Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Washington
The primary focus of a drug treatment program in Washington is to enable addicted individuals to quit using drugs and or alcohol, uncover and resolve underlying issues, develop new coping tactics, adapt necessary life skills and create a strategy for a new life that doesn’t involve drug abuse. Before an individual can acquire the tremendous benefits of going to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Washington they first need to acknowledge the fact that they have a drug or alcohol abuse problem that has grow to be out of control and professional help is necessary. This doesn’t mean that they must hit rock bottom, just that they need to recognize that their situation is beyond their ability to control. While accepting treatment is ideal there are scenarios where individuals who did not want to attend rehab were able to receive tremendous benefit from enrolling and completing a treatment program.
Once a drug or alcohol treatment program in Washington has been selected the next step is undergoing the detox and withdrawal process. Because the withdrawal process differs 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 facilities have detox services located on site to support their clients through this challenging process. Depending on the substance the person is abusing, medical supervision and medications might be needed. This process of medically assisted withdrawal is usually conducted in a hospital or similar setting where medical professionals ranging from doctors to nurses are available to supervise the person through their detox process. Substances that do not require medically assisted withdrawal can be dealt with privately in most drug and alcohol rehab programs using trained withdrawal staff, nutritional supplements and therapeutic withdrawal methods to ease the client’s withdrawal symptoms.
When the detoxification process is complete it is now time for the educational portion of the treatment process to begin. Until the client’s detoxification process is completed, trying to have the program participant absorb new information is unproductive because they are still experiencing withdrawal symptoms and are unable to truly focus on any other areas of their recovery. The educational part of the Washington treatment program may be different depending on which treatment program the person attends. Generally speaking though, this component of the recovery program involves working with staff members and counselors on resolving the issues that drove the person to turn to drugs or alcohol 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 deal with these problems as well as others when they come up again in the future without turning to to substance use.
Clients enrolled in a Washington drug or alcohol treatment center will learn and practice new life skills that they can utilize in the “real world” when they complete treatment. These new life skills include improved communication skills, learning to stay focused in the present moment and not living in the past, how to identify social and anti-social personalities, taking responsibility for their past indecisions and understanding that they are in control of their decisions and how to battle plan for their future as a drug and/or alcohol free individual. Attending a drug or alcohol treatment facility in Washington is more than just getting off drugs and alcohol; it is resolving one’s addiction issues and learning to live a happy, productive life as a sober member of one’s family and community.