Alcohol and drug abuse is an ever growing problem in our society and the demand for treatment is growing too. Alcohol and drug treatment overlaps in many ways. Both types of addiction can have social and psychological causes and some people are genetically predisposed to these conditions. The two organizations, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous have helped a lot of people.

There are various methods of bringing people off alcohol and drug addiction, which have become established over the years. Alcohol and drug treatment can often involve individual counseling, self help groups or group therapy. There are residential rehabilitation centers, in patient and out patient care. Some treatment programs take the approach of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Psychotherapy.

The first thing to do when dealing with addiction is to stop intake of the substance, cope with the physical side effects and then undergo an after care program. Alcohol and drug treatment must not only break the cycle of addiction but prevent the chances of relapse. Prescribed drugs can help with some side effects, including the anxiety felt by many addicts as they go thru both physical and emotional trauma.

The most commonly used method with regard to alcoholism is detoxification. This means the body has to get used to the lack of alcohol in the system. Withdrawal symptoms can be helped with drugs such as Diazepam or Phenobarbital. Some withdrawal can last a few weeks, but gradually becoming less intense. Detoxification must be followed by some sort of therapy, preferably one which discovers the psychological causes of the drinking. Many alcohol addiction programs are successful, providing the participant sees the program thru to the end. Some alcohol and drug treatment can involve the use of Acupuncture for those people wanting to avoid medication.

The methods for treating drug addicts is determined by factors such as the type of drug and how often and how much the drug has been taken. The most used program is the 12 Step Recovery Program. It's very important that drug addicts break off contact with other users and with dealers. Some programs advocate the use of a replacement drug such as Methadone. This is a controversial issue as Methadone is an addictive drug itself, but it is easier for a lot of people to use it to wean themselves off all recreational drugs eventually. For some people, cold turkey is the only way. As with all alcohol and drug treatment, it's a question of finding the right treatment for the individual.

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