“Drug rehabilitation programmes” is a term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines.
The general intent is to enable the patient to cease substance abuse, in order to avoid the:
- psychological,
- legal,
- financial,
- social,
and physical consequences that can occur. This is dependant on the extent of the drug abuse.
There are many drug rehabilitation programmes. These programmes include:
- assessment of drug use and any past treatment
2. the physical and mental status of the person.
This should be done before any treatment programme is commenced in respect of the client.
These drug rehabilitation programmes may include self-management programmes or self-directed behaviour which involves teaching the rehabilitees how to live a self-directed life.
Programmes and processes include:
- Counselling will help people identify their problems and how to cope with them,
- an individualized treatment plan,
- pharmacotherapy and medical care which deals with the physiological effects of drugs
- detoxification,
as well as relapse prevention techniques to help the rehabilitees remain sober after being discharged from the drug rehabilitation centres.
According to National Standards for treatment and rehabilitation of persons with substance use disorders, client assessment should be done immediately upon a client being accepted or admitted into a drug rehabilitation centre.
According to NACADA, no drug rehabilitation programmes should be administered to any client before assessment which entails a brief history of the client, the substance in use, any past treatment, risk potential for instances of suicidal attempts and mental status examination (MSE). This forms the baseline of developing an appropriate treatment plan to address the actual problems of the rehabilitee.
The rehabilitees should be part of a programme that helps them change their maladaptive behaviours and be able to avoid reverting back to them even after leaving the centres to avoid relapse.
Established specialized substance abuse treatment programmes have three similar generalized goals namely:
- Reducing substance abuse or achieving a substance-free life (abstinence)
- Maximizing multiple aspects of life functioning
- Preventing or reducing the frequency and severity of relapse
Individualized treatment plan
Individualized treatment plans (ITP) are one aspect of the programmes recommended for the treatment of persons with drug and substance use disorders. They may include :
- behavioural therapy,
- group counselling,
- cognitive therapy
- medication.
An ITP also addresses a patient’s recovery programme by encouraging the participation of family members and the rehabilitee’s immediate community to address external factors that could facilitate the resumption of drug abuse and other illicit activities.
Individual treatment selection depends on the nature of the substance addiction as well as the physical and psychological condition, personal preferences, strengths, characteristics and social needs of the rehabilitee. The individual plan includes the clients’ responsibility and commitment to the rehabilitation process and the type of therapeutic activities the client will be involved in. The client should be involved in the plan, own it and work towards the set goals to eradicate any self-defeating behaviour. Individualized treatment assists in addressing the actual individuals problems.
Freedom of expression is guaranteed for some individual clients who may be shy to share their experiences. Individualized drug counselling helps the counsellor to interact with the patient effectively. During general counselling sessions, patients might find it hard to discuss or disclose some personal information in relation to circumstances that led to the use of the drugs. Through its emphasis on short-term behavioural goals, individualized drug counselling helps the patient to develop coping strategies and tools for abstaining from drug use and then maintaining abstinence. Through individualized treatment is important according to research, most rehabilitation centres prefer group counselling due to a lack of skilled staff. This may hinder many rehabilitees recovery processes as their individual needs are not being addressed.
If you or a loved one needs assistance with substance abuse – know that help is readily available. The road to recovery is not always an easy one but getting yourself or your loved one the best possible care from the team at Crossroads Recovery Centre, provides you with a map to sober, healthy living. No matter how bad things seem, there is hope and it’s only a phone call away. If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex, gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
Reference
Sereta BN, Amimo FA, Ouma P, Ondimu TO (2016) An Assessment of Effectiveness of Drug Rehabilitation Programs in Kisii CountyKenya. J Health Edu Res Dev 4: 165
http://africacheck.org/reports/flawed-survey-claims-a-third-of-south Africans-are-drug-users
