What is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is a disease in which a person seeks and uses drugs uncontrollably though it has a long-lasting and harmful impact on his/her physical and mental condition. In short, drug addiction is the dependency on drugs at more than a normal rate.
Drug addiction gradually changes people and brings their harmful and dangerous acts out. As a result, people and things around the addicted people also get affected by it.
In the primary stages, people take drugs voluntarily. But after a certain stage, it doesn’t remain voluntary anymore. They become dependent on the drug and can follow any path to getting the drugs. They lose control of their behaviors because of the addiction. Also, drug addiction affects the parts of the brain that are involved with learning, memory, and motivation.
Drug addiction is the addiction to not only drugs but also alcohol and other substances.
Signs of Drug Addiction
As drug addiction changes the functioning of the brain, changes can be seen in the behaviors and actions of the addicted people. Below are some of the common signs that may tell that a person is addicted to drugs.
Physical Signs
Addiction brings a huge physical change in people. Below are the physical signs of drug addiction.
- A huge change in weight
- Continuous lethargy
- Decrease in physical coordination
- Constant runny nose
- Change in food habit and appetite
- Irregular sleeping patterns
- Chemical odor on body and cloths
- Red or watery eyes
- Poor sense of personal hygiene
- Lack of energy
- Pinpoint pupils
Behavioral Signs
Because of the change in the brain, drug addiction brings some behavioral changes too. Some of the behavioral signs of drug addiction are-
- A sudden shift in social circle
- Changes in hobbies and activities
- Defensive mood
- Avoiding family activities
- Dishonesty and lying
- The tendency of keeping activities secret
- Staying away from responsibilities
- Self-isolation
- Poor performance at school or work
- Losing interest in things in which they were interested once
Psychological Signs
Psychological change is common in drug addicts. Some of the common psychological signs of addiction are-
- Frequent mood swing
- Mental illness like anxiety or depression
- Negative self-image
- Negative attitude towards life
- Lack of motivation
- Emotional withdrawal from the loved people
- Not-interested in things
- Problems in memorizing things
- Poor judgment towards things
How to Know that You’re Addicted to Drug
The signs above are typically for people who are seeing an addicted person from outside. These also help someone to find out if he is addicted or not. But there are some other signs that help addicted people to understand that they are addicted. Below are some of those.
- With time, the amount of the substance needed is increasing to get the similar feeling
- You’re continuing the drug even if the necessity of it is over
- It is being impossible for you to stop taking the drug
- You can’t give yourself a limit to using the drug
- You always look for the drug or something like that
- You can’t stop even after your family and loved ones are asking for it
These are the common signs of drug addiction. Some of these signs may be found for some other reasons too, but if most of these are present in a person, there is a huge chance that he/she is addicted to drugs or any kind of substance.
Types of Drug Addiction Treatment
Treating drug addiction is not the same for all. Depending on individual needs, the addiction treatment process differs. Again, the type of treatment also differs depending on the people who are being treated.
There are multiple types of approaches to drug addiction treatment. These are given below.
Detoxification
Detoxification is the procedure of removal of drugs from the body of the patient under professional supervision. This process is monitored by an experienced medical professional because it causes some painful symptoms. Also, it can end in life-threatening consequences.
Professional detoxification programs are less painful and problematic because professionals use medicines that reduce substance withdrawal symptoms.
Though detoxification is a great way of treating addiction, many people can’t take the painful symptoms. So they go back to addiction if not treated under expert medical professionals. Also, completing the full course of detoxification is necessary.
Detoxification can be used solely as a treatment program for drug addiction or it can be included in another program. Typically, an inpatient treatment program includes detoxification as an important step.
Behavioral Therapy
The behavioral therapy approach of treating drug addiction focuses on altering the behavior related to addiction. In this approach, therapists assist the patients to learn life skills that help them to cope with the situations that lead to addiction.
Multiple types of behavioral methods can be followed to treat addiction. Some of the behavioral therapies are Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Contingency Management, etc. The effectiveness of the therapies depends on the addicted person.
The behavioral approach works by assisting the addicted people to consciously evaluate and change their ideas, beliefs, and attitudes towards something. Thus behavioral changes help to reduce addiction.
Motivational Therapy
The motivational approach considers that people who are addicted to drugs can’t come back to normal life because they lack motivation. They use addiction as a coping mechanism that supports them to cope with different problems in their life.
They are somewhat aware of the negatives of addiction and they need to get rid of it. But lack of motivation doesn’t let them leave the addiction.
That’s why in motivational therapy, the therapists emphasize increasing motivation towards a sober life. They help the patients to realize that being addicted doesn’t solve the problems. They also add that the patients can escape the addiction.
Doing this makes the patients strong and eager to leave addiction for achieving a sober life. This is an effective way of treating drug addiction. But being combined with another approach, it brings a much better outcome.
Medication Treatment
Drugs manipulate the brains of the addicted people towards the need for a drug. As a result, when they receive the drug, they feel relaxed. On the other hand, if they don’t take the drug, their brain wants it again and again.
Medication treatment uses medicines to decrease the want for substances. Different medicines work in diverse ways, but the aim is similar- to minimize the want for the drug. Medicines used in medication treatment fix the hormonal imbalance and other issues caused by the want for drugs. As a result, patients don’t sense the need strongly.
Depending on medicine helps a lot to treat addiction. But the effectiveness boosts up when it is combined with another treatment process.
Family Counseling and Therapy
Family Counseling and Therapy includes family in the treatment process of a drug-addicted person. Typically it is used to treat substance use disorder or addiction in teenagers, but it is equally effective in treating adults too.
Family issues can be a solid motive behind addiction. In such cases, family counseling is very effective. It focuses on improving relationships with the family by adding family members to the treatment process. This approach explains to the family members the ways to behave with the patients and their addiction.
According to this therapy, problems are lying between persons. So, the therapists emphasize improving relationships, connections, understandings, and behaviors among the members of the family.
Family Counseling and Therapy are usually used with another treatment process to make it fast, effective, and efficient. It is rarely used as the only approach to treat drug addiction.
Holistic Approach
Holistic means ‘The Whole Person’. This approach concentrates on improving the overall situation of the patients instead of focusing on just the indications of the addiction. This approach includes a lot of mechanisms that may appear to be unnecessary, but those are not at all. When physical, mental, and spiritual health are developed equally, the impact becomes more effective.
The holistic treatment process is followed in maximum treatment centers. Some components of a holistic approach are- meditation, physical exercise, art therapy, massage therapy, hypnotherapy, yoga, acupuncture, etc.
12-Step Approach and Support Groups
The 12-step approach is a program that is directed and led by a community of people who were addicted to drugs previously. The community supports people who need to get rid of drug abuse. This is a spiritual trip towards sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous is a 12-step group for assisting people who want to avoid alcohol addiction.
Like Alcohol Anonymous, you’ll find more support groups in which former drug users and non-users support people to get rid of the drugs. Regular contact and interaction with these support groups also help people to stay away from addiction. This is a great technique for people who want to help themselves.
To treat addiction with the help of such support groups, the person should be psychologically strong. Joining the meetings regularly and working on self-development is not something easy to do when you don’t get any force from outside. So, the person should be strongly self-motivated to receive help from such groups.
How Effective is Drug Addiction Treatment?
It is tough to measure the exact effectiveness of drug addiction treatment. The reason is- in many cases, addiction relapses. As relapse is very common in drug addiction, you can’t measure the effectiveness of the treatment by counting the relapse.
Addiction treatments are for keeping the patient away from addiction and reaching a certain stage of sobriety. But when the treatment process is over, maintaining sobriety depends totally on the patients and people around them.
As we can’t count only sobriety to measure the effectiveness of addiction treatment, calculating the effectiveness is tough.
Typically, besides helping the person to gain sobriety, addiction treatment focuses on a few more things too. Typically these are-
- Turning the person into an active member of the family
- Making the person productive in the workplace
- Ensuring that they are participating in the social activities
As there is no exact scale of measuring the effectiveness of addiction programs, if the person gains sobriety and stays away from drugs after the treatment, you can say that the program was effective.
So, to find out the effectiveness of addiction treatment, you should look at some factors. If you find these positive changes in a person, you can say that the treatment is effective.
- Clear decrease or complete removal of drugs abuse (Decrease in terms of both frequency and amount)
- Observable improvement in physical health and physical capability.
- Reduced number of visits to the hospital.
- Noticeable progress in mental health and positive attitude.
- A jolly mode and improvement in behavior with people.
- Better relationship with people and surroundings, for example- family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, etc.
- Less or complete removal of link with crimes or unlawful activities.
- Reduction in the number of injuries and accidents compared to before.
- A regular visit to the place of study or workplace.
I’ve already said many times that there is no way to measure the exact effectiveness of the addiction treatment. But depending on the factors above, you can somehow understand whether the treatment worked or not.
After leaving the treatment center when the treatment is over, check the above things in the patient. If you find most of these, you can be sure that the treatment was effective.
Even after the most effective treatment, relapse can happen. After finishing the course, the treatment center doesn’t have any influence on the patients. The rest depends on them and the people around them.
There are a lot of factors that can cause relapse. Unstructured daily routine, openness to the drugs, bad relationships, workplace stress, and many other things influence relapse.
The treatment center has nothing to do with it. So, if a relapse happens, you can’t say that the treatment was not effective.
Don’t worry if a relapse happens. It would be easier to go fight against the relapse as the effect of the previous therapy still remains there. In case a relapse happens, another treatment process should be started immediately. Wasting time here is not a good solution when relapse happens.
How to Get the Best out of Addiction Treatment?
When it is tough to measure the effectiveness of treatment, you can follow some things to make sure that you’re receiving effective treatment.
Drug addiction treatment is never one-sided. Besides the effort of the addiction treatment centers, the patients should be similarly willing to get rid of the addiction. That’s why the first condition of effective addiction treatment is the willingness of the patients.
Also, there are some other conditions for you if you want to get the best out of the treatment you or your loved one goes through. Below are some of the common ways to make sure that the treatment is effective.
Spend time to find the best recovery center: You shouldn’t waste time if you want to recover from addiction. But you should spend some time to find out the best recovery center for you. Spending time in it is never a waste, it is an investment. If you find out the best one for you in terms of cost, specialty, distance, and other issues, half of your problems and tensions will vanish.
Focus on the treatment: When you’re going through the treatment, you should focus on the treatment only. Don’t worry about other issues in life. If you concentrate on the process of sobriety, the treatment will be effective.
Ask questions: While going through the treatment, ask questions when you don’t understand anything. Asking questions will allow you to know what you’re going through and what you have to do. So, don’t hesitate. Ask questions confidently. People in rehab centers are friendly.
Remember the goal: You should remember the goal- sobriety. Always focus on the goal. Also, focus on the reasons behind the goal. Remember why you should get the treatment and be sober. This will help you to stay focused and willing to go through the process.
Follow what you’re being said: You should follow the rules of the treatment centers. Those are designed depending on proof and for the betterment of you. So, even if you don’t like the rules, follow those. To help you for getting out of the addiction, the rules are established. If you don’t follow the rules, it’ll be difficult or even impossible to get a sober life.
Have some time for yourself: From your daily routine, take some time for yourself to think about the process and progress. This will help you to evaluate the impact of the treatment on you. You can discuss the result with the doctors or counselors. They can modify the process if necessary. Having time for yourself also helps you to get rid of monotony if there is some.
Be patient: Recovery from addiction takes some time, especially at the beginning of the process. So, if you don’t find any progress, won’t worry. Have patience and wait. Gradually you’ll see the progress. Let it happen at its own pace. Otherwise, recovery won’t be effective.
Keep your mind open: In recovery centers, you’ll find so many steps and processes that you have never gone through. In such cases, keep an open mind. Accept what is happening. Keeping the mind open also allows understanding and learning things from a different viewpoint.
Stay committed to the process: To get the best out of the process, you should commit to it. You should follow the process and do things that you’ve been instructed to do. Even after you go back home from the recovery center, you should be committed to the process and follow the recommendations by the doctors.
Be honest: This is a must if you want the treatment to be effective. If you’re honest about everything, it’ll be easier for the counselors to modify the process to find out the right way of treating you. Stay honest about what you need or what you’re feeling.
Be friendly: In the treatment centers, everyone is friendly and supportive. So, you should also be friendly with them. Be kind and friendly to the people who are supporting you to get a sober life. This will create a great connection with them and you’ll feel homely. This will keep you cheerful.
Stay active: Treatment centers come with a lot of activities. You should participate in the activities. If you don’t stay active, you can’t make the treatment effective. So, stay active, make friends, and participate in the activities with them. This will boost the speed of recovery.
These are the common ways of getting the best out of drug addiction treatment. Things are not easy there. But positive and willing attitude can make recovery easy to some extent. So, as you’ve got the chance of getting rid of addiction, you should obviously go for grabbing the maximum benefit out of it.
How to Get a Drug Addict into Treatment?
Taking a drug addict to the recovery center might not be the toughest, but a tough task. Typically there are three types of situations. Below, I’ve explained the situations and discussed the ways to take the person to the treatment center.
When the Person is Willing to Go through the Treatment Process
This is not a common scenario that a person is realizing that he/she is addicted and trying to get rid of it through proper treatment. But it is not very rare too.
In such a scenario, you shouldn’t judge or react angrily to the person because accepting the addiction is a huge step. Everybody can’t do this. So, respond calmly and talk to the person non-judgmentally.
You could ask how this started and all, but we don’t recommend that. Instead, tell the person that you’ve understood the situation and you’re with them.
Help the person to find a good treatment process, get an appointment with a good counselor, and be admitted to a treatment center. Stay with them when they visit a doctor or counselor. When an addicted person realizes the addiction they feel alone. So, stay with them and help them to get admitted into a good treatment center.
When the Person is Half-Willing to Receive the Treatment
In some cases, people realize that they are addicted but don’t want to go through a treatment process. The reasons might be a misconception about rehabs, or fear of losing reputation. Also, sometimes they want to hide the addiction.
Both these situations are complex. You need to be careful and calm while helping someone who doesn’t want to admit the addiction or go through the recovery process.
In this situation, you have to talk to get someone to a recovery center. You can follow the tips below to make the conversation effective.
- Choose a suitable time when both of you are comfortable. Don’t try to talk about it in front of many people. Make sure that the conversation is taking place in a private place, comfortable time, and stable mental and physical condition.
- Stay calm while talking about it. It is pretty sure that the other person won’t agree with you. But don’t be rude. Try to make them understand what you feel about it and how you want to help. Don’t blame them for the situation.
- Listen to them too. In such a situation, they don’t talk typically. But when they talk, listen to them. Try to understand their point and talk about those. Don’t argue, just discuss.
I hope these will help when you’re talking to someone about their addiction and treatment. If these don’t help, discuss with a professional interventionist for an intervention session.
If the response is positive and they want treatment, talk to help about a convenient treatment option, help them to deal with the situations, and stay with them throughout the process.
When the Person is not Willing to Go through the Treatment Process
This is not a rare situation that addicted people are not willing to go through the treatment process. In this case, discussing with them doesn’t work.
In such cases, you can take them to the treatment center with the help of court-ordered recovery. In this process, law enforcement organizations will help you. It seems to be a tough decision, but you should go for it as you are concerned about the physical and mental well-being of your loved people.
The process of court-ordered rehab is simple. Below is the common process. Depending on the states, it may vary.
- The process starts with a petition from your side. If the petition can impress the magistrates, they execute a court order.
- After the court order is imposed, a law enforcement officer takes the person into custody. The officer takes them to a hospital or medical facility.
- If the clinician agrees that the patient needs treatment, they are sent to a 24-hour facility. There another clinician checks them.
- If the second clinician decides that they should be released, they are released. Otherwise, they are admitted to a treatment program.
- The individual should follow the recommendations of the clinicians.
N.B- If a clinician files the petition, it is counted as the first exam. So, the person is directly taken to the second exam. If a clinician files an emergency petition, magistrate review is skipped and it is counted as the first exam. So, the individual is taken to the medical facility directly.
The process is not similar in all states. Search Google to know the exact process in your state.
Court-ordered rehabs take place mostly if the addiction becomes a threat to people and things around. As law enforcement organizations are involved in the process, you need to follow the process properly. If they think that the addiction in the person is harmful, they won’t hesitate to take the necessary steps.
So, these are the ways to take an addicted person through the recovery process. At first, you should follow a calm and gentle approach. Try to stage an open discussion between you and them. If nothing happens and you think the person really needs help, you should follow the hardline.
How much does Drug Addiction Treatment Cost?
Depending on the types of treatments, the cost of treating addiction varies. Typical treatment types are detoxification, inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, medication, 12-step approach, etc. Let’s know about typical costs in all these types of addiction treatment.
Cost of Detoxification
We’ve talked about detoxification earlier. The typical cost of detoxification is around $1,000 to $1,500. Obviously, the cost varies depending on the facility where the detoxification process is taking place.
Also, if the drug shows side effects in the detoxification process, the patient needs to be monitored more intensively. In that case, the cost increases.
Costs of Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment is a type of addiction treatment where the patient stays in the facility and receives treatment. The facility comes with a lot of amenities. Also, doctors are available 24/7 in an inpatient treatment facility.
Depending on the facility, amenities, and program design, 30-day inpatient treatment costs around $6,000-$20,000. In the case of 60-day and 90-day programs, the cost can be in the range of $12,000 to $50,000.
Costs of Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment is a treatment type where the patient stays at home and receives treatment from a specific facility. As it doesn’t include any residential facility or amenities, the cost of it is a bit lower than the cost of an inpatient program.
A typical 30-day outpatient program in a moderate treatment facility may cost you around $5,000. You’ll find facilities that provide treatment at a cost as high as $10,000. It depends on the frequency of visiting the facility, the quality and goodwill of it, and so on.
Cost of Medication
We’ve talked about medication treatment earlier. The cost of medication depends on the type of medicines used in the treatment process. A typical medication treatment program can cost around $4,500 to $5,000. This assumption is for methadone treatment.
Depending on the type of drug taken, different medicines are used. So, the cost of medication can’t be assumed correctly. Sometimes, treating addiction requires much more than $5,000.
Cost of 12-Step Approach
12-step treatment is done using the help of a specific community. Members of the community voluntarily help addicted people. So, you won’t have to spend much on this type of treatment. If you can contribute to the fund, it is great. But if you can’t contribute, there is no objection.
So, you won’t have to cost much in a 12-step treatment process. That’s why people tend to receive this treatment. But it needs a lot of willpower to make you sober. As there is no one to pressurize you, you need to motivate yourself. So, this is a cheap option but costs a lot of willpower.
These are the common cost range of different types of drug addiction treatment programs. I hope this will help you to have a basic idea about the cost.
This is obvious that you’ll find a treatment facility within your reach. Still, if you want to take help from a better facility that is out of your reach, there are some ways of reducing the cost.
Some Drug Addiction Treatment Centers in the USA
Drug Addiction Treatment Arizona
The Hope House
The Hope House is a luxury and inpatient drug addiction treatment center located in Arizona. This place focuses on recovering from addiction through a personalized treatment process. To ensure maximum focus on everyone, The Hope House takes a limited number of patients.
Here you’ll find a dual diagnosis program that helps to recover from any mental condition caused by drug addiction. Their goal is to recover the person as a whole. The experienced treatment and care team of this facility is always ready to help patients with drug addiction.
If you think that The Hope House can help you or your close people, you can contact them. Call at (480)-448-6149 or visit their website https://www.thehopehouse.com/.
Drug Addiction Treatment Texas
Vertava Health Texas
In Texas, if you need assistance with alcohol and drug abuse, you can seek help from Vertava Health Texas. This is a great place for addiction treatment located in eastern Texas.
It offers different types of treatment programs for different types of addictions. Depending on the situation of the person, a treatment process is designed and followed to make recovery easy and effective.
It comes with multiple recreational activities including a gym and basketball court so that people can spend leisure time. Thus, this place distracts the patients from drugs or alcohol. Adventure and outdoor activities have made it a treatment center worth choosing.
If you want to know more about Vertava, you can check their website- https://vertavahealthtexas.com/. Call at (888) 573-0160 to reach them directly.
Drug Addiction Treatment Kansas
Ambrosia Treatment Center
If you’re looking for a drug addiction treatment center in Kansas, Ambrosia Treatment Center can help you. This place offers a world-class treatment facility and recovery process for addicts. With several success stories, this place is serving people around for a long time.
The team of Ambrosia comes with some specialists in the field of addiction treatment. They focus on the patients, their needs and design the treatment process. Thus, personalized treatment programs ensure more effective and efficient recovery.
Ambrosia has an alumni program that helps the recovered person to stay sober even after a long time. This is a great facility with the capacity of treating addiction and ensuring a sober life.
Check their website https://www.ambrosiatc.com/ to know more. To reach them instantly, pick your phone and dial (888) 492-1633.
Drug Addiction Treatment Las Vegas
Vogue Recovery Center
Vogue Recovery Center is a place in Las Vegas that focuses on evidence-based treatment for drug addiction. This place follows all the approaches of recovery to help people to get a life worth living. Depending on the situation and condition, the approach varies.
To ensure the best service, this place maintains a great staff-to-client ratio of 5:1. As a result, everyone here gets proper attention. The facility includes a number of amenities that make staying easy.
A great environment and friendly staff in this place influence the recovery process to be fast and effective. Overall, this is a great place for getting rid of drug addiction effectively and efficiently.
Visit their website https://www.voguerecoverycenter.com/ to know more about them. Also, you can directly call them at 855-636-8960
Drug Addiction Treatment Los Angeles
The Hills
The Hills in Los Angeles is one of the most dependable drug addiction treatment centers around. This premium treatment center is located at an eye-catching location and ensures unique and effective treatment for drug addiction.
The facility of The Hills is designed to be friendly and comfortable for the patients. As a result, the recovery process becomes faster. Multiple amenities and soothing design has made it one of the best recovery centers in Los Angeles.
The team of The Hills offers the best treatment backed by its years of experience. Everyone in the team is experienced and knowledgeable. So, together they can bring the best output for people who are staying in the facility.
If you think that The Hills can help you, call them at 844-915-0287. Pay a visit to their website to learn more about them- https://thehillscenter.com
Drug Addiction Treatment San Diego
Hope Canyon
In San Diego, Hope Canyon is a drug addiction treatment center that you can rely on for an effective recovery process. They ensure an individualized recovery process depending on the personal needs and situations of the patients.
Recovery from addiction depends a lot on the environment and surroundings. That’s why Hope Canyon is located in a place full of scenic beauty. The facility is full of necessary and recreational amenities and activities.
While talking about a drug addiction treatment center, talking about the team is important. The experienced and expert people of the Hope Canyon team are very friendly and compassionate. They work focusing on the recovery of the patients.
Use the number 866-625-1038 to directly contact them. Also, you can check more about them on their website- https://www.hopecanyon.com/.
Drug Addiction Treatment Centers in Indiana
Bridges of Hope
Bridges of Hope is a place that offers an integrated approach towards recovery from drug addiction in Indiana. Besides addiction, this place also offers treatment for mental disorders caused by drug addiction. This client-focused facility of addiction treatment is a great place to find out the path of sobriety.
Bridges of Hope states that the journey towards recovery is a personal journey. They stay with the clients throughout the journey and help them with effective treatment for fast recovery. They use evidence-based treatment for recovery from addiction.
Team Bridges of Hope consists of experienced experts in this field. With a friendly and compassionate approach, they treat the patients very well.
If you want to learn more about them, visit their website https://bhoperehab.com/. To talk to them directly, use the phone number 833-411-0864.
