If you have reached a point where you want to kick a drug addiction or help someone you love reclaim their life, congratulations. The journey to get to this point has been difficult and frightening. There are many aspects to getting help.

Intervention

If a person has come to the realization that they need help, or if you can get them to see the problem before the addiction has taken over their entire life, they may agree to go to treatment. If this happens, you are one of the very few lucky families in this situation. More often than not, they will refuse to accept they have a problem. Some admit they have a problem, but think they can beat it on their own.

If your loved one refuses to seek help, an intervention may be necessary. You may have seen the show on television by that name and it is accurate (though not always as dramatic). An intervention is when the family comes together and designs a recovery for the family unit. This is where you tell the addict how their addiction is hurting them and what is going to be done. Everyone in the family has a part in this process and often the family needs therapy to stop the cycle. This is forcing the addict to hit rock bottom.

Detox

Many private rehabilitation centers have a detox center, but some do not. Depending on the drug of choice, they may have to go through detox. This is where they flush the drugs from their body. This is the worst part of recovery. Withdrawal is horrible.

There are cases where a patient must be weaned off of a drug. Xanax, for example, is a drug that can bring on seizures and could kill a person if they have been taking it for a long time and stop it suddenly. Other drugs may be introduced to help the patient get through the detox part of the program. In some cases, a patient will be switched from their drug of choice to a drug like methadone that will prevent them from getting high. However, unless they want to stay on methadone forever, there will come a time when they have to detox. Your doctor and the treatment center will help determine the path of action for you.

Rehabilitation

There are a few different ways this happens. You can use an inpatient program. This is where you enter the rehab center for 30, 60, or 90-days. There are some long-term facilities for issues that require more time. You get clean and they begin to teach you the tools to stay clean and live a better life. This includes a lot of therapy and education about your addiction. If you go to an outpatient program, you will come to the center for your therapy medication, and for therapy. But you will live outside of the facility.

There are facilities (which are costly) that admit you and sedate you. While under sedation, your detox takes place. When you wake, you are clean and the drug is out of your body. However, you will still need a major amount of help. You did not suffer the discomfort and pain, but you still have the mental process of an addict. Only with therapy can you cure the dependency issue.

The best place to begin in New York is OASAS. For information, contact our drug defense attorneys or click here.