You Have Options in Treatments for Addiction
Just as there are many kinds of substance abuse, there are many options available to you when deciding among varying treatments for addiction. Which option you choose depends upon several factors, including the drug of choice. Because alcohol, for instance, affects the body differently from cocaine, and heroin differently from methamphetamine, it’s wise to choose a treatment facility that has experience in treating your particular addiction, or even specializes in such treatment. Use the filters under our “Programs by Drug” heading to find such specialized treatment.
A second decision you’ll need to make is whether you want to follow a strict twelve-step approach, such as that used by Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, or whether you would prefer another protocol such as holistic treatment. The twelve-step approach is the most common of the various treatments for addiction, and most of the facilities we list offer it, sometimes in combination with other treatment modes. The holistic approach uses such factors as meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, nutritional counseling, physical fitness and acupuncture. The purpose is to treat the whole person, body and spirit, not just the addiction. You’ll find a filter for holistic treatment and other non-twelve step treatments under our listing of “Special Focus Programs.”
A third decision you’ll need to make is whether you need inpatient or outpatient treatment. If you are addicted to prescription drugs such as painkillers or tranquillizers, street drugs such as heroin, cocaine or amphetamines, or if you have been drinking alcohol in large quantities for a long time, it’s likely that you will need to undergo detox treatment to mitigate the symptoms of withdrawal. Detox must be performed in a medically supervised setting, so it will only be available at inpatient facilities. Both detox centers and outpatient treatment options are listed in our resources.
