Substance Abuse Treatment

Individuals who engage in chronic substance abuse are putting themselves and everyone around them at risk. In addition to the potentially dangerous behavior associated with substance abuse, and the long term health hazards, the behavior can also lead to a fully-fledged addiction. Substance abuse treatment helps curtail drug and alcohol use before the issues becomes even more serious.

What Is the Definition of Substance Abuse?

While there is no generally accepted definition of substance abuse, most treatment professionals agree that the term refers to a harmful pattern of overindulgence in drugs or alcohol. Substance abuse is often characterized by irresponsible behavior that endangers the individual and others.

What are the Different Types of Substance Abuse?

Substance abuse can involves alcohol, or any number of drugs including: cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, Vicodin, OxyContin, marijuana, ecstasy or other substances. Many individuals who abuse drugs actually use one or more of these substances concurrently, making the condition that much more difficult to treat.

The Elements of Substance Abuse Treatment

There are several key elements that almost all substance abuse rehab programs share, including detox, counseling and aftercare. Taken together, these three core programs help address both the psychological and physical components of substance abuse ñ giving the individual a comprehensive drug abuse treatment or alcohol abuse treatment plan that eliminates the behavior and teaches the skills needed to keep that individual from abusing the substances in the future.

Detox is the first stage of substance abuse treatment. The process involves having the individual stop the use of drugs or alcohol so that their body has a chance to detoxify and the person is better prepared physically to enter the remainder of treatment.

Counseling comes next, and truly represents the ìheartî of the substance abuse treatment plan. Individual, group and family counseling are all methods by which the substance abuser can learn why they engage in such destructive behavior, and how they can stop.

Aftercare programs make up the final piece of the puzzle, giving the individual the preparation needed for a sober life after rehab. Aftercare can run the gamut from follow-up counseling to 12-step meetings and even time living at a sober living facility to ease the individual back into their day-to-day responsibilities.

The Difference Between Substance Abuse and Addiction

Substance abuse involves taking drugs or alcohol to excess in order to alter oneís state of consciousness. Often, substance abuse leads to the more serious condition of addiction. Addiction is a physical and psychological dependence on a substance that leads to compulsive behavior. Addiction is typified by the inability to stop taking a substance (even though the user knows it is doing them harm) and the development of a tolerance to the drug (meaning more and more will be needed over time in order to achieve the desired effect).