There are many great Florida drug rehabs that provide effect treatments and therapies for addicts. Through treatment that is tailored to individual needs, patients can learn to control their condition and live normal, productive lives. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen.

Apart from drug detox Florida, there are behavioral therapies that include counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, family therapy, etc. Treatment medications offer help in suppressing the withdrawal symptoms and drug craving. They also help in blocking the effects of drugs. Generally, the more treatment is given, the better the results are. Many patients require other services as well, such as medical and mental health services and HIV prevention services. Over the last 25 years, studies have shown that treatment works to reduce drug intake and crimes committed by drug-dependent people. Researchers also have found that drug abusers who have been through treatment are more likely to have jobs.

The ultimate goal of drug abuse treatments is to enable the patient to achieve lasting abstinence. The immediate goals are to reduce drug use, improve the patient’s ability to function and lessen the medical and social complications of drug abuse. There are several types of treatment programs for drug abuse. Short-term methods last less than 6 months and include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug-free outpatient therapy. Longer term treatment may include, for example, methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic community treatment.

Florida drug rehab offer treatment programs and counseling to fit the needs of the patients. Group therapy and one-on-one counseling sessions are crucial in paving the way to recovery. Therapists and counselors get to the root of the problem and help patients learn to let go of the issues that they have that make them dependent on drugs and other substances. Family therapy is also considered helpful when it comes to drug rehabilitation. Not only does it make the patient’s relatives understand the problem, but also provides them information on how to support the patient once they are out of the rehab center.

One of the most important parts of treatment is the aftercare. Once patients leave the center, they need a lot of support and care. Apart from this, supervision also needs to be given as there will many ways for them to get back into the habit. Aftercare programs are there to help and support them.

Support Groups, Clubs, and Services
Women's Alcoholics Anonymous, 10:30 a.m., 7 p.m., closed, 808 Freeport Road, Sterling. Mercy Nursing Services free blood pressure clinic, 11 a.m.-noon, Walmart, 1901 First Ave., Rock Falls. Sauk Valley Group Alcoholics Anonymous, noon, 7 p.m., open, …
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Community Calendar — Friday, Dec. 27
Confidential teen support group, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Nelsonville First United Methodist Church, 205 W. Columbus St.; sponsored by Bridgebuilders of Nelsonville-York communities. Alcoholics Anonymous closed discussion, 6 p.m., Athens First United …
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Check out many various support groups in the local region
FRIENDS & FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP: Big Stone Gap, Va., Behavioral Health Services, behind Powell Valley High School, hosted by Frontier Health; offers tools, friends and families needs to assist people with addiction, move toward recovery; Tuesdays, …
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Seahawks' Walter Thurmond set to return after four-game suspension
Although several Seahawks players have been suspended in the last two years for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, Thurmond said he's received nothing but support from teammates. “I didn't have to explain anything to anybody," Thurmond said …
Read more on Los Angeles Times

Alcohol dependency and other types of drug addiction are diseases that progress through predictable stages. Accurately diagnosing these conditions, and developing a comprehensive treatment plan, requires the involvement of trained health professionals, often including a doctor who specializes in addiction medicine. A drug rehab  follow a series of steps through which addicted individuals rid their bodies of the drugs they have been abusing, address the issues that either led to or were exacerbated by the substance abuse, receive treatment for co-occurring mental health or physical disorders, and develop the skills and strategies that will allow them to pursue long-term sobriety.

Effective addiction  treatment centers will offer a variety of treatment programs to meet the specific needs of each individual client. Programs may include inpatient, residential, outpatient, and/or short-stay options. Depending upon the nature and severity of an individual’s addiction, therapies completed during drug rehab may include counseling, psychotherapy, group therapy, 12-step support groups and family therapy. Some drug rehab programs use expressive arts therapies such as music therapy and art therapy, while others employ more traditional therapeutic techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

Treatment can vary from a few days to many months. Research shows that the longer a person remains in treatment, the greater the likelihood that long-term sobriety will result. As with most aspects of treatment (such as therapy types and program structures), determining ideal length of stay involves an analysis of a number of personal factors. Treatment is a highly personal experience, and the costs associated with this process may vary considerably depending upon a number of issues, such as location, type of care (i.e. residential, outpatient, or partial hospitalization), specific nature of problem being treated, length of stay, presence of co-occurring disorders and whether rehab is conducted at a public treatment facility or private program.

The use of medications during rehab depends upon two factors: the needs of the client (you) and the philosophy of the program. Some programs use no medications whatsoever; others provide medically assisted detox services (as quitting some drugs “cold turkey” isn’t only difficult, but dangerous); while still others others provide medications to support long-term sobriety (such as methadone maintenance programs for recovering heroin addicts). Because addiction recovery often involves the treatment of co-occurring disorders such as depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, certain medications may be prescribed to treat these conditions during rehab.

The calendar
12-Step Recovery Groups – offered daily at the Alano Club, 1202 S. Front St., Marquette. Clinic Services – HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, … Substance Abuse/Addiction Support Group – held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Tuesday in Group Room 2 of the …
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Support Groups Erie Times-News
The following Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous meetings are held in Erie each week: Sunday, 6:30 p.m., UPMC Hamot Heart Institute, 201 E. Second St.; Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Millcreek Community Church, 4444 Sterrettania Road; Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Park …
Read more on GoErie.com

Question by Liza Shevchuk: Natural Remedies For Brain Damage After Drug Abuse?
My older brother has done many drugs from about 16-21. Its been a year since his last use, and he’s been having some serious problems. He has high anxiety and he’s been having frequent episodes of “weird” (as he calls it) feelings. He doesn’t label it as feeling sick. During these episodes he feels jittery, emotional (even cry’s sometimes) out of control, his heart rate goes up. This also causes him to have insomnia. Maybe they’re panic attacks, but the thing is, what triggers it? This occurs randomly on a normal day. We believe its typical withdrawal symptoms, because he abused quite a few drugs. (Marijuana, cigarettes, ecstasy, crystal meth, shrooms, hookah, cocaine, inhalants, “uppers” (as he calls them))
He has gone to see his doctor several times to get treatment, and his doctor said he has migraines.
-____-
He prescribed him anti depressants and that didn’t help my brother AT ALL.
He does this herbal drop treatment (echinacea, other oils, etc) That help him sleep.
Now we’re trying to find him herbal remedies that would help repair his brain damage from all of the abuse he has done to it.
Thank you very much.

Best answer:

Answer by jannsody
I’m not sure that there will be repairing of the brain damage (presuming that he has that as I’m not a medical doctor :), but researchers believe that the brain is very “plastic” and may form new nerve pathways to *help* compensate for the injured areas.

With regard to inhalant use, my friend actually has a severe Brain Injury from huffing at the age of 12, now in her 30s. The chemicals in products used for huffing are actual *poisons* that were never meant to go through the bloodstream.

Please be *very* careful with herbal supplements or “remedies” (e.g., echinacea, ginkgo biloba, chamomile) as they can result in side effects and/or drug (medication) interactions. It’s best to check with a licensed pharmacist before taking any of them. Not everything that is “natural” is safe 😉

Regarding the panic attacks, some people have generalized anxiety (to know specific event) or other types of anxiety. The antidepressants may help to lessen the intensity and/or frequency of the anxiety symptoms. Such medications tend to take about 6-8 weeks before possibly noticing results. A caveat (warning) is that some antidepressants may cause insomnia (trouble getting to and/or staying asleep). However, there are medications that one may take to help counteract the insomnia.

Even though benzo’s (e.g., ativan, valium, xanax, klonopin) may be prescribed to help with sleep, they’re not always recommended as a medication due to their physical addictiveness. (Some withdrawal symptoms from benzo’s may include seizures, psychosis/mental break from reality, or even death.) Some psychiatrists (it’s best to get medication for mental health issues from a board-certified psychiatrist as opposed to “just” a family doctor) prescribe seroquel (or other medications), which is classified as an antipsychotic but in smaller dosages may help with sleep.

You’d mentioned that he’s gone to the doctor several times, and I’m wondering if he’s gone to a neurologist which is medical dr who can help rule out disorders of the nervous system – brain, spinal cord, nerves. I’m just thinking that to help “cover all the bases” (not trying to give false hope though, know what I mean).

I’m not sure that he’d still be going through withdrawal symptoms a year after stopping the drugs, but it’s a good idea to ask a doctor about that as well.

Pertaining to the anxiety, please show him this government site which may have some local counseling agencies: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ and can click the second link. Then one can click “near you” on the left-hand side of the page under “find facilities” and can type one’s city and state of residence into search. Their toll-free 24/7 referral helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Just an fyi that the first link is for those looking for substance abuse counseling/treatment, and that may be an option if he’s still “using” or having cravings for substances.

A 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), may have some local support groups. The only requirement is having a desire to get sober. One may attend an “open” AA meeting if there is no drinking problem: http://www.aa.org

This site has some common mottos pertaining to those 12-step programs, including “One day at a time”, “First things first” and “People, places and things”: http://www.royy.com/toolsofrecovery.html

Al-Anon is a 12-step program for the *friends and family* of the problem drinker, but one may attend an “open” Al-Anon meeting if the loved one doesn’t have a drinking problem: http://www.al-anon.alateen.org

Add your own answer in the comments!