Recovery programs are the most successful way to conquer addiction.

There are many options available to an addict seeking recovery. Addiction is considered to be a progressive disease, and like any other disease it requires extensive treatment. Different levels and categories of addiction require different types of treatment. Twelve-step programs, outpatient support groups, residential detoxification centers, methadone clinics and halfway houses are just a few of the various programs available for an addict seeking treatment for an addiction. Recovery programs are necessary to overcoming addiction because they provide the addict with a safe, structured environment and a reliable support system to guide them through the difficult process of detoxification.

Addiction comes in many varieties and on many levels. Treatment options must vary based on an addicts individual need. For example, a compulsive shopper, or “shop-a-holic”, probably will not require the intensive treatment and monitoring that a heroin addict needs, but they still have a problem, and it still requires treatment. A high school student who smokes marijuana cigarettes twice per week is more likely to benefit from outpatient counseling programs than a 45 year old alcoholic who has been drinking a 1.75ml bottle of vodka on a daily basis for over 25 years. Depending on the individuals dependency level, an addict may benefit more from a structured treatment facility. The wide array of available recovery programs cater to the needs of addicts of just about every stage of addiction.

Once an addict realizes that a habit has become a full blown addiction, the addict faces the problem of finding that particular program that suits their particular situation. Often addicts go through several treatment programs before finding one that works. Inpatient residential detoxification centers are often thought of as being the best approach to treatment. Inpatient detoxification centers are usually in a clinical, hospital-like setting with twenty-four hour supervision and support. These centers often include withdrawal monitoring, counseling, relapse prevention support, stress reduction programs, and physical fitness programs. Sometimes these centers also offer holistic activities such as yoga, hypnosis, and meditation. The main downfall of inpatient detoxification centers is that they can be extremely expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars.

Outpatient support groups, halfway houses, and twelve-step programs can also provide the addict with the support and resources to stay clean. Outpatient facilities are becoming very popular. Although outpatient programs probably are not the best choice for an addicts initial treatment, they provide strategies for avoiding a relapse once an addict is past the withdrawal stage of recovery. Outpatient programs are usually free or very inexpensive. Most of these programs are led by an ex addict or a mental health professional. Outpatient programs encourage participants to buddy up in pairs to “sponsor” each other during times when they feel they are weak and about to relapse. That support is just what the recovering addict needs to fully recover.

Without recovery programs a lot of former addicts would still be struggling with addiction. Addiction affects people of every race, upbringing, and economic status. Recovery programs are extremely beneficial to the community, the families of addicts, and to the addicts themselves. People do not become addicts overnight, and there is no miracle cure for addiction, but with the help of a recovery program a person does have the capability to overcome their addictions. The love and support of a group of people committed to comfortable withdrawal and preventing relapse offers the greatest chance of successfully eliminating a dependency or addiction.