How does an addiction rehab center work?

Addiction is one of the most common psychological and neurological diseases and, unfortunately, one of the most damaging.

As it develops and expresses itself in the behavior of the person, the freedom of the individual is reduced, and his health deteriorates because of a radical change of priorities: if nothing is done to avoid it, satisfying the impulses generated by addiction becomes, almost literally, the only thing that matters.

Faced with this reality, the rehabilitation centers specialized in addictions are an essential support. These offer a context in which it is possible to overcome the most intense symptoms of addiction and significantly reduce the risk of relapse, gaining autonomy and quality of life.

In this article we will see an overview of how a rehab and detox center works, with the main areas of work on which his way of treating patients is supported.

• Related article: "Treatment of addictions: what does it consist of?"

This is how a rehabilitation center for people with addictions works

These are the fundamental aspects that define the way in which the detoxification centers work and rehabilitation, assuming that they offer all the coverage of services related to this type of professional support to patients.

1. Outpatient support service

Although the image that many people have of what a rehabilitation and addiction treatment center is consists of a place where you have to stay admitted, the truth is that most of the organizations of this type also have from an outpatient center, where patients can go at specific times without having to stay to make life in the facilities.

Outpatient addiction treatment without admission is an especially useful resource for people who have already started the rehabilitation phase and that they have the autonomy to stay away from consumption or problematic behaviors (for example, gambling).

2. Entrance service

The income is another of the most useful and demanded services when it comes to fighting addictions. The professionals involved in the operation of the rehabilitation centers strive to make them provide a comfortable and comfortable environment with all the material and human resources necessary to support the well-being and health of people who use residential treatments.

Sometimes these facilities are located in quiet and isolated places in areas dominated by nature, so that patients can enjoy a context away from the stress of large urban centers, and they can also walk in the open air through the gardens of the clinic without exposing themselves to the risk of relapse.

On the other hand, another of the typical characteristics of the operation of rehabilitation centers is that there are an important diversity of equipment that can be used by residents. The most complete centers have sports courts and gymnasiums, terraces, library, swimming pool, work areas, etc. The objective is that people can make a comfortable life in this place, so that it is easier to manage and control the urge to relapse.

• You may be interested: "Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects"

3. Psychiatric and medical support

The teams that manage the rehabilitation centers include health professionals from various areas of specialization to attend to the people with addiction problems, something necessary whether the addiction is with drugs or without drugs (pathological gambling, dependence on video games, etc.). We have doctors, nurses, psychotherapists, etc.

4. Support for dual pathology

Addictions tend to overlap a lot with other psychological or psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, Borderline Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and others. In these cases, what is usually called "dual pathology" appears..

For this reason, rehabilitation centers are not alien to the reality that for many patients, one of these Psychopathologies can be as or more painful than the addiction itself, and treatments must be carried out for both problems.

5. Cessation and rehabilitation services

The process by which an addiction is overcome goes well beyond the detoxification phase. It is also essential to help patients adopt the right habits and the ability to create life contexts in which the risk of relapse is minimized.

Therefore, even when the person has not been admitted for a while, the possibility of following up the case is offered. Do not forget that addictions that have already been consolidated and diagnosed, even when they are no longer at its worst stage, they imply the need to constantly take care of oneself, since its consequences have chronic.

Spending time in the residential module of an addiction treatment center is not equivalent to complete healing, since it is still necessary to be able to return to a way of life very different from the one that characterized the entry; luckily, to make it easier to adapt, in rehabilitation centers we support this process, both in person and online.

Looking for addiction support?

If you are interested in the possibility of going to an addiction rehabilitation center, get in touch with us. On CITA Clinics We offer all the aforementioned services, and we have spent several decades dedicating ourselves to this field of health. You can find us in Barcelona and Dosrius (Mataró), and to see our contact information, go to this page.

Bibliographic references:

• Ashery, R.S; Robertson, E.B.; and Kumpfer, K.L; (Eds.) (1998): "Drug Abuse Prevention Through Family Interventions". NIDA Research Monograph, No. 177. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Elzo, J. (dir) et. to the. (2009): Drug cultures in youth and parties. Vitoria, Central Publications Service of the Basque Government.
• Kalivas, P.W.; Volkow, N.D. (2005). The neural basis of addiction: a pathology of motivation and choice. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 162 (8): pp. 1403 - 1413.
• Kauer, J.A.; R.C. Malenka (2007). Synaptic plasticity and addiction. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 8 (11): pp. 844 - 58.
• Valbuena, A.; Largo, R.; Quintero-Gutiérrez, J.; García-Resa, E.; and Correas, J. (2001). Comorbidity in admitted alcoholics. Clinical and social health implications. Addictions, 13 (3): pp. 297 - 304.