Once you recognize that a loved one is in need of help for drug addiction, the next step is deciding the best way to help them.

There are a lot of factors to consider when looking into available resources, but one of the most effective ways to help is to involve a professional. Many rehab facilities offer a variety of treatment programs that are tailored to your loved one’s best interests and specific needs. There are five different approaches that can be used separately or together. Each one will be covered here.

Long-Term Residential Treatment

Long Term Residential Treatment programs are extended-stay programs that typically vary between six to twelve months. Facilities that offer this level of care have a higher success rate in assisting your loved ones because they offer care 24 hours a day, generally in a therapeutic and aesthetically pleasing community. The goal of these facilities is to assist in any necessary detoxification, and remove the possibility of relapsing by keeping their focus on “resocialization”. In these types of programs, professionals help your loved one regain control of their addiction by instilling the importance of accountability and responsibility while learning healthy social habits that can continue to assist your loved one after they leave the program.

Short Term Residential Treatment

In a short term residential treatment setting, your loved one would stay in a hospital-based environment for up to six weeks. This type of treatment facility primarily focuses on a twelve-step program but is more reliant on outpatient counseling, or aftercare programs to ensure and maintain success.

Outpatient Treatment Programs

Outpatient programs are most ideal for individuals that have what is considered a “mild substance abuse problem” and are very determined to conquer their addiction. These programs allow your loved one to continue working and maintaining their responsibilities while making progress. Those participating may come and go as they need to or set flexible hours so that their responsibilities can still be managed. They also focus on helping your loved one establish a solid support network and typically offer both individual and group counseling.

Individual Counseling and Group Counseling

In individual counseling, your loved one and a professional privately discuss as many aspects of their drug addiction as your loved one is comfortable with. They assist your loved one in informing individual plans to maintain sobriety and keep their focus on healthy coping mechanisms.

In group counseling, the object is to focus on a portion of addiction that unites the participants and creates a safe environment to share. They are allowed to share their personal experiences with drug addiction, the feelings that led them to addiction while building a positive network of support. In group counseling, your loved one can feel understood and heard by sharing experiences with others that have been in their position. The goal is to create a safe place for those suffering addiction to learn positive coping skills and ease any feelings of being judged or misunderstood.

One Last Consideration

The cost of each program should not be the main focus of your loved one’s recovery. Someone that has been using an addictive substance or various substances over a long period will most likely need one of the more intensive programs in order to kick their habit permanently. Please do not feel discouraged, there is hope. Addiction has never been a quick fix or it wouldn’t be so commonly referred to as the “road to recovery”. Regardless of what you and your loved one decide is best for them, following up with individual counseling or group counseling is a great way to keep them focused on maintaining a healthy, productive lifestyle that they can be proud of.