Addiction is not only a disorder that affects the body, mind or behavior of an individual. An addiction is an incurable disease, meaning the disease will last a life time. It can actually start in individuals of any age, however more often develops early in adults under the age of 30. People with addiction are much more likely to use drugs and alcohol than those without addiction, although the reasons for this are varied. While there may be many different reasons why someone chooses to use drugs or alcohol, one thing is for certain and that is that their addiction is an unhealthy, destructive and dangerous choice.
There are many drug addiction treatment centers out there to choose from. The most common and widely known treatment center is known as inpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment centers are used in various circumstances for patients who do not require medical care at home or in their everyday lives. A patient will go through several different phases in these treatment centers. These include detoxification, where the patient will be treated for the physical effects of drug abuse. During the detox phase, a patient will be put on medications to assist with the removal of any substances from their body and they will also undergo behavioral counseling.
After detoxification, the treatment will begin. Patients will have to undergo intensive outpatient treatments for the duration of their treatment. These treatments can include individual or group therapy. If the addict chooses to participate in individual treatment, they will be closely supervised by a psychiatrist, psychologist or addiction specialist who will monitor the progress that they make. This is known as in-clinic treatments.
