Drug Addiction Treatments in the United States
There are many types of drug addiction treatments that are used in the United States. Individual programs and treatment approaches are constantly evolving in order to be of the greatest benefit to those who need them the most.
Agonist Maintenance Treatment
This form of treatment is often referred to as methadone treatment and it is a program designed to help opiate addicts. In this process, the individual is given a long-acting synthetic opiate medication (methadone or LAAM). It is taken by mouth for a sustained period of time. The dosage is considered adequate enough to prevent the effects of withdrawal as well as to decrease the craving for the drug.
Narcotic Antagonist Treatment (using Naltrexone)
This treatment program is also used for opiate addicts in an outpatient capacity. A medical detox must first take place in a full time drug rehab center before this drug can be used. Naltrexone is a long-acting synthetic “opiate antagonist” that has few side effects. A patient must take the drug orally three times a week or daily, depending on the physician’s instructions. It must be taken for a sustained span of time. This drug serves to prevent the effects that the patient once enjoyed when taking the drug.
Outpatient Drug-Free Treatment
This form of treatment depends on the severity of the drug problem as well as the kind of services that are available to patients. Outpatient services are less expensive and may be best for those who are presently unemployed, without insurance, or those who have a close-knit unit of family and friends who can support them.
There are different types of outpatient treatment programs. Some are low intensity and offer mainly drug education while others, such as intensive day treatments, offer much the same as inpatient residential programs but in a slightly different manner. Group counseling is an important part of outpatient programs. Many of these programs work to address other problems a person may be experiencing such as medical problems and/or mental health problems.
Long-Term Residential Treatment
These programs are inpatient programs that involve a person checking into a residential facility for a specified length of time. Here, care is available round the clock. The most commonly used residential treatment model is called the therapeutic community (TC). Resocialization is the goal at these facilities where most people stay for a 6 to 12 month duration.
Short-Term Residential Programs
The short-term programs involve an intense but brief inpatient treatment. These programs are based on a modified version of the 12-step approach that was originally designed to treat alcoholics. In the mid 1980s this program branched out to embrace cocaine and other types of drugs.
