Thursday, December 18, 2008

Practical Info On Alcohol And Drug Treatment

By Don Pedro

Unlike what you or sevral other out there may be thinking, alcohol and drug treatment is not new. It has been in existence many years ago. Back in the dark ages, little or nothing was known about helping addicts overcome their problem of addiction. In fact, addiction was treated as being demonic. In other words, the addict is perceived as demonized or possessed by demons. The only treatment deemed fit in those days was to burn the addict at stake. What a horrible way to deal with a straightforward matter! It was indeed a dark age!

A little progress was made as man became more knowledgable about addresing the problem of addiction. So, instead of seeing the individual as being possessed by demons, they were perceived as being mad! It's reasonably unbelievable. The Alcohol and drug treatment back then include straight jackets, padded rooms, and electric shocks.

Our modern perception of addiction and appropriate alcohol and drug treatment actually dates back to the 12 step program. This is a program commenced by the Alcoholics Anonymous. It is not until then that we begin to see that addiction is neither demonic nor insanity. Yes, it is a trouble but it is never solved by those terrible means in the past. There are now better approaches to helping addicts overcome their problem of addiction.

In order to assist people with addiction, many alcohol and drug treatment centers were established. But most of these centers only have the 12 step model as treatment option. The patient is handed a book and told to look for the nearest Alcoholics Anonymous centers. While there he will be told to attend 90 meetings in 90 days. Proponents of this method claim that it is reasonably effective in helping the addict get off the setback. We won't like to delve into the pros and cons at this level. But it suffices us to know that it is the starting point of what we now as modern alcohol and drug treatment.

One thing that is appealing about the 12 step program is that it is free. In other words, you don't have to pay any high fee before getting treatment. It is not hard to find AA center nearby that you can attend. You can hop online and get it or check your phone book or yellow pages. Contact them and see what they can do to aid you get off addiction.

The 12 step program however is not the only way to get off drug and alcohol addiction. There are several methods out there that you can use. So, I beg you to ask if the center you want to check into has other services apart from the 12 step program. It is excellent to check into one that has more than the 12 step program.

Finally, it is advantageous that you try out as many alcohol and drug treatment options as probable. This is the only way you can know the right one for you. - 15437

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