According to SAMHSA, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,almost 4 million people sought some kind of treatment from a drug addiction program in 2007 (the most recent year for which data is available). Of those admissions, roughly a million people were treated at an inpatient facility like a detox center, a hospital, or a residential program. Because the report doesn’t count the number of people who got treatment at a non-publicly funded program, the number of Americans seeking help from a drug addiction program is much higher.

The first and perhaps most important step in any drug addiction program is detoxification. When someone abuses drugs, they pollute the body with toxins. For an addict, these can take a few days to clear up once they’ve stopped using drugs. If the person doesn’t go through a proper detox, the drug’s residue (and the cravings) will remain in their body and it’s a lot more likely that they’ll relapse. Detoxification has to be done before the patient can move on to the next step in the drug addiction program.

In one study out of Utah, about twenty percent of patients needed to go to a detox program to be able to progress in their recovery. Detox is usually needed to help the patient deal with painful withdrawal symptoms- these symptoms are often what prevents a person from seeking help in a drug addiction program.

Every detoxification program is a little different. If you or someone you care about is addicted to drugs and seeking help, get evaluated by a doctor- they’ll be able to determine whether or not detox is needed. Not everyone will need detox, but every recovering addict needs medical supervision.

An inpatient drug addiction program is ideal in the first stage of recovery, because it removes the addict from the environment where they have access to drugs. Many addicts have numerous medical problems stemming from their addiction, so inpatient care is often necessary. These people need to be closely observed because they often get depressed, or even suicidal.

Every addict could benefit from the services of a detox center or other drug addiction program. Removing the residue of the drug from the body is the first and biggest step in recovery, and it helps diminish the craving for the drug- which goes a long way in preventing a relapse. Not all addicts commit other crimes, but those that are arrested and jailed should get treatment while they are imprisoned- because proper treatment for the drug addiction will both reduce the chance of a relapse, as well as prevent the behavior that landed them in prison in the first place.

Drug addiction is a disease, and like any other disease, there are ways to treat it. If you or someone you love has a drug problem, there are a few steps that should be taken.

First, there needs to be an admission that the problem is too big to be taken care of without outside help. Second, the addict needs to be put into a detoxification center. Third, they need to go into some kind of drug addiction program so that they can learn to live life, clean and sober. You don’t have to live as an addict anymore!

Drug Enforcement Agnecy (DEA) – http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) – http://www.samhsa.gov/
National Institue of Health (NIH) – http://www.nih.gov/