Getting Help for a Drug Addiction

Dr. Purushothaman
September 3, 2013

People who want to recover from drug addiction have a variety of options for help in Pennsylvania. In every case, there is a need for more than detoxification, which is only the first step in ending long-term addiction. Inpatient and outpatient programs combine medication-aided detox with a controlled environment, different types of counseling and a comprehensive outpatient program. Different situations call for separate solutions, so addicts and their loved ones should look into multiple options for the best results. Below is a look at the choices available, with a focus on intensive inpatient drug addiction rehab in Pennsylvania.

Common Options for Treatment

The first step in recovery from drug addiction is detox, which can be aided by sedative drugs prescribed and monitored by physicians. Afterward, recovering addicts can choose from spiritually-based 12-step programs or secular programs supported by individual and group counseling. Patients can also enter inpatient programs that may last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Inpatient rehab facilities typically start the recovery process with detoxification supported and monitored by medical staff followed by a long-term program focusing on multiple types of counseling, life skills training and mental health treatment if necessary. For some patients, the most benefits are gained from community-centered programs that give them advice, job training, and social recovery to start a life away from one centered around drug addiction.

Benefits of PA Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facilities

Inpatient drug rehab offers patients a safe environment free of drugs and outside influences that fuel drug-related behaviors. Upon entry, most facilities assess patients for mental health problems and create personalized programs to address those issues if necessary. Communication with family and friends is normally prohibited for the entirety of these programs, but some facilities allow monitored communication after a certain level of progress has been made. In this setting, patients are able to form healthy new habits without drugs and alcohol and learn new coping strategies that ease the transition to lasting sobriety.

Counseling at Drug Addiction Rehab in Pennsylvania

Inpatient drug rehab offers both individual and group counseling, with each offering certain benefits. Individual counseling may focus on mental health issues and personal problems that require a one-on-one approach. In group therapy, patients can discuss their problems with other recovering addicts and encourage one another as they press toward long-term sobriety. Group counseling also lets patients develop more insight into the problems that fuel their addictions through recognition of others' problems in their own lives.

Outpatient Rehab Counseling

PA drug and alcohol treatment facilities commonly offer outpatient support for patients adjusting to life after rehab. Back in the outside world, faced with old acquaintances and temptations to use drugs, patients get valuable support from visits with doctors and group sessions with other recovering addicts in the same situation. This is vital to the ongoing process of recovery.

Recovering addicts in Pennsylvania have numerous options for regaining sobriety. Each path has certain strengths and benefits, but inpatient rehab is the most complete approach. Detox, life skills training and outpatient rehab are all valuable building blocks for long-term sobriety and are available through inpatient rehab facilities.

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