Drug Addiction Treatment

Substance use disorder or drug addiction treatments seek to help individuals who cannot control their use of drugs, whether they are from legal or illegal sources. Drug addiction treatment can greatly vary from one situation to the next. The most accurate treatment for a particular case will depend on a wide array of factors. Some of the most remarkable are genetic, social, and the patient’s family situation. Professionals will also measure the severity of addiction and the type of drug used in each case.

A successful treatment is often seen as one that effectively detoxifies an individual. But sometimes, drug addicts experience relapses. Since drug addiction is a chronic disorder, some people are unable to withstand treatment and start using drugs again. In many cases, this relapse happens months or even years after the detox treatment ended.

To prevent this, specialists frequently evaluate the overall situation and determine if inpatient, outpatient, or residential treatments are convenient for a specific patient. Regardless of the type of treatment, medical supervision is imperative during recovery, especially in the first stages.

Medications and Behavioral Therapies for Drug Addiction Treatment

The early stages of drug addiction recovery consist of cleaning the body from chemical substances. However, drastically quitting a compulsively used drug can result in severe withdrawal symptoms. Detoxification withdrawal varies depending on the substance that is being used, dosage and length of addiction. Certain substances can cause harsher withdrawal symptoms than others. To prevent physical and psychological impact, drug abuse specialists may prescribe certain medications at the beginning of the process.

Medication-assisted treatment is appropriate for patients with opioid addiction. The most commonly used medications for this kind of treatment are naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine.

Nicotine addiction can be treated with nicotine-based medication such as nasal spray, gum, patches, and lozenges, or bupropion and varenicline prescriptions.

Alcohol is commonly treated with disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate. It is important to mention that alcoholism frequently co-occurs with other drug abuse.

Behavioral therapies can contribute to the patients’ motivation to enroll in different activities to ensure recovery. Therapy can help deal with drug cravings and prevent relapse. Therapy also teaches family members how to handle the situation around the patient with addiction. Many treatment programs combine individual and group therapies. The main aim of therapy is to provide patients along with their friends and family with resources to learn behavioral strategies in times of contingency and to improve social and communicative skills.

If you have compulsive cravings for any substance and do not know how to deal with the situation, Elev8 can be of help! Our specialized staff can answer all your questions and guide you through drug addiction treatment and therapy to help you gain back your freedom. Call us today!