Does Rehab Work?

Even though addiction and alcoholism are very serious illnesses they can be treated successfully. A drug rehab program will work if the client is ready and willing to fully engage in the program.

The central message of alcohol and drug treatment programs is one of hope: "We Do Recover", addicts and alcoholics do recover and can lead normal lives.

We are very lucky for the research that was initiated in America in the 1950's. Today we have effective treatment methods and a patient who is admitted into rehab has a fantastic opportunity to get better.

We are careful to note that recovery is not easy and has many potential pitfalls along the way. This is not a reason to avoid starting this process - delay costs lives!

Is Drug Rehab Important?

American surveys suggest that each month 19.1 million Americans use an illegal substance. This means that every day hundreds and thousands of people are using substances that threaten to drag them into the gutter. Although not everybody who uses a substance is in need of drug rehab we can see that there is a huge need for effective and realistic drug detoxification and treatment programs

Addiction is a disease characterised by compulsive use of drugs, dependence, and tolerance. It has a devastating effect not only on those who suffer from it but their families as well. Drug abuse creates financial, social, legal, physical health, and mental health problems. An addict may struggle to maintain steady employment due to problems arising from waking up late, using drugs at work, excessive sick leave, and even stealing from the employer.

In South Africa the drug trade has been linked to organized crime and on a lower level addicts steal and rob in order to support their habit. Drug dealers will swap drugs for stolen goods. In a country marred by uncontrolled violent crime the drug problem is a pressing social need.

Drug use can lead to death. Overdose is an obvious way that people can die from addiction, but alcoholics die in accidents while driving drunk, addicts die in compromised positions associated with their high-risk lifestyle. Some people say that the addict who dies goes to a better place. Addiction makes life awful. But they leave behind stricken families who will forever feel the pain that addiction has caused.

Stigma

Drug rehab appears to have lost its stigma and seems to be more acceptable. Perhaps the high incidence of addiction has helped the public to see this illness as a treatable disease and not a moral failing.

The American mass media has embraced drug rehab as a topic of social interest. Movies, books, and even television shows are telling the story of addicts recovering. There seems to be something appealing about hearing how a person can be restored to dignity.

This has helped to lower the stigma of being admitted to a drug rehab center, but it is still often difficult for the addict to make the decision to be admitted. It is a big decision and is fraught with fear of the unknown. Addicts often ask "who will I be if I am not using drugs" or "how will I cope without drugs".

Working the program

Drug rehab will only be effective if the treatment program is good and if the client is willing to work it. An old saying in treatment goes "You can spend 28 days in a garage but you won't magically turn into a car". They are saying that you can spend time in a treatment center but you won't magically be cured.

Programs can be difficult and require a level of honesty that many addicts are unfamiliar with. They require that the addict struggle and confront her inner demons.

It is possible to bluff your way through treatment, but at the end of the day you will only be wasting your time and money.

Choosing a program

In my many years of working in the treatment industry I have yet to encounter a drug rehab that claims to have a "normal" success rate. Every single centre claims to have an "above average", "superior", "high", or "outstanding" success rate. Of course none of these centres are able to substantiate how they calculate what is normal, and they sometimes are unable to classify what a "success" is.

What they do agree on is that addicts and alcoholics usually need some form of help to attain long lasting sobriety. People with this disease are not able to "just say no".

Obtaining expert drug treatment can equip a client with the tools and skills required to recover. Addiction is such a cunning enemy of life that most treatment programs employ a diverse mix of treatment strategies designed to address the many facets that make up an individual.

A good drug rehab program will understand the individual and mold itself around his/her needs. It will seek to view the individual in context and address the underlying causes of the addiction. It will offer new coping skills, new social strategies, new sources of support, and a new happiness.

At least one of the goals of a drug treatment program should be to assist the client to come to terms with his/her traumatic past and find serenity.

The Roots of Addiction

We have mentioned before that addiction is a disease and not a moral failing. This means that addicts do not choose to use drugs, they are compelled to do so by their illness. It is not a personal weakness, a moral failing, or a character flaw.

It is an insidious illness that seems to rob individuals of their will. Not only does it impair their control over consumption, but it also often interferes with their will to get better. For some reason addicts often don't want to recover and need to be coaxed into drug rehab. You would not experience this with other diseases such as cancer! If a person is diagnosed with cancer they do anything they can to get better, if a person is diagnosed with addiction they react completely differently.

Addiction appears to be rooted in both physical and psychological levels. A successful drug and alcohol rehab treatment program should address both of these aspects.

Physical addiction occurs as a result of prolonged drug use which induces changes in brain chemistry (see my post on "Science of Addiction" for more details).

Psychological dependency relates to how drugs initially help the addict to cope with stresses. Using a drug is a quick fix to feeling down, insecure, sad, lonely, hungry, or any other negative state. The drug is quickly associated as being a coping mechanism. Addicts often struggle to deal with life's normal difficulties because they have relied on the drug to numb their experiences for so long.

A good treatment program will address both of these levels through a holistic approach. There is no "quick fix" for addiction - no pill you can swallow and no miracle cure. One might hope that future advances in medical science will provide these but for now we are limited to therapeutic interventions of the type offered in drug rehab centers.

Get Help - Get Better

You can recover... please contact us if you need free advice on where to look and what questions to ask.