Drug addiction is an outstanding issue worldwide, and has no discrimination to race, gender, religion, or age. One of the US territories wherein drug trafficking is prevalent, is at American Samoa. It is an unincorporated and unorganized territory located in Oceana, a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Due to the current social state of the area; drug trafficking has become an ideal source of illegal monetary transactions for most criminal elements, in and out of the islands. The two main drugs of concern in the territory, are methamphetamine, and marijuana; which have become widespread, using the local postal and private courier services as means of distribution; the bulk coming into the islands by smugglers utilizing cargo vessels.
In light of this social threat, drug rehabilitation centers have been put up in American Samoa. DARS, or “Drug and Alcohol Rehab Services”, being one of them; and provides various approaches to facilitate recovery. There are thousands of drug rehabilitation centers in the country, and knowing which; determines the first step, in helping you, and your loved ones recover from addiction.
In picking the right rehab center, the methods for rehabilitation should be understood, and taken into consideration. We have taken into account the need for such information, and have listed the programs available in most drug rehabilitation centers.
Therapeutic Intervention
This encompasses individual or group counseling, with the practice of psychotherapy, the treatment services are mostly provided by professional certified therapists. Most therapeutic intervention programs are based on treating the cognitive aspect of the psyche, which particularly addresses irrational thinking and the attempt in restructuring thought processes.
Support Groups
These groups are normally conducted by a member of a recovery group, with the guidelines of pre-prepared materials made by other national organizations. The most renowned support groups are the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Most of these support groups are modeled on the Twelve Steps of AA and rely on the faith in a God, or a "higher power" to assist in realizing their goals.
Drug and Alcohol Detoxification
Detoxification programs are treatment programs, using a planned withdrawal technique; slowly removing the addictive substances from the patients’ system, without adverse physiological and psychological harm; this method may, or may not include medication, in order to assist the withdrawal. The length of detoxification is dependent on the substance by which the patient is addicted to, the duration of the addiction; and the detoxification method used. Detoxification alone, without the correlation of other treatments has not been found to be effective in maintaining sobriety; and therefore, a combination of different methodology is suggested.
Equine Assisted Therapy
The use of animals in medical recovery programs has been a practice for many reputable organizations. Drug rehabilitation in particular makes use of horses in assisting the therapeutic techniques. Horses, having an intuitive and sensitive nature, mirror the emotions, and basic physical actions they receive from people, which provide a powerful insight and learning experience within a therapeutic setting. Through the patients’ relationship with the horse and usage of metaphors, equine therapists, assists in facilitating the process of awareness and change in perspective for each individual.
Acupuncture
Eastern medical methods have gained a foothold in western medical techniques, due to reputable research on these techniques; some of these have been applied to compliment modern western medicine. Acupuncture, being the most popular, has been accepted by many, as a viable means of treating various ailments. This includes addiction, and other physio-psychological disorders. For substance abusers, the process may involve inserting three to five needles into precise “meridian” points of the outer ear just beneath the skin for approximately 45 minutes while the patient sits in a chair. The needles activate signals in the nervous system, and neurotransmitters release natural pain relieving endorphins which act as a crave blocker for drugs or alcohol and help in calming the patient. Some programs make use acupuncture in combination with other traditional forms of treatment; in order to increase the effectiveness.
Anger Management Treatment
This Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aids counselors teach anger management techniques in group settings, through 12 weeks of cognitive behavioral intervention. The treatment delves into the inner works of the anger cycle, conflict resolution, assertive skills, and anger control techniques.
Treatment Programs and Treatment Plans
Programs are designed individually, since the best treatment program for one client may vary from the treatment intervention for another. The type of drug, the social background of the client, duration of abuse, and motivation for treatment (which can be assessed through individual psychiatric analysis), environment and social support play an integral part in determining the most appropriate treatment method. It is critical, in any intervention program to receive a one on one treatment with a trained and certified counselor or therapist, as well as group and education treatment, when undergoing alcohol or drug treatment; a feeling of belongingness and concern is very important at any treatment stage.
While choosing the drug rehab it has to be made sure that all the aspects of what caused the addiction problem in the first place have to be addressed.
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