24 Feb Rehab Treatment Center – 13 Principles of Effective Treatment in British Columbia
Regardless of whether you are looking for a treatment centre for yourself or a loved one in BC, you will want to find the best one. Finding the right treatment centre for alcoholism or addiction can be overwhelming as there is just so much choice. With so many options available then, knowing which one will best suit you or a loved one can be a challenge.
For starters, how do you know whether to choose an inpatient or outpatient clinic? What should you be looking for in a treatment provider? Fortunately, this is something that we can help you with. It is our job to match clients to suitable treatment providers, and all we ask is that you get in touch with us for a chat. We can be reached right here in British Columbia at 1-888-491-8589.
When you do contact us, we will ask a series of questions that will enable us to determine how severe the addiction is, if there are co-occurring disorders and the type of treatment program that would be the most appropriate. We look at a range of factors including age, gender, health, personal preferences, family dynamics, personal commitments, and budget. We will then create a profile of your requirements and preferences and find a provider to suit your needs in British Columbia.
When someone you love is struggling with substance abuse, finding the best treatment center is critical. In doing so, you can be sure the best care is available when it’s needed the most. These guidelines show how to find a substance abuse treatment center to help you achieve that goal.
13 Principles You Should Look at When Choosing a Drug and Alcohol Detox Rehab in British Columbia
- Do they help you understand what you are dealing with? Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behaviour. Drugs of abuse alter the brain’s structure and function, resulting in changes that persist long after drug use has ceased. This may explain why drug abusers in BC are at risk for relapse even after long periods of abstinence and despite the potentially devastating consequences.
- No single treatment is appropriate for everyone. Treatment varies depending on the type of drug and the characteristics of the patients. Matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to an individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and society in British Columbia.
- Treatment in BC needs to be readily available. Drug-addicted individuals and alcoholics may be uncertain about entering detox or treatment in British Columbia, taking advantage of available services the moment people are ready for treatment is critical. Potential patients can be lost if treatment is not immediately available or readily accessible. As with other chronic diseases, the earlier treatment is offered in the disease process, the greater the likelihood of positive outcomes.
- Effective treatment in British Columbia attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse. To be effective, treatment must address the individual’s drug or alcohol abuse and any associated trauma, medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. It is also important that treatment be appropriate to the individual’s age, gender, ethnicity, family dynamics and culture.
- Remaining in treatment in BC for an adequate period of time is critical. The appropriate duration for an individual depends on the type and degree of the patient’s problems and needs. Research indicates that most addicted individuals need at least 3 months in treatment to significantly reduce or stop their drug use and that the best outcomes occur with longer durations of treatment. Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is a long-term process and frequently requires multiple episodes of treatment. As with other chronic illnesses, relapses to drug abuse can occur and should signal a need for treatment to be reinstated or adjusted. Because individuals often leave treatment prematurely, programs should include strategies to engage and keep patients in treatment.
- Behavioural therapies including individual, family, or group counselling are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment in British Columbia. Behavioural therapies vary in their focus and may involve addressing a patient’s motivation to change, providing incentives for abstinence, building skills to resist drug use, replacing drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding activities, improving problem-solving skills, and facilitating better interpersonal relationships. Also, participation in group therapy and other peer support programs during and following treatment can help maintain abstinence.
- Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients in British Columbia, especially when combined with counselling and other behavioural therapies. For example, methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone (including a new long-acting formulation) are effective in helping individuals addicted to heroin or other opioids stabilize their lives and reduce their illicit drug use. Acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone are medications approved for treating alcohol dependence. For persons addicted to nicotine, a nicotine replacement product (available as patches, gum, lozenges, or nasal spray) or an oral medication (such as bupropion or varenicline) can be an effective component of treatment when part of a comprehensive behavioural treatment program in BC.
- An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs. A patient may require varying combinations of services and treatment components during the course of treatment and recovery. In addition to counselling or psychotherapy, a patient may require medication, medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, and/or social and legal services. For many patients, a continuing care approach provides the best results, with the treatment intensity varying according to a person’s changing needs.
- Many drug-addicted individuals in British Columbia also have other mental disorders. Drug abuse and addiction both of which are mental disorders often co-occur with other mental illnesses, patients presenting with one condition should be assessed for the other(s) and when these problems co-occur, treatment should address both (or all), including the use of medications as appropriate.
- Medically-assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug abuse. Although medically assisted detoxification can safely manage the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal and can, for some, pave the way for effective long-term addiction treatment, detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicted individuals achieve long-term abstinence. Thus, patients in BC should be encouraged to continue drug treatment following detoxification. Motivational enhancement and incentive strategies, begun at initial patient intake, can improve treatment engagement in British Columbia.
- Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Sanctions or enticements from family, employment settings, and/or the criminal justice system can significantly increase treatment entry, retention rates, and the ultimate success of drug treatment interventions. We have Interventionists right here in British Columbia that can help facilitate intervention for your family in as little as 24 hours.
- Drug use during treatment in BC must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur. Knowing their drug use is being monitored can be a powerful incentive for patients and can help them withstand urges to use drugs. Monitoring also provides an early indication of a return to drug use, signalling a possible need to adjust an individual’s treatment plan to better meet his or her needs.
- Treatment programs should test patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases as well as provide targeted risk-reduction counselling, linking patients to treatment if necessary. Typically, drug abuse treatment in British Columbia addresses some of the drug-related behaviours that put people at risk of infectious diseases. Targeted counselling focused on reducing infectious disease risk can help patients further reduce or avoid substance-related and other high-risk behaviours. Counselling can also help those who are already infected to manage their illness. Moreover, engaging in substance abuse treatment can facilitate adherence to other medical treatments. Substance abuse treatment facilities should provide onsite, rapid HIV testing rather than referrals to offsite testing—research shows that doing so increases the likelihood that patients will be tested and receive their test results. Treatment providers should also inform patients that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has proven effective in combating HIV, including among drug-abusing populations, and help link them to HIV treatment if they test positive.
Drug Interventions in British Columbia
Addiction counselling or intervention should be considered when a person cannot stop addiction by themselves; when they need a substance or stimulant to get through the day; when they have hurt themselves or others; when work, relationships, family connection and their health has been affected because of the addiction; and when the person cannot function as a normal productive contributor to their family or society. Learn more about our services in British Columbia at 1-888-491-8589.
Professional Drug Addiction Counselling in British Columbia
Andy Bhatti Addiction Specialists and Interventions provide effective addiction counselling and intervention services in British Columbia and several other locations across Canada. Addiction can often leave a person feeling lost, depressed, isolated and misunderstood. A professional counsellor and Interventionist aim to resolve these feelings by offering insights on the addiction and different ways in which they may look to understand and overcome it. Take the first step towards recovery today and contact us today at 1-888-491-8589. We are located right in the Lower Mainland and can help you in answering all your questions and selecting the right private drug rehab facility for you in BC or elsewhere.