Intensities Of Alcohol And Drug Treatment Programs

Different alcohol and drug treatment programs have differte levels of care. It’s important to examine how severe the problem is and what level of treatment is most appropriate. There are various levels of treatment for chemical dependency much the same as different levels of care exist for any health problem.

Here are some different levels of care:

Intervention with Brief Therapy

This is a course of treatment which is typically very brief, but can be very effective. For example simply going to an assessment to learn about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Someone who racks up their first DUI while on a holiday binge but who has not yet established a history of drug and alcohol abuse is a good candidate for this level of treatment. The intervention is the arrest, the brief therapy an alcohol education program.

Detoxification

Detox is not actual addiction treatment as such. Rather, it aims to ensure the safety of an intoxicated person and to de-escalate the intoxification. When the patient is no longer intoxicated and deemed safe, they are released. For acute and long term cases of addiction, medically supervised detox is strongly recommended, since there is the risk of seizures. Most drug and alcohol treatment centers will require people to be medically stable before admission.

Outpatient Services

An out patient program generally does not require residency, generally consisting of attendance to group therapy sessions, possibly in addition to individual therapy sessions. These outpatient programs are less expensive than typical inpatient treatment.Outpatient treatment can benefit those who have problem usage patterns but are not yet genuinely dependent.

Intensive Outpatient Program

Again, non-residential and, as is implied, a more intense level of treatment than standard outpatient. 14-20 hours a week of both group and individual therapy weekly can be expected at this level. Sometimes an IOP program is used as phase 2 of a comprehensive alcohol and drug treatment program after completing a primary residential program.

Residential Treatment

This is the drug and alcohol treatment program center you pack up and leave home to attend. Residential treatment is living away from home, usually lasting anywhere between a month and a year. This treatment level is generally the most comprehensive and intense. Inpatient treatment facilities handle a wide range of associated issues, holistically addressing the mind, body and spirit.

I freely admit that as an addiction counselor, I am not an unbiased observer. I recommend the highest level of care possible that fit the diagnosis addicted. It is much wiser not to underestimate the problem.On the other hand, I do understand that inpatient treatment can be expensive, but what is a life worth?.

The critical piece to have in place is an appropriate assessment to insure the correct level of care matched to an appropriate drug and alcohol treatment program.

Here is another article can help:

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