When you live in the Tacoma, Washington, area and need help for a substance abuse disorder – illicit drug addiction, alcoholism, or the misuse of prescription medications – you need to find a drug treatment program that can meet your needs as an individual and give you the tools you need to safely manage your disease. This is true whether you live in Tacoma, Edgewood, DuPont, Gig Harbor, Puyallup, Ruston, or any other of the communities spread across Pierce County. No matter where you live in Washington State, you want to know what your best drug rehab options are.
Tacoma Drug Rehab Option #1 – Detoxification
Most alcohol or drug rehab programs in Tacoma strongly recommend that you undergo medically-supervised detoxification and withdrawal before you actually begin treatment. The purpose of a detox is to give your body time to clear itself of the drugs and/or alcohol in your system. Medical supervision, and, where needed, prescription medication assistance will allow you to safely manage the physiological effects of stopping substance abuse – the withdrawal symptoms. This isn’t just a good idea – in some cases, a medically-supervised detox could save your life. For most drugs, withdrawal is characterized by unpleasant – sometimes harsh – symptoms resulting from the brain not having the drug to which it has become accustomed. Withdrawal from most drugs can be difficult and even painful, but it is not particularly hazardous. But there are substances of abuse – alcohol and benzodiazepines – that should never be stopped abruptly without the supervision of trained medical staff. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines or alcohol is more than dangerous – it can even be fatal. Once the detox process is complete – anywhere from a few days to a few weeks – the newly-clean person can move on to substance abuse treatment.
A Few Words about the Best Drug Rehab Programs in Tacoma
With so many options for drug or alcohol rehab in Washington State, it is important to know what the BEST programs will have in common. Look for treatment options that provide:
- Evidence-Based Treatment that is founded in real, measurable data
- Thorough assessments and patient histories
- Individually-crafted treatment plans
- Cooperative, integrated care, where all providers are on the same team
- Multi-layered approach to treatment
- Individual psychotherapy
- Peer group counseling
- Family and couples’ sessions
- Treatment for any co-occurring psychiatric disorders
- Medication-assisted recovery
- Wellness-focused holistic options
- Ongoing support and aftercare
Tacoma Drug Rehab Option #2 – Long-Term Residential Treatment
If your substance abuse problem is particularly bad and you have a long history of drug use that includes multiple failed attempts at rehab, this may be your best option, because it provides monitored care and structure, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for as long as it takes for you to return to health. Long-term residential treatment can also be modified to help people who may have special needs:
- Adolescents
- Individuals with severe mental disorders
- Women—including those are pregnant
- Homeless people
- Prisoners
Also known as a “Therapeutic Community”, this rehab option usually requires a stay of between 6 and 12 months. The goal of the therapeutic community is to treat the addiction in order to re-introduce the recovering addict/alcoholic as a productive member of society. To this end, the rehab program’s entire community provides the social context that is necessary for treatment – including both staff and residents. In a Therapeutic Community, addiction treatment is given within the context of a person’s psychosocial difficulties, so the focus is the development of a sense of personal responsibility and accountability. Some of the goals and activities of a Therapeutic Community are:
- Dispelling damaging or dysfunctional beliefs
- Changing the Concept of Self
- Eliminating destructive behavior patterns
- Positive interaction with others
- Employment training
- Housing assistance
- Transitioning from a residential rehab environment back to society
Tacoma Drug Rehab Option #3 – Short-Term Residential Treatment
Short-term residential drug rehab programs in Tacoma provide treatment that is similar in intensity to a Therapeutic Community but of considerably shorter duration. The main difference is that in the shorter programs, not as much time is spent on learning how to reintegrate into society. The primary goal of short-term residential treatment – also called inpatient rehab – is to give a person with a moderate-to-severe substance abuse problem is to lay a strong foundation for continued sobriety. This is done by giving that person the education and tools they need to participate in extended outpatient and self-help programs. A typical short-term residential drug treatment program in Tacoma will last between three weeks and three months.
Tacoma Drug Rehab Option #4 – Outpatient Treatment Programs
When intervention and the seeking of treatment has happened early on in a person’s still-developing substance abuse disorder, their problem may still be in the minor-to-moderate stages. When this is the case, an outpatient treatment program can often be sufficient to help them learn how to manage their disease. There are four main benefits of outpatient drug rehabs in Tacoma:
- They are much less expensive than residential programs
- Participants still live at home, meaning they can still spend time with their families, work, or go to school.
- Participants can put into daily practice the lessons they learn in treatment.
- It can be of much longer duration than the typical inpatient program.
There is one caveat – there are different levels of outpatient drug treatment in Tacoma. Some low-intensity options only provide education about substance abuse, not treatment. These are the programs that are mainly used as an early interdiction in response to some drug-or-alcohol-related incident, such as a DUI. The best Tacoma outpatient drug rehabs are Intensive Outpatient Programs that can, in many ways, be quite comparable to residential options, including treatment for co-occurring disorders. The typical IOP will meet for up to 18 hours a week for education, counseling, and exercises, as part of a program that may last up to four months or longer.
How to Decide What Tacoma Drug Rehab Option Is Right for YOU
Obviously, your choice of residential or outpatient drug rehab in Tacoma depends on you – your personal drug history, your support system, your financial situation, your medical/psychiatric needs, and your preferences. The best thing you can do for yourself is to make contact with a local Tacoma drug rehab program and schedule an assessment so you can discuss your options. Choosing to get help for an addictive disorder is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, and your future, and the sooner you begin your journey of recovery, the sooner you can restore sobriety and serenity to your life.