Drug addiction treatment at clinical rehab centers helps thousands of addicts make successful recoveries every year. Even people who abuse extremely dangerous and habit-forming substances such as meth can achieve lasting sobriety with drug addiction treatment. As medical professionals have come to realize that addiction is a neurological disease, they have developed highly effective methods for treating its sufferers.
However, most lay people still don't understand what goes on at clinical rehab facilities. People often simply associate addiction treatment with detox, not realizing that the clinical therapies afterwards are responsible for addicts abilities to stay clean in the long run. The following are some of the methods rehab clinicians use with meth addicts during drug addiction treatment.
Evidence-based Therapies
Evidence-based therapies are treatments which have been rigorously tested using the scientific method. They have been statistically proven to help addicts maintain sobriety, and they carry the approval of government and private agencies alike. The most common forms of evidence-based therapy are individual counseling sessions, group discussions, and family therapy.
During individual counseling, meth addicts work with addiction counselors to discover the root causes of their addictions. Addicts often must face uncomfortable truths about their personalities and characters, but this difficult process is essential for staying clean in the long run. Armed with knowledge about their personal addiction triggers and destructive behavior patterns, addicts can make necessary lifestyle changes for lasting sobriety.
Group discussions allow meth addicts to come together and share their struggles and effective coping strategies. Meth is one of the most addictive drugs used today, and less-experienced addicts often rely on insight from those who have already gone through treatment and experienced relapse.
Finally, family therapies help meth addicts develop better relationships with their close relatives. Family members often play roles in the formation of addictions, but they can also be crucial to addicts drug-free lives post-treatment. Positive family dynamics are so important that rehab clinicians often give therapy directly to patients family members without the presence of the patients themselves.
Biofeedback Therapy
Meth is notorious for the toll it takes on users bodies. During periods of active use, meth addicts often ignore their physical decay and severely damage their mind-body connections the connections between physical stressors, mental and emotional problems, and drug cravings. It is crucial that addicts regain the ability to recognize and address physical concerns so they can prevent avoidable drug cravings.
To accomplish this goal, rehab specialists use biofeedback therapy, a set of treatments designed to teach addicts the connection between drug cravings and certain physical problems. For example, doctors may wire their patients to machines which monitor skin temperature. Decreased skin temperature is a sign of elevated stress, which often leads meth addicts to relapse. By learning this relationship, addicts can recognize feelings of cold as warnings of future cravings and take steps to decrease their stress levels.
Reality Therapy
Reality therapy helps substance abusers connect the coping strategies they learn in clinical environments with everyday situations. Although meth addicts typically stay at their treatment facilities for one to three months during inpatient drug addiction treatment programs, they are still required to perform daily tasks for themselves. By cooking, cleaning, shopping, and even scheduling their own appointments for therapies, addicts find it easier to apply what they learn in rehab to a world filled with responsibilities and decisions.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction to meth or other drugs, click the links at the bottom of your screen to find a treatment center near you. Addiction is a serious disease, but a drug addiction treatment program can help you get your life back on track.
