Drug Treatment
Addictions Treated at Rehab
Drug Rehab Participants
Obstacles to Treatment
Finding a Reason to Enroll
Essential Treatment Features
Specialized Rehab Programs
Treatment at Michael’s House
Drug rehab is the only medically approved way to handle the treatment of physical and psychological addiction to drugs and alcohol – and it’s one that is needed far more often than it is utilized. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 23 million patients over the age of 12 (more than nine percent of the population) were living with drug abuse and addiction issues in the United States in 2009. Of that 23 million, less than three million (or 11 percent of the patients who needed rehab) actually got the care they needed.
If you or someone you care about is living with an alcohol or drug addiction, recovery is just over the horizon. A single phone call to Michael’s House can start you or your loved one on the road to a new life without drug and alcohol addiction. Contact us today to find out more about the types of programs available and get the answers to your questions about treatment.
Addictions Treated at Rehab
No matter what the drug of choice, an effective center can provide the patient with an individualized treatment program that will address the specifics of their experience with dependence and associated issues. According to Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), the following are the drugs most commonly cited by patients as their drug of choice and the reason for entering treatment:
- Alcohol (23% of admissions)
- Alcohol and another illicit substance (18% of admissions)
- Opiates including heroin and opiate painkillers (20% of admissions)
- Marijuana (17% of admissions)
- Crack (8% of admissions)
- Stimulants (6% of admissions)
- Cocaine (3% of admissions)
- Other: sedatives, tranquilizers, PCP, hallucinogens, inhalants (2%)
Few drug rehabs focus on a specific drug or alcohol. Rather, it is recommended that patients enter into treatment at a rehabilitation center that provides personalized care and a wide range of therapies to choose from, to ensure the most effective treatment possible.
Drug Rehab Participants
Who is getting drug addiction treatment? Who needs care? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), here are a few numbers to consider:
- Most patients in drug rehab are white (60% of admissions).
- African Americans are the second largest group to enroll (21% of admissions).
- (14% of admissions) were either Hispanic or Latino .
- The age group with the highest proportion of rehab admissions was the 25-to-29 age group at (15%).
- the second highest proportion of treatment admissions was the 20-to-24 age group (14.5%).
- Various age groups between 30 and 60 each make up about (10%) of treatment admissions.
Proportion of admissions among those over the age of 60 are significantly lower – only one percent. Similarly, teens between the ages of 12 and 17 make up only seven percent of admissions. This is likely not due to the fact that there is a lower rate of addiction but neither age group is likely to seek care for themselves and they may be keeping their issues a secret from family members who might otherwise intervene.
Obstacles to Treatment
Patients cite a number of different reasons for avoiding drug addiction treatment and continuing to rationalize active addiction. Some of the most common include:
- Fear of withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are a part of detox and they can be extremely uncomfortable. However, a medically supervised detox can potentially shorten the length of detox and make the patient far more comfortable during the experience.
- Fear of the unknown. The elements of drug rehab need not remain a mystery. Patients are invited to find out everything they can about what it takes to recover at a comprehensive drug rehab before they begin.
- Fear of boredom. Many imagine that drug treatment will be boring compared to their life of addiction. However, when honest, most patients concede that their life of addiction is far more hectic than they want and that the work of recovery is far from boring.
- Inability to imagine life without drugs and alcohol. Many patients have a hard time figuring out what they would fill their time with if not the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Few have invested the time or effort to find interests outside of addiction and the fear of a blank future is overwhelming.
- Money. Drug rehab is expensive and after a period of time spent investing every penny into addiction, there is little left over for treatment. The good news is that there are a number of options for assistance in payment, including insurance and financing.
- Family constraints. Problems with significant issues, children who are struggling at school or emotionally, elderly parents or siblings who need care – any number of issues with folks at home can cause stress and keep patients from feeling as if they are free to prioritize their own health by entering rehab.
- Work or school responsibilities. Functional addicts who have managed to maintain a presence at work or school may be unwilling to let go of that progress by heading to treatment – or taking the chance that anyone will find out that they have an issue with drug abuse or addiction.
Many patients hope that they can avoid dealing with obstacles to treatment by detoxing at home. Unfortunately, this rarely works. When a full-blown addiction is an issue, medical supervision is essential and a key to success in recovery. Additionally, simply allowing the body to stabilize after chronic drug abuse and addiction is only the first step in treatment. The real healing begins when the patient undergoes psychological care that addresses that issues that occurred prior to and during active addiction. and serve as an ongoing trigger to relapse.
Finding a Reason to Enroll
The moment that a patient realizes that drug rehab is the only choice, and that their addiction will kill them if not addressed immediately in treatment, happens at different times and for different reasons for different people. For some, losing one significant thing is enough to spur them toward the help that they need – losing custody of children, losing a job, losing a spouse to divorce. For some, it takes all these things and more.
One of the most often cited reasons for making the life-changing decision to enter drug treatment is a health scare or drug overdose. The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is an organization that documents drug-related emergency room admissions and they report that:
- About 4.6 million emergency room visits were caused by drugs and alcohol in 2009.
- About 50 percent of these 4.6 million ER admissions were due to prescriptions that were taken as prescribed.
- Another 45 percent of the 4.6 million ER admissions (or 2.1 million visits) were caused by abuse of drugs or use of illicit substances, including prescription medications.
- Of those 2.1 million drug abuse-related ER admissions, 27 percent were caused by prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications, 21 percent were caused by street drugs, and 14 percent were caused by alcohol combined with other drugs of addiction.
- Emergency room admissions related to the nonmedical abuse of prescription drugs increased by more than 98 percent between 2004 and 2009.
- Almost 81 percent of drug-related emergency room visits were made by patients over the age of 21.
- Cocaine was responsible for more than 422,000 emergency room visits in 2009.
- Marijuana caused more than 367,000 ER visits.
- Heroin was the instigator in more than 213,000 ER trips.
- Stimulants like crystal meth and amphetamines were responsible for more than 93,000 visits to the emergency room.
- Men were more likely to require treatment in the emergency room due to an accident or overdose caused by illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Whether it is an acute health issue or a chronic problem, the stark reminder that drug and alcohol addiction is deadly can help patients move closer to treatment and get the help they need to survive the disease.
Essential Treatment Features
Comprehensive care means that a number of different stages of treatment are provided in order to make sure that each patient receives everything necessary to recover from addiction. This starts from the moment he or she walks through the door of the treatment center and continues long after the last day of rehab. According to the National Institutes of Health, these include:
Specialized Treatment Programs
There are a number of different choices in treatment and, in addition to traditional programs based upon the 12-step treatment model, there are a number of specialized drug rehabs designed to meet the needs of specific patients. Here are just a few:
- Dual Diagnosis. The rate of patients living with drug addiction and a mental health disorder is high. According to a study published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, many of these patients often develop the mental health disorder first and attempt to “self-medicate” the symptoms of that disorder with drugs and alcohol, ultimately developing an addiction. Treating both issues at the same time increases the patient’s chances at a successful and sustained recovery on both fronts.
- Gender- specific rehab. Rehab centers that provide treatment solely to male or female patients are available. These provide a level of emotional safety to patients who feel that it will help them in their recovery process.
- Teenagers and adolescents. Those under the age of 18 require a different style of treatment and focus of care than do adults. It’s important that they enroll in a program designed for their needs and level of emotional development.
- Holistic drug rehab. Holistic treatment programs incorporate a wide range of therapy options including 12-steps therapy, group sessions, Eastern philosophies, and experiential therapies. The goal is to provide each patient with a unique experience in treatment and a daily schedule that is built around their individual needs.
Treatment at Michael’s House
If you would like to learn more about the rehabilitative care options available to you here at Michael’s House, our counselors are standing by at the phone number listed above. We provide a number of different therapies and amenities to patients who are ready to leave drug and alcohol addiction behind. Our personalized treatment plans are built according to what each individual patient needs from recovery and addresses their specific treatment goals. One of the most sought after drug rehabs in the country, our Southern California estate provides residential care to both men and women that incorporates holistic therapeutic options as well as 12-step groups and philosophies. Call now to schedule a tour or to find out how to take the first step toward a brighter future today.
Further Reading
- California Drug Treatment Centers
- Choosing The Right Program
- Drug Treatment and Relapse
- Drug Treatment Center
- Drug Treatment Center Costs
- Drug Treatment Center Programs
- Drug Treatment Scams
- Effective Treatment Programs
- Family Drug Treatment
- Finding a California Program
- Helplines Guide
- Holistic Drug Treatment Programs
- How to Choose the Right Facility
- Individualized Drug Treatment
- Inpatient Drug Treatment
- Inpatient vs. Outpatient Treatment
- Long Term Drug Treatment Centers
- Methadone Drug Treatment
- Myths and Facts About Drug Addicton and Treatment
- Outpatient Drug Treatment
- Private Drug Treatment Programs
- Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers
- Talking to Your Teenager about Drugs
- The Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Facilities
- The Benefits of Residential Treatment
- The Treatment Guide
- Treatment 101: All About the Basics
- Treatment Frequently Asked Questions
- U.S. Treatment Statistics
- Understanding the Steps of a 12-step Recovery Program
