Residential Treatment
Residential treatment is the second step and is on an inpatient basis. The addicted
person lives in a structured therapeutic living community with other addicts that are
also battling their addiction as well. There is supervision by certified professionals and
the days are careful planned for the addict. Most of the day will be focused around
therapy of some degree and helping the addict regain control of their life. This is a very
tough stage, as it requires a lot from the individual, the addict has to start taking a look
at all the damage they have done with their addiction, and ultimately accept
responsibility for it.
In this stage it is common for addicts to leave treatment, as they find the guilty
unbearable and want to go medicate themselves from it. In a lot of situations it is
advised the addict be far removed from the area of their home so then can not easily
call someone to pick them up or walk home. The guilt they are feeling is absolutely
necessary for them to accept responsibility, and accepting responsibility is imperative
for recovery. The majority of drug treatment professionals don’t recommend one “best”
treatment approach; there are too many variations among abusers.
In general, the levels of treatment range from simple and behavioral to complex and
medical. The person dependent upon drugs or alcohol may have used the chosen
substance for so long that he or she has literally forgotten how to cope with life
stresses; how to have a meaningful, drug-free life-style; or how to solve the social or
psychological problems that prompted the substance abuse in the first place, in these
instances a very comprehensive approach must be prescribed if one is to expect any
degree of successful recovery. Deciding on a treatment approach is often a very
confusing, difficult and an important endeavor to undertake.
West Coast Recovery