Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Massachusetts
The primary focus of a drug treatment program in Massachusetts is to help addicted individuals to quit using drugs and or alcohol, locate and handle underlying issues, develop new coping methods, apply essential life skills and implement a plan for a new life that doesn’t involve drug abuse. Before a person can acquire the many benefits of going to a drug rehabilitation program in Massachusetts they need to accept the fact that they have an addiction problem that has become out of control and professional help is necessary. This doesn’t mean that they must hit rock bottom, just that they need to acknowledge that their situation is beyond their ability to control. While accepting treatment is ideal there are cases where individuals who did not want to attend treatment were able to receive great benefit from attending and completing a treatment program.
Once a drug or alcohol rehab program in Massachusetts has been chosen the next step is going through the detox and withdrawal process. Because the detox process varies in intensity depending on the type of drug that is being abused it is important that it be carried out by trained professionals and not at home before going to treatment. Many treatment centers have detox facilities located on site to assist their clients through this difficult process. Depending on the substance the individual is addicted to, medical supervision and medications might be necessary. This method of medical detox is typically carried out in a hospital or similar setting where medical professionals ranging from doctors to nurses are on hand to supervise the client through their withdrawal process. Substances that do not require medically assisted detoxification can be handled privately in most drug treatment facilities using trained withdrawal staff, nutritional supplements and therapeutic withdrawal methods to ease the client’s withdrawal symptoms.
When the detox process is complete it is now time for the educational portion of the treatment process to begin. Until the client’s withdrawal process is complete, trying to have the client take in new information is unproductive simply because they are still experiencing withdrawal symptoms and are not able to truly focus on any other areas of their recovery. The educational portion of the Massachusetts rehabilitation center will vary on which rehabilitation center the person attends. Generally speaking though, this component of the recovery process consists of working with staff members on uncovering the issues that drove the individual to use alcohol or drugs as a solution to the problems that where going on in their life. While discovering and resolving these problems the person in recovery learns new ways to handle these problems as well as others when they arise again in the future without resorting to drug or alcohol use.
Clients enrolled in a Massachusetts drug or alcohol rehab facility will discover and apply new life skills that they can implement in the “real world” when they complete rehab. These new life skills consist of improved communication skills, learning to stay in the present moment and not living in the past, how to identify social and anti-social personalities, taking responsibility for their past transgressions and understanding that they are in control of their decisions and how to battle plan for their lives as a sober individual. Attending a drug or alcohol rehab program in Massachusetts is more than simply quitting drugs and alcohol; it is conquering one’s addiction issues and learning to live a happy, productive life as a sober member of one’s family and community.