Drug Addiction Treatment

5th November, 2017 Clear Treatment

Drug Addiction Treatment: The process of drug addiction treatment can be summed up in one word – “change.” After all, it’s changes to the brain that produce alcohol and drug cravings.

Women’s needs in treatment

Gender-related drug abuse treatment attends not only to biological differences between males and females but also to social and environmental factors. Many life circumstances predominate in women as a group, which often requires specialized treatment. For example, research shows that physical and sexual trauma followed by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more common in women than in men.

Men’s needs in treatment

Men, on average, are more likely than women to develop drug addiction or alcoholism, to be incarcerated, to be homeless, to die of suicide and to be victims of violent crime. Conversely, men are less likely than women to seek medical help or addiction treatment services. These problems, combined with men’s tendency to avoid addressing them, call for gender-specific responses.

Many men learn that they should avoid feminine characteristics or behaviors and strive to be tough. Some men suppress their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Consequently, men tend to be more restrained in treatment and less willing to participate than women, which likely accounts for better treatment outcomes for females. One of the first gender adjustments in treatment is to try to increase men’s participation.

Time in treatment

Appropriate time in treatment depends on the type and degree of a person’s problems and needs. Research tells us that longer treatment time results in better treatment outcomes. Most people with a drug or alcohol problem need at least 30-days of inpatient drug and alcohol treatment services to achieve sustained recovery. The best addiction treatment programs measure progress and suggest plans for maintaining long-term abstinence.