and prevent relapse. There are many reasons a person may turn to drugs or alcohol including family, work, or general stress. To overcome the addiction, the person also needs to learn better ways of dealing with the stress as well.

Detox

During the detoxification phase, the patient goes through stressful physical and emotional times. The body will have a severe reaction to the loss of the needed drug. A medical center will often administer other non-addictive drugs to assist the body in overcoming the physical problems of detoxification. This phase includes depression and often violence, which is why medically trained staff are often necessary.

Therapy

Therapy is the second step in the process. Most initial therapy happens in a drug treatment center. In this situation, the patient lives with other recovering addicts going through the same process. Individual and group therapy is applied. This helps people understand the struggles, build a support system and learn to overcome the stresses that caused them to rely on drugs or alcohol. Other activities include outside activities to provide encouragement and promote healthy living.

Outpatient Therapy

The outpatient therapy is the third step. At this point, the individual has learned what is needed to seek a healthy support system in the real world. The therapists stay in frequent contact with the patient to measure their progress and offer ongoing support. This is also when the individual will find Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings to attend. This is a form of group therapy in the outpatient world that offers ongoing support found during inpatient sessions.

Time Frame

Therapy lasts as long as needed. To put a specific time on the treatment would limit its ability to provide successful and lasting effects. Most people will spend from one to many months in the inpatient system. Once they are ready to reenter society, they will struggle to avoid returning to old habits that caused the addiction in the first place. Most survivors will explain that the treatment lasts the rest of their life as they work hard to avoid a relapse.

Relapse

Relapses do happen. However, with the right family counseling system in place they can be minimized. If the patient is surrounded by friends and family who encourage them to continue to grow, they have a much better rate of success. If the environment they reenter is filled with other addicts, they may relapse quickly.