What You Need to Know About Chemical Dependency Treatment

Whether alcohol or drugs, there is an epidemic of people struggling with chemical dependency issues. Thankfully there are many resources and steps to help people achieve sobriety and support them through the process of recovery which is a lifetime journey. Here are three key components of helping you or your loved one journey through the recovery process.

Chemical Dependency Evaluation

One of the first and essential pieces of getting help for chemical dependency issues is a comprehensive chemical dependency evaluation. This type of evaluation is conducted by a licensed alcohol and drug addiction counselor who can help determined the level of treatment needed based on the severity of the addiction. The evaluation includes collecting background information, personal interviews and making a full recommendation of steps to follow to achieve sobriety and recovery.

Treatment

Chemical dependency treatment can take place in an outpatient setting or an inpatient setting. Sometimes you will start in an in-patient setting and move down to an out-patient setting as you stabilize and build coping skills and supports for your sobriety. The type of setting recommended focuses on the level of care and support you need, and it is important to take the recommendation level of treatment seriously. Common lengths of treatment stays are anywhere from 30-90 days and in some cases an extended stay longer than 90 days is recommended.

After-Care

Once treatment is finished, there are many organizations to help support you or your loved one with maintaining and sustaining your sobriety. One example of this is a sober house MD where you can live with others who are in the same stage of recovery but have additional support from a house manager. This provides more structure and stability compared to going right back into living situations, which may not have the same priority or level of sobriety care. Other examples of after-care include community meetings for recovering addicts and continued outpatient therapy.