Drug rehabs are intended to help addicts obtain a complete recovery from their addiction to become a functional, healthy, contributing member of society once again. There are many different types of programs for recovering addicts to research.
Some rehabs offer a more intensive, long-term program, while others offer a basic program with flexible hours to fit around individual schedules. Some drug rehabs have different types of specialists on hands who can handle specific types of addiction, and may or may not be qualified to handle co-occurring disorders like schizophrenia or eating disorders.
Detoxification is typically the first step in drug rehabs. This involves complete withdrawal of the body from all harmful substances, even to the point of ridding the body of residual toxins still present from past drug use. Detox can be done with medicine as a way to ease the physical symptoms presented during the body’s withdrawal process. Detox might also be done in an all-natural manner, with something like a sauna to “sweat out” the body’s toxins.
While detox approaches may differ, most drug rehabs will have other things in common. For instance, this might include life skills education classes, goal-setting, job placement assistance, and certainly individual counseling and group therapy. Ultimately, drug rehabs are a safe, substance-free place for recovering addicts to rest and reflect on their life, their addiction and their future goals. Regardless of how helpful the professionals may be, the ultimate decision to stop the addiction for good rests solely in the hands of the addict. Statistics have shown, however, that drug rehabs – particularly those programs lasting three months or more – are immensely helpful to the long-term recovery goal.