What to Expect at Drug Rehab

Drug Treatment Therapy Expectations and Standards

© Jennifer Marsh

May 17, 2009
Drug Rehab, about.com
Drug rehab doesn't need to be torture. What to expect when going into drug treatment therapy.

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It’s estimated that eight million Americans are in need of drug rehab. Of those eight million, approximately two million teenagers are addicted to drugs and alcohol. For many people, drug abuse ruins lives and aspirations, and only after losing family support do they realize that they are in need of outside drug rehab therapy. Although many people realize they are in need of counseling, they are too afraid to take the steps to enter drug rehab and let go of their addiction.

Drug Rehab Basics

Choosing the right drug rehab program is the crucial step to proper care. Some facilities offer specialized services like emergency medical teams onsite or gender specific care for women from rape or physical abuse. The type of difficulty and medical assistance needed depends on the severity of the addiction and the type of drug being abused. Medical staff should be closely monitoring patient vitals and be prepared for severe withdraw symptoms such as seizures which can accompany cessation from drugs like alcohol or benzodiazepines (Xanax).

Expectations from Drug Rehab Programs

The main goal of every drug rehab program is to assist the patient in three categories:

  • Remove the dependency on drugs or alcohol
  • Keep the withdraws at a minimum and keep the patient as comfortable as possible
  • Rebuild self esteem and healthy living

These three qualities will improve your ability to let go of the drug addiction and move on to a better and healthier life. It should be noted that many patients relapse, and drug rehab programs will often account for the setback and help patients deal with any cravings. Even if the setback from relapse occurs, drug rehab facilities assist in developing redevelopment methods and an understanding that a relapse is not a permanent mistake.

The first part of a drug rehab program is the consultation and diagnosis. This step allows the psychiatrist and drug rehab staff to assess the severity of the drug addiction and know what kind of withdraws can be expected. It also allows you to get to know the people who will be assisting in the recovery.

The second part of drug rehab is detox, which is well known to be the worst part of any recovery. The severity of the addiction and length of time for drug use will determine how badly these symptoms occur and how long they will be in effect. The drug rehab staff will make detox as comfortable as possible, but this part of recovery is inevitably difficult.

Finally, treatment and esteem building is the final step. This step will help treat the mental and physical symptoms from drug abuse and build the health of the patient for permanent wellness. This step in drug rehab will finalize the recovery, but it is up to the patient to continue the path and resist temptation of drug use.


The copyright of the article What to Expect at Drug Rehab in Substance Abuse Recovery is owned by Jennifer Marsh. Permission to republish What to Expect at Drug Rehab in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


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