Rehabilitation facilities provide extensive treatment for individuals who are suffering from the effects of substance addiction. As the rate of drug abuse escalates in various parts of the world, rehabilitation facilities have sprung up in different locations to tackle the debilitating effect of drug addiction. rehabilitation became a necessity due to the escalating economic cost of substance abuse. in the US, studies showed that in 1999 the annual cost for substance abuse was $510.8 billion. This statistic can be split into the sub-costs:
- Drug abuse – $151.4 billion
- Alcohol abuse – $191.6 billion
- Tobacco use – $167.8 billion
Drug rehabilitation centers offer services such as inpatient and outpatient drug rehab that allows patients to choose what category of service is best suited for their level of addiction. While the outpatient offers better flexibility with an average 10 hour per week commitment, allowing the patient to get necessary treatment while keeping up with work, family, school, career, and other things, the inpatient program is a live-in service that provides intensive care for cases of critical substance addiction, to enable adequate treatment and smooth transition into regular life.
With the number of individuals opting into substance abuse treatment yearly and the number of relapses recorded yearly for drug abuse, it is equally pertinent to understand the parameters for complete healing from drug and alcohol addiction as well as valid data on the efficacy of the rehab institution, and why drug addicts who are yet to seek professional treatment should seek out a rehabilitation facility for effective management
How to Tell if a Drug Abuse Treatment Program was Successful
There is no permanent cure for addiction; it is mostly managed through various processes that ensure that the individual lives a life that is free from addiction. After completing a rigorous, tailored rehabilitation program, a person may be considered “clean” and required to attend support programs to empower and guide them through the next phase of sobriety. Here are a few ways to be certain that a treatment program for substance abuse was successful.
1. Improvements In Social Interaction
Addiction causes self-isolation and poor communication, paranoia, and distancing from friends, family, and those that matter. As a person heals from substance abuse, their communication skills tend to improve. They become more social, participate more, and spend time with family and friends.
2. General Well-being and Mood Improves
Addiction alters the regulation of neurotransmitters which causes mental health issues evident in features such as irritability, aggression, anxiety, hallucinations, paranoia, and other negative behaviors. After rehab, mood improves significantly and mental wellbeing.
3. Improvement in Dedications
Addicts find it almost impossible to focus or commit to anything other than their love for drugs. for this reason, they tend to fail at everything else. This is inclusive of education, career, business, relationships, projects, and anything else. The individual shows more dedication after treatment, which leads to success in various areas of life.
4. Improvement in Health
A most important part of the healing is that the individual becomes way more energetic, fit, and develops a stronger immune system. Usually, this is experienced with only a few trips to the doctor or after the detox phase.
5. Longer Gaps Between Relapses
A significant number of addicts who have undergone treatment programs experience a relapse. This is very common and may happen more than once or twice. When a person becomes sober, they may spend more time with friends, family, and support groups to avoid triggers and to achieve long-term sobriety.
6. Statistics of Success in Rehabilitation Centers
When relapse occurs, it doesn’t mean that the treatment wasn’t effective. The successful treatment takes a long period of time and is closely followed with assessments, evaluations, and appropriate modifications. According to reports, the percentage of addicts that experience relapse after completing their treatment is 40% to 60%. As far as addiction treatment goes, any treatment program that is less than 90 days has limited effectiveness. This of course depends on the type of addiction as well. A methadone maintenance addiction requires at least 12 months of intensive care and continued evaluation as well as other opioid addictions.
Duration
The treatment gap for substance use disorder is wide. About 21.6 million people aged 12 and older were diagnosed with substance addictions in 2011; only 2.3 million individuals’ opted for treatment.
- Research in 1999 showed that those who spent long periods in rehab were more likely to be abstinent than those who spent less time.
- More studies showed that longer treatment programs produced better outcomes in terms of recovery
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that substance addiction requires at least 90 days for maximum efficacy
Opioids and Heroin
Addiction to opioids is usually very severe and requires certain medications through the detox process. Such medications may include the likes of buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone to mitigate cravings and withdrawal symptoms. For opioid addiction, an inpatient program has a better chance of success than an outpatient program due to the severity of opioid addictions. Studies showed that the use of heroin decreased by 90% in individuals who were administered MAT drugs in rehabilitation.
Alcohol
At least one in four individuals maintained abstinence in the first year after the rehabilitation. The 12 step program is one of the major support programs for alcoholics and has proved effective over the years. A study showed that 67% of alcoholics were sober for at least 16 years after attending AA meetings while only 34% of patients who did not attend the meetings maintained abstinence.
Methamphetamines
Methamphetamine treatment is one of the most critical forms of rehabilitation, with varying levels of effectiveness, depending on the history of use. Behavioral therapy is extremely important in the treatment regimen. A study showed that there was no significant change in meth use between those who attended only detox treatment and those who did not attend rehabilitation at all. Those who attended residential treatment remained sober longer than those that didn’t. The matrix model was also identified to be the most effective technique for meth addiction.
Cocaine
Cocaine treatment has yielded success over the years with the use of modern treatment medications to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. Disulfiram is one of the few medications that have shown potential in the management of cocaine addiction.
The most recommended and practiced forms of treatment for cocaine addiction are behavior therapies, one of which includes Cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Success rates in rehab facilities vary, and the possibility of sustained abstinence from drug use is dependent on the individual in question. Usually, when a person is enrolled in a rehab facility, the treatment program is tailored to their specific needs and caters to them in a way that promotes healing. The challenge in many cases is that some may not finish treatment due to financial reasons and otherwise, while others have different capacities. Triggers are mostly responsible for relapses. Relapse causes could be physical such as places, people, and others or psychological like stress-related and others.
Why Rehab?
Rehabilitation for substance abuse has catered to millions of addicts in the past, with innumerable success rates, and remains the best bet for any form of substance addiction, whether mild or severe. The best rehab facilities must suit your budget and personal requirements or are within your location.
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