What Helps People Stay in Treatment?
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Updated February 28, 2014.
Question: What Helps People Stay in Treatment?
Answer:
Contrary to what many believe, there are no locks on the doors of most drug and alcohol treatment centers. Unless the treatment takes place in a correctional institution, patients are free to leave at any time.
Even when drug treatment is court-ordered, some individuals will check themselves out of rehab programs early at the risk of violating their probation and facing jail time.
The decision to leave treatment can be based on issues in the patient's life or factors with the treatment program itself.
An individual's decision to stay in treatment can depend on their personal motivation to stay clean and sober, the amount of support they are receiving from family and friends and whether or not they are under pressure to remain from outside influences, such as the courts, child protection services, employers or family members.
But, many patients will walk out of rehab because the treatment program itself is not fulfilling their needs. Consequently, most treatment providers try to develop a program that will meet the individual needs of the patient and keep them motivated to stay.
Based on its research into why people leave treatment, the National Institute of Drug Abuse recommends that treatment providers develop programs that will include the following:
Strategies to keep the addict in the program is critical so that they remain long enough to gain the full benefit of treatment, the research shows.
Back to: Drug Treatment FAQ
Source:
National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Frequently Asked Questions." Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition). Updated December 2012
Updated February 28, 2014.
Question: What Helps People Stay in Treatment?
Answer:
Contrary to what many believe, there are no locks on the doors of most drug and alcohol treatment centers. Unless the treatment takes place in a correctional institution, patients are free to leave at any time.
Even when drug treatment is court-ordered, some individuals will check themselves out of rehab programs early at the risk of violating their probation and facing jail time.
The decision to leave treatment can be based on issues in the patient's life or factors with the treatment program itself.
An individual's decision to stay in treatment can depend on their personal motivation to stay clean and sober, the amount of support they are receiving from family and friends and whether or not they are under pressure to remain from outside influences, such as the courts, child protection services, employers or family members.
But, many patients will walk out of rehab because the treatment program itself is not fulfilling their needs. Consequently, most treatment providers try to develop a program that will meet the individual needs of the patient and keep them motivated to stay.
Based on its research into why people leave treatment, the National Institute of Drug Abuse recommends that treatment providers develop programs that will include the following:
- Establish a positive, therapeutic relationship with the patient.
- Develop a treatment plan so the patient knows what to expect.
- Make sure the plan is established and followed.
- Provide medical, psychiatric and social services.
- Ensure a transition to an on-going aftercare program.
Strategies to keep the addict in the program is critical so that they remain long enough to gain the full benefit of treatment, the research shows.
Back to: Drug Treatment FAQ
Source:
National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Frequently Asked Questions." Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition). Updated December 2012
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