A drug program is any program designed to address and treat people with a drug abuse problem. These programs can include any one of many levels of therapy, treatment or rehabilitation.
There is a wide variety of drug programs, from Narcotics Anonymous to long term residential treatment centers, and everything in between. All drug programs have the same overall objective, namely to support, offer therapy, educate and encourage drug abusers in the process of addiction recovery.
Intensive Outpatient
Attending group and individual counseling sessions at a clinic, several times per week
Partial Hospitalization
Attending group and individual counseling sessions at a hospital based program, either all morning or all afternoon, 5 times per week.
Inpatient Residential
Full time 24 hr attendance, where the client lives inside the facility. Room and board is provided.
Long Term, Extended Care
Full time, 24 hr attendance, the same as residential, the difference is in the length or term of the drug program. Long term programs can last anywhere from 90 days to a full year.
There are several things to keep in mind if you are trying to find the right drug program for yourself or someone else.
- go away versus staying close to home
- health insurance coverage
- determining the right level of care
- matching the program to the needs of the person
- gender specific programs might be a consideration
Drug programs help people who are addicted or abusing a drug(s) to learn about addiction and how and what they need to get and stay clean. Most drug abusers have gone beyond the point of being able to control or simply stop. They have to walk through the process of recovering.
Usually the first step is to see and admit you have a problem. Then it is a question of taking a good hard look at the way you are living your life and seeing the negative impact the drug use is having on you and those around you. Drug programs try to motivate the client to want to stop and become willing to make it the number one priority in their life.
Most drug programs focus on two key elements
#1 The first key component of every drug program is to help the drug abuser see the extent of the drug using behavior and what the impact that behavior is having on them and the people around them.
#2 Secondly is the "call to change". All forms of recovery from drug abuse require some form of change of thinking, behaving and reacting to life.
Change
Most drug programs are very understanding of the many changes a drug abuse has to go through to stop and stay clean. The client has to change who where they go, who they go with and why.
All drug programs have their own form of delivering these two key elements. Some drug programs practice a variety of therapeutic modalities. Others rely on a great deal of group therapy and interaction to help the individual to see how their reactions to life impacts those round them.
Approximately 90% of all drug programs use the 12-step model of recovery, as applied in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). The other 10% are non 12-step oriented. They are available to those who have either tried the 12-steps unsuccessfully or have their own reasons for wanting an alternative.
Drug programs are about as effective as the amount of willingness of the participant involved. Recovery from drug addiction is never an easy simple path. It generally requires a firm commitment to change and learning and making a considerable effort, especially in the early stages.
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