Rethinking Approaches to Drug Addiction Treatment
Contents
Drug addiction treatment is one of the most challenging tasks in medicine. Throughout scientific research, various methods have been used on addicts, including approaches of dubious effectiveness. We explain why the method of rehabilitation matters, why forced treatment carries dangerous risks, and how the IsraRehab clinic utilizes advanced methods to help overcome addiction.
The importance of the right approach
If common diseases cannot be treated by any means, this is even more true for drug addiction. Addiction to psychoactive substances combines chemical, emotional, behavioral, and psychological dependencies. For rehabilitation to be effective, the treatment plan must address all these aspects simultaneously. Otherwise, the effect of rehabilitation will be short-lived, and the outcome will be overshadowed by relapses.
Narcology clinics focused only on discontinuing the use of psychoactive substances and removing their components from the body for many years. Sometimes such manipulations were even carried out forcibly, against the will of the addict. The effectiveness of such an approach is highly doubtful: even with an extensive network of narcological treatment clinics, overcoming addiction remains elusive. This is further evidence that the approach matters: only with the right treatment, addressing all aspects of addiction, can it be neutralized and normal life restored.
Forced treatment: practice that does more harm
According to the legislation, treatment for drug addiction can only be voluntary. Forced admission to a clinic is possible only by court order. Otherwise, specialists will not treat a patient without their personal consent.
There are situations when even with the conditional consent of the person, treatment is conditionally forced. This happens when he agrees to a rehabilitation course under intense pressure from his family, so as not to upset them or be fed up with criticism. In doing so, he himself believes that he has everything under control, and there is no problem.
In such conditions, only one stage of treatment is successful: detoxification and stabilization, as only the efforts of therapists are needed to remove psychoactive substances from the patient’s body and alleviate chemical dependence, so this stage will be successful.
Certainly, detoxification is not enough for recovery, as psychological dependence remains unaddressed. If the patient does not recognize the problem and develop a desire to change, even subsequent psychotherapy will not yield results. Such treatment will only be a waste of time, and soon after, there will be a relapse.
The essence and benefits of the new approach
Modern therapists, including those at the IsraRehab clinic, employ a different approach, the so-called comprehensive treatment, which addresses not only chemical dependence but also mental health and behavioral patterns. A mandatory step towards success is the method of intervention.
Most often, an addict is unable to assess the situation with a clear mind. He/she believes he/she is fully in control, so there is no point in stopping the use of psychoactive substances. Intervention comes to the rescue, meaning intervention in the patient’s personal space on a psychological level.
Such sessions can only be conducted by a qualified doctor. During conversations with the patient and their relatives, they convince the addict that any substance use is a serious problem, which results in the loss of relationships, illness, and death. The application of psychological techniques helps the patient to look at their lifestyle from a different perspective.
As a result, the patient realizes that their family and doctors are on their team, and fighting addiction is simply required. This motivation enhances the effectiveness of subsequent psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and other treatment methods. The patients are discharged from the rehabilitation center with confidence that they have achieved their goal and overcome addiction, giving them the strength to resist temptation further.
Effective drug addiction treatment at IsraRehab
The IsraRehab clinic offers patients and their families effective drug addiction treatment. The key to success is:
- Individually tailored programs
- Experienced therapists that use advanced treatment techniques
- Modern rehabilitation center with caring staff
- Comfortable rooms for rehabilitation, as well as relaxation areas and sports facilities
- Healing Israeli climate with opportunities for excursions and trips to the sea
IsraRehab specialists help drug addicts recognize the problem and personally express a desire to undergo treatment. A well-thought-out individual course ensures complete elimination of the physiological and psychological effects of drugs, allowing the person to start living a full and free life.
