Cadabam's Blog

Drug Rehabilitation(often drug rehab or just rehab) is an umbrella term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent of drug rehabilitation is to enable the patient to cease substance abuse, in order to avoid the psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences that can be caused, especially by extreme abuse.

Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity.

The assumption of rehabilitation is that people are not permanently criminal and that it is possible to restore a criminal to a useful life, to a life in which they contribute to themselves and to society. A goal of rehabilitation is to prevent habitual offending, also known as criminal recidivism. Rather than punishing the harm out of a criminal, rehabilitation would seek, by means of education or therapy, to bring a criminal into a more normal state of mind, or into an attitude which would be helpful to society, rather than be harmful to society.

This theory of punishment is based on the notion that punishment is to be inflicted on an offender so as to reform him/her, or rehabilitate them so as to make their re-integration into society easier. Punishments that are in accordance with this theory are community service, probation orders, and any form of punishment which entails any form of guidance and aftercare towards the offender.

This theory is founded on the belief that one cannot inflict a severe punishment of imprisonment and expect the offender to be reformed and to be able to re-integrate into society upon his release. Although the importance of inflicting punishment on those persons who breach the law, so as to maintain social order, is retained, the importance of rehabilitation is also given priority. Humanitarians have, over the years, supported rehabilitation as an alternative, even for capital punishment.

Drug rehabilitation centers offer many forms of treatment to assist successful ongoing reco very for drug addicts, like outpatient or inpatient treatment, day-care programmes, residential rehabilitation ( drug rehab ), detox facilities, dry houses and sober living homes.

Detox facilities are a very early step in seeking help with a drug addiction problem and again must be staffed by qualified professionals. These will be staffed 24 hours a day 7 days a week with plenty of supervision for the detoxification process to be successful.

A residential addiction treatment center is probably the most effective for addicts in need of intensive focused help with their addictions. This will give them qualified professionals to assist in any difficulties all day long with the programme.

Outpatient help can help those addicts who may not be able to enter residential and may be able to start the process of change with counselling sessions and a small amount of group work each week. A qualified professional would need to make this assessment, not the addict themself as they may believe things are not that bad when in fact they need to be in residential rehabilitation as soon as possible.

Dry houses, sober living homes or sober houses are ideal for aftercare once a residential programme is finished. Those who have been in ongoing recovery before also use these if they have relapsed. Sometimes a place in a sober house or sober living home for a few months is enough for an addict to get back on the road for ongoing recovery if the relapse has been arrested early enough.

The sober house, sober living home experience helps the addict return to being a productive member of society while receiving support evry step of the way. While residing in such a property the client is encouraged to seek voluntary work or able employment, attend regular 12 step self help meetings, engage with a sponsor and work the 12 step program. This is also an ideal time to face past consequences outstanding warrents and fines etc, again while being supported by professionals in this field as well as the peers every step of the way.

These are obviously very brief descriptions and not every facility is exactly the same and not every drug addict needs whats on offer. Do remember to ask as many questions as you need answering prior to making a decision on which sort of drug rehab is best suitable to you.

Surveys have shown that most parents are tempted to say nothing, and hope that their child is only going through a phase. The fear of losing a child to something they do not understand, or are unable to control, is what keeps them in silent suffering. Only when the addiction comes to a head and manifests itself in the form of an arrest or a serious accident, or an unplanned pregnancy, do many parents finally step in. But by then it’s often too late.
It is for this reason that you should not think of your child’s drug use as a disease, but as a method he is using to try to solve his problems. Typical problems of young adults are: Difficulty learning in school or feeling stupid, having a hard time socializing and dealing with groups of people, feeling alone or afraid. Any of these things might be very tough to deal with and taking drugs or alcohol seems to make it easier. Although we all know (including the addict deep down), that using drugs or alcohol only masks and avoids the problems and is not a “solution” to his problems at all, but a much worse problem in itself.
It is in this manner you should approach your child. Treat the child like an adult and express your concerns in a calm manner. Communication is paramount – for parent and child – and this must start as soon as the problem is realized. A child in denial is a tough nut to crack, and all a parent can do is stand by the child, try to understand, and offer help.
Your child may try to convince you s/he can quit any time. He might also claim his friends are all doing it, or that it only happened once or twice. You, as a parent, will want to believe, but you must be strong without being authoritarian.
Only by staying close can a family come to terms with, and root out the problem of, addiction. It may take a drug rehabilitation program but family unity is of the utmost importance if the destructive cycle of drugs is to be beaten.

Everyone entering treatment receives a clinical assessment. A complete assessment of an individual is needed to help treatment professionals offer the type of treatment that best suits him or her. The assessment also helps program counselors work with the person to design an effective treatment plan.Although clinical assessment continues throughout a person’s treatment, it starts at or just before a person’s admission to a treatment program. The counselor will begin by gathering information about the person, asking many questions such as those about

1. Kinds, amount, and length of time of substance or alcohol use
2. Cultural issues around useof alcohol or drugs
3. Effects of drug or alcohol use on the person’s life
4. Medical history
5. Current medical problems or needs
6. Current medications (including pain medication)
7. Mental health issues or behavioral problems
8. Family and social issues and needs
9. Legal or financial problems
10.Educational background and needs
11.Current living situation and environment
12.Employment history, stability, problems, and needs
13.School performance, problems and needs, if relevant
14.Previous treatment experiences or attempts to quit drug or alcohol use.

The counselor may invite you, as a family member, to answer questions and express your own concerns as well. Be honest—this is not the time to cover up your loved one’s behavior. The counselor needs to get a full picture of the problem to plan and help implement the most effective treatment. It is particularly important for the counselor to know whether your family member has any serious medical problems or whether you suspect that he or she may have an emotional problem. You may feel embarrassed answering some of these questions or have difficulty completing the interview, but remember: the counselor is there to help you and your loved one.
The treatment team uses the information gathered to recommend the best type of treatment. No one type of treatment is right for everyone; to work, the treatment needs to meet your family member’s individual needs.
After the assessment, a counselor or case manager is assigned to your family member. The counselor works with the person (and possibly his or her family) to develop a treatment plan. This plan lists problems, treatment goals, and ways to meet those goals. Based on the assessment, the counselor may refer your family member to a physician to decide whether he or she needs Detoxification Or medical supervision to stop alcohol or drug use safely. Medically supervised withdrawal (often called detoxification or detox) uses medication to help people withdraw from alcohol or drugs.

People who have been taking large amounts of opioids (e.g., heroin, OxyContin7, or codeine), barbiturates or sedatives (“downers”), pain medications, or alcohol— either alone or together—may need medically monitored or managed withdrawal services. Sometimes, alcohol withdrawal can be so severe that people hallucinate, have convulsions, or develop other dangerous conditions. Medication can help prevent or treat such conditions. Anyone who has once had hallucinations orseizures from alcohol withdrawalor who has another serious illness or (in some cases) a mental disorder that could complicate detoxification may need medical supervision to detoxify safely. Medically supervised withdrawal can take place on a regular medical ward of a hospital, in a specialized inpatient detoxification unit, or on an outpatient basis with close medical supervision. Detoxification may take several days to a week or more. During that time, the person will receive medical care and may begin to receive education about his or her disease.