Finding the right treatment for drug addiction can be challenging. However, if you've recently been charged with the use or possession of drugs in Nebraska, finding the right treatment is a must to prevent further harm from befalling you. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains how to find effective drug treatment if you're struggling with addiction.
People with drug addictions experience chronic cravings to their substance of choice. Extended drug use also causes alterations to the brain and its chemistry, which is why it's so difficult for people to stop using, even when faced with devastating consequences. Because drug addiction is so challenging, it's important for treatments to have certain elements.
At the center of most programs is behavioral counseling. Many people take drugs because they're unable to cope with the stressors of life in a healthy way. Counseling offers alternatives to these coping mechanisms, as well as assistance changing behaviors that lead to drug use. Counseling and therapy can be provided on an outpatient basis or within an inpatient treatment facility. Inpatient treatment is often recommended to people with severe addictions, as the structured setting is crucial in recovery.
Counseling may also be accompanied by medications intended to cut cravings or alter the effects drugs have on the brain. For instance, people with opioid issues are often given methadone to reduce cravings. Other drugs, such as naltrexone, blocks receptors in the brain that respond to opioids. It's important for a person to be completely detoxed from a drug before taking medications like naltrexone. Detox is the process of allowing addictive substances to leave the body, which should be medically supervised to prevent potentially serious side effects.
Additionally, it may also be necessary to modify a person's addiction treatment over time. The structured environment within an inpatient facility will not be applicable to real-life situations. As a result, it may be necessary to seek other types of counseling or therapy well after the initial recovery has taken place. Also, not every person will respond similarly to a given treatment. That's why it's important that each treatment plan is created on an individual basis, which offers the best chance for a successful outcome.