If your loved one is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, you may be seeking the best type of treatment for his or her needs. At the same time, you may feel overwhelmed at the number of options available. What is the best type of substance abuse treatment, and which is right for your loved one?
It’s important to recognize that substance abuse treatment comes in many forms, and there is not one single type of treatment that will work for everyone. The type of program your loved one needs will depend on the severity of his or her substance abuse, and his or her specific circumstances at this time. For example, some people benefit most from a live-in treatment facility, while others may need more flexibility in their rehab program. Some may need detox services, while others may be looking for more in-depth counseling and long-term recovery strategies.
Below, we cover some of the most common types of substance abuse treatment, from the program formats to the types of therapy you might encounter in your research.
Types of Treatment Program Structures
Detox programs
For cases of severe substance abuse and addiction, a detoxification program is often needed. This helps an individual safely overcome the initial, physical, and painful withdrawal period that occurs after stopping drug use.
Inpatient or Residential Treatment
Inpatient treatment, commonly referred to as residential treatment, means that a client lives at the facility in which they are receiving treatment. These are generally non-hospital settings, such as the residences at Turnbridge here, that offer a safe and secure place for a person to heal.
Inpatient substance abuse treatment provides 24/7 support to individuals in recovery. They can be short-term or long-term programs, depending on a client’s needs. Residential treatment is a great option for those who do not have a safe, drug-free place to live while in recovery. It is also recommended for adolescents and young adults, and those battling co-occurring disorders (such as depression, anxiety, trauma, or eating disorders). Inpatient treatment generally includes a range of therapies, activities, support groups, and programs for residents to participate in. You can learn about the benefits of residential treatment here.
Outpatient Treatment Programs
Outpatient substance abuse treatment is typically delivered from a clinician’s office or hospital setting, and allows a client to come and go from treatment. Outpatient programs may consist of drug education, counseling sessions, sober skills training, and other therapies. While services will vary by program, outpatient treatment is generally considered less intensive than inpatient treatment, and therefore is best for those with a less severe substance abuse problem. There are, however, intensive day programs available for those who prefer (or require) outpatient services, with therapies comparable to those found in an inpatient setting. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, outpatient treatment is more suitable for people with jobs and extensive social supports.
Gender-Specific Drug Treatment
The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that substance abuse treatment be tailored to a person’s unique needs: their age, their gender, their health, their drug of choice. As we detail here, women and men have very distinct needs while in recovery, and for this reason, gender-specific treatment is an important consideration.
Gender-specific drug treatment ensures that women in recovery are surrounded by other women battling addiction, and that they are supported by professionals specifically trained in female substance abuse and the unique challenges that women face in recovery. To the same end, gender-specific treatment provides men in recovery with a fully male treatment community, where they will find peers walking in similar shoes and clinicians with specialized knowledge in men’s addiction treatment. Gender-specific drug rehab separates men and women to create a comfortable, distraction- and pressure-free environment for healing.
Types of Substance Abuse Treatment Modalities
Behavioral therapies
Many residential treatment centers today will enact behavioral treatments, which focus on the long-term success of people in recovery. Behavioral therapies are designed to modify clients’ attitudes and behaviors around drug use, by providing them with positive coping strategies and life skills to maintain a healthy life. Some evidence-based behavioral therapies include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Contingency Management (CM)
- Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA)
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy
- 12-Step Facilitation Therapy
- Family Behavior Therapy
Individual counseling
Individual sessions with a counselor to discuss the root of one’s substance abuse, as well as developing a treatment plan and strategies to overcome it.
Group therapy
Therapeutic groups lead by clinicians, providing clients with an opportunity to connect with, and feel supported by, other peers in recovery.
Multi-dimensional family therapy
Family therapy typically involves the client and one or multiple family members, such as parents or a significant other.
Medication-assisted treatment
This type of treatment combines counseling and behavioral therapies with medications to help treat substance use disorders. Methadone, for example, is an evidence-supported, agonist medication used in many opioid abuse treatment settings.
Trauma-informed therapy
It is estimated that those who have experienced trauma – such as sexual abuse, violence, or death of a loved one – are four times more likely to inject drugs to try and suppress those memories. Trauma-informed therapy helps clients cope with and overcome the effects of trauma and addiction simultaneously.
Dual Diagnosis treatment
Dual diagnosis treatment is designed to help individuals overcome co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders – which affect nearly 8 million people in the United States. Substance abuse often co-occurs with depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health disorders. Dual diagnosis treatment centers like Turnbridge work to treat those disorders together, at the same time in place, using an integrated care approach.
Holistic therapies
Holistic addiction therapies are designed to treat the physical, mental, and emotional effects of a substance use disorder. In other words, they treat the whole person in mind, body, and soul. This may include outdoor therapy, exercise programs, yoga, meditation and mindfulness, and other natural remedies. You can learn about the holistic activities at Turnbridge here.
It is important to remember that there is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” approach to substance abuse treatment. Whichever treatment program you choose, be sure that it has everything your loved one needs to achieve sobriety – whether that’s in the therapies it offers, the format it recommends, the clinicians it staffs, and/or the overall environment it promotes for clients in recovery.
To learn more about how to choose a substance abuse treatment program for your loved one, or to learn more about Turnbridge’s programs, please do not hesitate to reach out. You may call us at 877-581-1793. You may also explore some more informative articles on choosing a treatment center below.