Treatment: Getting Help

Hospitalization or outpatient treatment center

When looking for a rehab for addiction to drugs or to help with a drug problem, first decide the level of treatment you need. Enter a hospital or institution is expensive and traumatic for most people, you start the recovery process. These days, the treatment of most drugs is done on an outpatient basis, which makes sense because the treatment of addiction is a long-term.

Do not go blindly to someone somewhere to get help. Your personal physician is a good place to start and can help you decide if you need to be hospitalized. Doctors have good contacts in their community and know where to go and places to avoid. Experiences with therapists and psychiatrists' knowledge of the region can make a difference in your decision. Avoid hospitalization is not always the right way, but it will save thousands of dollars and avoid having to miss work or other commitments.

Your family doctor treating addiction too

Documents are great family, my wife is one. Have a happy and we are willing to go out of their way to help their patients. Currently there are a variety of treatments available in the dependence of a doctor's office for treatment of addiction.

Now we have two pills and injections to treat alcoholism can be given in the clinic. Some patients may receive medication at home for weaning from alcohol. We buprenorphine for addiction to narcotics. Some patients do very well see your family doctor to brief therapy sessions without the need for counseling or treatment.

Processing centers of state

Before contacting your personal physician or if you have no family doctor, call you state mental health authority. They can be found in the phone book or online in a folder under "mental health or Department of Rights and the Office of addiction or Health and Family Services." After discovering what is available in your area, please talk to your doctor.

People will be surprised how much help their individual states can provide. Usually have separate processing paths of addiction, mental retardation, health (depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) and mental health. State offices will patients with local services and local offices often have free screenings. They often work in scales and are much less expensive than private services. It has been my experience that you can get good treatment in this way if they show they are willing to attend all appointments.

The major disadvantage of local departments of mental health is that it can take several months to get an appointment with his psychiatrist regularly (not just the projection of emergency). When finances are a factor, I often see a patient first visits while working to get into the local mental health departments.

Private health facilities

Private treatment centers are usually expensive, and they perceived more privacy than government facilities. These facilities are generally well publicized and easy to find. The services provided are more pleasant environment and the people who will often have insurance or worker.

The main advantages of private care centers have expanded their services and improved staff training. There may be more after-care groups, and easier hours. I've always heard that the talent will go where the money is, and this is no different. It is not always the case, but in most cases, it is.

Free treatment (or almost free)

If addiction is alcohol, go to AA. AA has a long history and it works just as well or better than anything out there. It is usually readily available even in small towns will have several meetings a day. I have already said that they were free? I just tell patients of two things: 1 Try two or three different groups AA, because each group is very different from the next. 2. Having a sponsor of at least 5 years of abstinence, abstinence, preferably 10 years. In my experience, alcoholics are less than 5 years is usually quiet simplicity, clarity, and experience to help new members as sponsors.

In the case of dependence on other drugs, Narcotics Anonymous is the same as the AA. I found the quality of NA meetings is not to be as good as AA meetings, in order to find good sponsors is even more important. Consider avoiding meetings, where there are few individuals who have less than a year of sobriety.

For those not interested in 12-step programs, I would say that is involved in your local church to receive the pastoral care and counseling is a good deal '. For those not religiously inclined to be Ration recovery.

In brief

There are many places to find a cure for addiction: from your family doctor, an agency mental health. There are expensive private facilities and meetings around the city for free. The key is to remember that addiction is a chronic disease. It will require an ongoing treatment. Hospitalization or a meeting will not addictive. Make sure you review your options with your doctor because they can not treat addiction and help you make the best decision for your situation.