Treatment options for alcohol and substance abuse

Treatment options for alcohol and substance abuse

Much research has shown that alcohol is the most commonly used and misused substance across the country. According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 14.1 million adults who were 18 years and older had alcohol use disorder. Only 6.5% of this number received treatments. It is also estimated that 88,000 people die annually from alcohol-related issues. In 2013, 24.6 million Americans who are 12 years and older had used illicit prescriptions in the previous month and this is 9.4% of the population.

Alcohol treatment centers for alcohol abuse
These centers are designed to help people who are addicted to alcohol. Some of them require the person to stay in-house with them while others have the outpatient facility. It also depends on how severe the addiction is. Your doctor would be able to guide you with the right kind of intervention. Treatments usually start with the detox process. This enables the body to get accustomed to an environment without alcohol. This is the first crucial stage in the recovery process because people go through delirium and if unattended, it could potentially lead to life-threatening seizures. This is one of the treatment options for alcohol and substance abuse.

An inpatient facility is best for those who do not have an effective home support system. Everything is taken care of right from housing, medication, therapy, etc., In the outpatient facility, the person is allowed to figure their destructive behavior. It also allows them to explore options with support groups.

Treatment option for narcotic addiction
While the basic intervention could start off the same for most kinds of substance abuse, the intensity and approach largely vary based on the type of medication. Besides the long-term and short-term residential treatment and rehabilitation program, the following are some options:

  • Medication
  • Behavior study and counseling
  • Delivering skills training and providing a conducive environment for people to find purpose
  • Evaluating the mental health of the person. Depression and anxiety, for example, are the biggest causes for the tendency towards addiction.
  • Long-term follow up in order to prevent relapse
  • Family counseling in order to ensure that the emotional, mental, and physical support system is established

Individualized therapy
It is certainly not an easy task, both for the expert providing intervention and the person undergoing abuse to overcome this hurdle. There are several co-occurring medical conditions that could slowly emerge in this process. It should also be noted that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment when it comes to this. For example, individualized therapy is gaining a lot of popularity because it addresses crucial issues like family or other social relations, trigger factors for such abusive behavior, traumatic incidents that might have happened in one’s life, and employment status and also a detailed study of behavior pattern. This is one of the treatment options for alcohol and substance abuse.

12-step program

Another successful treatment option includes the 12-step program. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 74% of the treatment facilities use this treatment plan. This is a structured program that takes into consideration the intricate aspects of the individual and provides the person with a path to recovery. Some of the steps include admitting the fact they have succumbed to the addiction, developing faith (form is chosen by the individual), taking personal inventory, surrendering to the higher power and staying open for the higher power to make changes to one’s character, and counting to take personal inventory.

What to expect?
One can totally expect this to be a tough journey to endure. Study shows that one out of six who stay sober for three months hit the abuse road again and find it difficult to accept themselves. All you need to do is overcome such obstacles and the result is a truly beautiful life.