Find the Best Rehab & Treatment

Medical Reviewer

Sendra Yang

About the Reviewer

Substance addiction is a chronic condition characterized by compulsive drug or alcohol use regardless of negative consequences. It can be difficult to quit using substances on your own, but fortunately, you don’t have to. Many different types of drug rehabs and alcohol treatment programs are available, including inpatient, outpatient, holistic, luxury, executive, and demographic-specific, such as LGBTQ+ rehab. No matter your situation, addiction, or needs, there is a rehab that’s right for you.

In this article:

Signs You May Need Addiction Treatment

The most reliable way to determine if you need drug rehab is to receive a professional assessment from your treatment provider. However, if you are worried about your substance misuse, here are some signs that you could benefit from drug rehab:1

Using substances in larger amounts or over longer periods than intended
Using substances despite knowing that psychological or physical issues are caused or worsened by use
Using substances in dangerous situations, such as while driving
Giving up hobbies or important activities due to substance use
Continuing using drugs or alcohol despite interpersonal issues caused or worsened by substances
Experiencing strong cravings for drugs or alcohol
Failing to fulfill responsibilities at home, school, or work due to substance use
Spending a lot of time obtaining or using substances, as well as recovering from the effects of use
Failing to cut down or control substance use despite a desire to do so
Needing higher amounts of alcohol or drugs to feel intoxicated (tolerance)
Experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when you abruptly reduce or stop use (dependence)

Types of Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Addiction

There are many types of treatment for addiction, with the main settings including inpatient and outpatient care. No matter the rehab you choose, some qualities of effective treatment include:2

Treatment is individualized and tailored to meet every patient’s needs
Treatment addresses the whole person, not just their substance use
Treatment is an appropriate duration, preferably at least three months
Treatment includes a combination of therapies
Treatment includes addiction medication, when applicable
Treatment plan is assessed on an ongoing basis and modified as necessary
Treatment fully addresses co-occurring disorders
Treatment programs test for infectious diseases and offer risk-reduction counseling

Detox Services

Detox, which is the process of clearing the body of drugs and alcohol, includes a set of interventions aimed at achieving a medically-stable and substance-free state. These interventions may include:

Withdrawal medications
Detox counseling
Supportive care, such as IV fluids
Symptomatic medications, such as anti-nausea medications
Case management

Detox is often the first step on the continuum of addiction care—but it’s important to remember that it doesn’t constitute formal addiction treatment since it doesn’t address the underlying factors that motivate substance use.

There are several settings for detox, including:

Inpatient medical detox, involving 24-hour medical oversight, supervision, and monitoring in a hospital setting or free-standing detox clinic
Residential social detox, which involves living at a non-medical residential facility and receiving support from peers but no medical oversight
Partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient detox, involving attending several hours of detox treatment per day, including medical care, and returning home during non-treatment hours
Standard outpatient detox, involving a couple of hours of care per week, with oversight from a doctor or nurse

Inpatient Rehab

Inpatient rehab involves living at the treatment facility for the duration of the treatment program. Treatment length can vary greatly depending on a patient’s needs. However, longer treatment stays, such as 90-day programs, are associated with better treatment outcomes.2

One of the major benefits of inpatient drug rehab is that it provides patients with an opportunity to separate themselves from their everyday environment, which is full of triggers, stressors, and distractions. This grants them the time and space to focus solely on their recovery. There are several types of inpatient rehab programs, such as holistic, which may include alternative services like yoga and mindfulness, and luxury, which offers upscale features and amenities in a resort-like setting.

Anyone with an addiction may benefit from inpatient rehab; however there are some people who inpatient care may prove especially helpful for, such as those who:

Have a severe alcohol or drug addiction
Have a co-occurring mental health disorder, such as depression or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Have a comorbid medical condition
Have a polysubstance addiction
Have previously dropped out of outpatient rehab
Don’t have a strong support system at home and in the community

Outpatient Rehab

Outpatient rehab is a flexible addiction treatment option in which you live at home while attending therapy and counseling during the day. Outpatient programs tend to be more affordable than inpatient rehab since you aren’t paying room and board.

There are various levels of intensiveness for outpatient, including:

Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs): The most intensive option, you receive several hours of care per day, for five to seven days per week.
Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs): A step down from PHP, you attend therapy for a few hours per day, for three to five days each week.
Standard outpatient: The least intensive outpatient option, you attend therapy for a few hours per week.

Outpatient rehab may be a solid option for those who:

Have a mild addiction
Have a strong sober support system
Have a strong internal motivation to quit

Therapies for Addiction

Every rehab may utilize a different treatment approach, but generally, most treatment programs use evidence-based therapies and practices to help patients obtain and maintain sobriety. These addiction therapies may include:3

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Examines the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and teaches you to use coping skills as well as avoid triggering situations
Contingency Management: Rewards patients for abstinent behaviors, such as substance-free urine tests, with vouchers
Community Reinforcement Approach: Combines familial, recreational, vocational, and social reinforcers, as well as tangible rewards, to encourage a substance-free life.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy: Resolves a patient’s ambivalence about entering treatment and helps improve motivation.
The Matrix Model: Engages people recovering from stimulant addiction in treatment and helping them achieve long-term sobriety, in which the therapist functions as a coach and a teacher and utilizes family education, early recovery skills groups, 12-step programs, social support, and more
Group counseling: Teaches patients sober social skills and drug refusal skills, as well as gives them a safe space to process emotions and challenges
12-Step Facilitation Therapy: Engages patients in attending 12-step groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
Family Behavior Therapy: Addresses not only substance use and mental health symptoms but also conduct disorders, unemployment, family conflict, and child mistreatment
Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Uses mindfulness, reduces self-harm behaviors, teaches emotional regulation skills, and improves relationships

Holistic Interventions

In addition to addiction therapies, some rehabs may utilize holistic interventions to heal the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. These holistic interventions are typically alternative and complementary treatment modalities, such as:

Meditation and mindfulness
Yoga
Acupuncture
Massage therapy
Tai chi
Creative arts therapy
Equine therapy
Reiki
Biofeedback and neurofeedback
Nutritional therapy

These holistic therapies are never used on their own—rather, they are intended to complement traditional treatment modalities, like CBT.

Specialized Rehabs

There are many drug rehab options out there that specialize in providing care to specific demographics. Some common specialized rehabs include:

LGBTQ+ rehab: Provides a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community to recover from addiction as well as process stressors and triggers like discrimination, homophobia and transphobia, and social exclusion
Teen rehab: Provides specialized care to teens and adolescents, addressing their unique challenges, such as academic performance, peer pressure, drug experimentation, and more
Veteran rehab: Provides trauma-informed care to veterans, who may be struggling with co-occurring PTSD from combat or sexual assault, and addresses unique challenges like re-integrating into the community
Men-only and women-only rehab: Provides individuals with treatment in an understanding and safe environment that addresses gendered differences related to substance use and mental health, such as stigma, intimate partner violence, and more
Luxury rehab: Provides patients with upscale amenities in a beautiful, resort-like setting
Executive rehab: Combines luxury features and setting with offerings for the working professional, such as high-speed internet

If you think you’d benefit from specialized addiction rehab, it’s important to seek out one of these programs. Contact 800-914-7089 (Who Answers?) to get help today.

Recovery Support After Drug Rehab

Addiction recovery is a lifelong process. Once you complete drug rehab, it’s important that you continue to receive ongoing support in the form of aftercare. As you near the end of your program, your treatment team will collaborate on creating a plan with you. Aftercare plans may include:

Sober living homes
12-step programs like AA
Non-12-step programs like SMART Recovery
Outpatient treatment (step-down care
Individual therapy or group counseling

Your aftercare plan, much like your treatment plan, isn’t static—it is ongoing and evolving. You may find that some aftercare options work better than others. It doesn’t matter which ones you choose; what matters is that you continue receiving support to help build upon the foundation you established in rehab.

Resources

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Principles of Effective Treatment.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Behavioral Therapies.

Medical Reviewer

Sendra Yang

About the Reviewer