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Proper Steps to Drug Rehabilitation

Alcohol and drug addiction is a serious problem that faces an ever-growing portion of the population. The need for a drug, whatever drug it happens to be, can ruin lives, relationships and finances. Getting drug treatment to help break the addiction is essential. Even though most drug rehabilitation programs are tailored to the patient, they have some similar steps that should be taken.

  1. Detoxification

    • The first step in any drug rehabilitation program should be an effort to detoxify the patient. During the initial day or so of the treatment program, the patient isn't given drugs, and whatever drugs were in his system are allowed to pass through until he becomes sober. This can be particularly dangerous, especially with a large amount of alcohol, or with drugs such as heroin. In cases such as this, doctors should stand by to monitor the patient and to administer whatever procedures might be necessary as the patient's body tries to purge itself of the drug.

    Psychology

    • Once a patient is sober, the treatment for the mental side of alcohol and drug addiction should begin. This process can take a variety of forms, such as the well-known 12-step program, group therapy or even one-on-one counseling. Regardless of which type or combination of types of psychological therapy are used though, the purpose is the same: To get the patient to look at what her addiction was doing to her, to see that she could not control it and to make her want to leave it behind. This counseling often gets the patient to open up as well, revealing the psychological motivations behind why she began using drugs or alcohol in the first place.

    Health

    • The last component of an alcohol and drug rehabilitation program is to make patient healthy again. The initial withdrawal and mental health are still concerns, but the alcohol or drug's damage to the patient's body has to be repaired. This often takes the form of vitamin and mineral supplements, use of saunas and alternative detoxification methods, and exercise. Generally speaking, if the patient can be brought back to physical health while his mental state also heals, then by the end of the rehabilitation program he may be as close to cured as possible.

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