Drug Addiction & Residential Treatment Centers

Drug addiction is a brain disease that results in compulsive drug-seeking behavior. An addict is not mindful of the consequences to himself and those around him. Residential treatment centers, designed for people with serious drug problems, help addicts overcome addiction.

Therapeutic Communities

• Residential treatment programs include therapeutic communities---highly organized programs that allow patients to stay at a residence for six to 12 months.

Outcomes

• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), participation in therapeutic communities has had many positive outcomes. After treatment, individuals have lower levels of drug use than before treatment.

Environment

• Residential treatment offers patients a drug-free environment. The transition from their destructive drug environment to residential treatment allows them to experience life without drugs.

Patients

• The patients in therapeutic communities tend to have lengthy histories of drug addiction. According to NIDA, they have generally been involved in serious criminal activities, are socially impaired and may have additional mental health problems.

Treatment

• Residential treatment methods tend to use the community---treatment staff and recovering addicts---as motivators for change. Members use structured and unstructured methods to influence thoughts and actions relating to drug use.