Although there are common themes that can be identified in addiction no two people are alike. A program for alcohol rehab or drug abuse needs to pay attention to the unique story of each client. Some programs rely extensively on medical techniques and are heavily predisposed to dispensing prescription drugs.

If you are considering sending a loved one to an alcohol rehab program in South Africa you should become familiar with the way that these programs work. This will help you to decide which particular program is going to suit the patient best. People are often unaware that there are quite large differences between the various treatment facilities that call themselves an "alcohol rehab in South Africa". They might be based on different principles and have large differences in how they implement the treatment program.

Drug addiction and alcoholism make life a living hell. Addicts arriving for addiction treatment at a drug rehab center often describe a life filled with misery, self-loathing, physical sickness, mental problems, broken relationships, the list goes on...

Addiction treatment offers a helping hand for an addict to grip onto, but is often a taboo subject and people seem to want to avoid talking about it. Addiction is an illness like any other. It has diagnostic symptoms, a prognosis, and treatment options. Despite this addiction treatment remains quite poorly understood.

The popular media depiction of addiction treatment is usually completely inaccurate. Hollywood is responsible for perpetuating (or even creating) a number of misconceptions about addiction treatment. Addiction treatment is really not as bad as it is in the movies.
Success in addiction treatment requires dedication and willingness to fearlessly examine your life. Any struggle that happens during addiction treatment occurs within the broader context of addiction recovery - which promises hope, happiness, freedom, and a return to functioning as a member of society. This very positive context is often lost in the public conception of addiction treatment.

"I can do it alone"
A lot of people baulk at the prospect of addiction treatment. They provide a lot of very good reasons to stay out of a drug rehab center or alcohol rehab. However, it is a sad truth that very few people are able to beat addiction independently. They try to stop using and feel despondent when they inevitably fail. This leads them to believe that they cannot ever stop which just makes the addiction worse. Effective addiction treatment interrupts the cycle of using and helps the addict develop skills and attitudes to live life without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Professional addiction treatment provided in a drug rehab center or alcohol rehabilitation facility is informed by years of research and clinical experience. The clinicians are able to identify the features of addiction and develop an addiction treatment program to address the individual features of the patient's addiction. They are able to assess the patient and provide medical and psychotherapeutic interventions to treat the illness. You wouldn't expect a cancer patient to be able to overcome cancer independently, why should addiction be any different?

Addiction treatment needs to start with a properly supervised detoxification ("detox") to rid the body of any leftover toxins. This helps the patient approach addiction treatment with a clear mind and sound body. Most drug rehab centers offer a detox program but some will refer a client to a specialist unit. It is important for a detox to be medically supervised and you should always consult with your doctor regarding this decision.

Success stories
It is hard to measure the "success" of an addiction treatment program. Ideally the aim of addiction treatment is to help the addict or alcoholic remain abstinent and in recovery for the rest of her life. In this case "success" can only be measured when the addict finally dies at a ripe old age having lived a happy and fruitful life. Addiction treatment does not purport to "cure" addiction. Even if you have completed addiction treatment you will not be able to use drugs or drink alcohol. Relapse into addiction is inevitable if you again start drinking or using drugs. When a clinic claims to have an "80% success" rate you should be careful to check how they define success and whether their claim has been independently verified. The old joke that approximately 47.23% of all statistics are made up on the spot is sadly a truism of life.

The American National Institute on Drug Abuse has published a report (linked here) that finds that cravings can be induced in addicts by exposing them to pictures of drugs. What is remarkable is that the length of exposure can be so short that the addict isn't even aware that he/she has seen the image. Using functional MRI scanning Dr. Anna Rose Childress and her team were able to show that the pleasure centers of the brain became excited after even a very short exposure to pictures of drugs.

The age at which kids experiment with drugs has dropped over recent years. It is now expected that kids as young as 11 or 12 will be exposed to drugs and alcohol within their peer group and start to begin experimenting. Children at this age are at an important part of their development and the brain is just beginning to develop the new cognitive skills that will help the child to cope with teenage years. These skills include the ability to make decisions using high-level or abstract reasoning. Drug use at this time can cause permanent structural changes to the brain that will impair these functions. Current estimates suggest that about half of all teenagers will try an illicit drug at least once. It is thought that nearly all teenagers will experiment with tobacco and alcohol.

Eating is controlled by external and internal factors. External factors include the availability of food, the context, cultural practices, social pressure. Internal factors include brain chemistry, physiological function, and our own attempts to control our eating. Eating is required to sustain life but for some people their eating becomes problematic to the point where it threatens their physical and mental well-being. Research is being conducted to try and explain how these "eating disorders" develop and how they can better be treated.

Methamphetamine is also known as "speed","ice", and "tik". It is a highly addictive stimulant drug that activates certain areas in the brain to create a euphoric rush. It is chemically related to amphetamine but has a greater effect. Tik has become a scourge in South Africa because of its ready availability and low cost. Many people think that tik is a new drug but in fact it has been around for decades. It has just become more popular recently as local gangs started producing it. A great many people are addicted to this dangerous substance and in need of treatment in a drug rehab center.

Alcoholism is a very serious disease that threatens the life of anybody who suffers from it. It is a progressive illness that gets worse and worse if left untreated. There is sometimes confusion around exactly who has a drinking problem that needs alcohol rehab.