Substance Abuse and Treatment

Karie Dexter

Tyler Guna

Ashley Miller

Beatrice Tate

Matthew Thoman

What is substance abuse?

• Unstable behavior of using a drug so much that significant problems occur

• Failing to meet obligations

• Legal issues, social and family problems, as well as work related problems

• Problems must occur repeatedly over a period of 12 months (American Psychiatric Association)

Substance abuse is one of the hardest

behaviors to change

Most treatment programs in the U.S. are based on the Minnesota Model.

This realizes that the drug user can is no longer in control and may potentially turn

to more drugs. They cannot resolve the drug problem on their own and will need to re-learn how to live without drugs of

any kind.

Here are the four steps involved in the Minnesota Model….

Step One:The person must admit they have a problem

Step Two: Entering a treatment program

• There are many different types of treatment programs. They can be either inpatient or outpatient depending on the harshness of the problem

• During an inpatient treatment the patient will go through a period of detox allowing the body to begin to readjust without drugs/alcohol.

• After detox the patient will begin therapy such as group/individual counseling, lectures, exercise, meetings, and taking on responsibilities.

Step Two:

• Outpatient programs differ in that the patient will only stay at the facility for a few hours and beginning therapy.

• Mostly group therapy

• Designed to follow after the patient has been discharged from an inpatient program.

Step 3

• Step 3 of the Minnesota Model states that…

• A person suffering from substance abuse undergoes therapy that can include

• Talk Therapy

• Group Therapy (AA)

• Medications

Other Treatment Programs

• Medically Managed Detox

• Individual Therapy

• Faith Based Treatment Programs

• Residential Treatment

• Outpatient Treatment

• Music Therapy

Principles For Effective Treatment

• No single treatment is appropriate for everyone.

• Treatment needs to be readily available.

• Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.

• Drug use must be monitored during treatment.

STEP 4

The person must remain sober.

Maintain regular contact with your counselor.

Meeting with your counselor on a regular basis will provide one on one assistance needed to maintain abstinence.

Having someone to talk to will help provide the necessary steps to continue a lifelong commitment.

Seeking help from others is extremely important.

Attend support group meetings.

Attending meetings where others share your concerns and understand your situation is vital.

Avoid situations that might trigger negative behaviors.

Avoid parties and gatherings where alcohol and drugs are present.

Look for new friends to associate with.

Initiate new hobbies and activities.

Develop healthy ways to handle stress in everyday life.

Change overall health, including PHYSICAL,

Emotional,

Mental,

And Spiritual.