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What to Expect at a Drug Treatment Center

Drug treatment centers provide a number of different services that are aimed at helping people who are addicted to drugs to change their behaviors and overcome addiction. Depending on the type of drug treatment center that you attend the number of counselors and staff members as well as their experience you may encounter various different services and therapies in drug treatment.

Many treatment centers aim the services and programs at a specific type of addiction or age group of the addict. For instance, some drug treatment center will have different specialty programs for adolescents, seniors, individuals who have been diagnosed with dual conditions such as addiction and mental health disorders. The common components that you can expect when you enter drug treatment are medical and addiction related.

What to Expect in Drug Treatment Centers: Medical Components of Drug Treatment

The medical components of drug treatment include around the clock medical monitoring and supervision that is provided by trained medical staff such as counselors, psychologists, therapists, doctors and nurses. Drug treatment centers will also provide psychiatric evaluations to determine if there are any mental health conditions that must also be treated in addition to the drug addiction. Medical evaluations and assessments are provided regularly to determine the overall health of those in treatment as well as to determine if there is a need for any additional treatment.

Drug treatment centers and the medical staff that are at these centers also provide medication management as part of the medical component of treatment. A doctor or nurse will administer medication as needed to patients. Doctors in drug treatment centers are able to prescribe medications to the patient for a range of needs including various withdrawal symptoms and other health conditions.

What to Expect at Drug Treatment Centers: Addiction Components of Drug Treatment

The addiction component of drug treatment includes various types of therapies that are aimed at treating the psychological factors that surround addiction. Some of the most common types of therapies include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and alternative therapies such as art therapy or music therapy. Various types of counseling are offered at drug treatment centers including family counseling, dual diagnosis counseling, individual and group counseling.

To treat addiction, drug treatment centers also provide various types of educational sessions to help addicts learn about their addiction, discover how to cope with the addiction and learn new skills that will help them to remain sober long after treatment. Exercise programs are provided to help individuals heal physically after addiction. Some of the most common exercise programs that can be found in drug treatment centers include Yoga, tai-chi, meditation, and strength training. Most focus on both physical and psychological healing as a primary component of the overall treatment program.

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