Treatment options in Halifax can vary between residential, outpatient treatment, long term and various other types of treatment. Speaking to a drug counselor who knows the differences in recovery programs can be an useful resource in selecting the right treatment facility.
As you can probably imagine, not every alcohol and drug rehab facility in Halifax is the same. In fact, each of the facilities you come across will have its own unique notion about what should constitute quality treatment.
In the same way, the protocols used at a facility will be dependent upon the particular philosophy the facility is founded upon. These protocols, however, are not mutually exclusive. For example, you might come across faith-based drug and alcohol treatment facilities that also use evidence-based therapies.
In most situations, you will find that every addiction treatment center emphasizes a specific approach. This is how most of these programs are classified. That said, the most common types of substance abuse treatment facilities include:
Evidence-based or Proof-based drug and alcohol rehab programs most always construct their program on the research in addiction treatment. And because of this, they will provide care that is often focused on the mental and emotional in addition to ancillary protocols that are based on proven scientific research from proven results and case studies.
At these rehabs, the treatment therapies applied often change regularly contingent upon the results coming out from the latest findings in the research and scientific work.
Spiritually-based drug and alcohol treatment facilities, however, put their attention on the religious and spiritual aspects of treatment. As a specific result, most of them lean on the 12-step philosophies in combination with religious practice and ritual - such as praying.
The fundamental belief in most of these facilities is that recovery comes from God. In the United States of America - a mostly Christian region - most spiritually-based rehabs are Christian. But, there are other addiction treatment programs that focus on offering treatment to addicts from other religions and faiths.
In many instances, you will find that these recovery centers are funded by a specific religious entity - with the recovery programs run by the Salvation Army providing an excellent example. With that said, most spiritually-based centers also provide abstinence-based programs.
Most of these centers base their treatment protocols and options on the 12-step philosophies as well as on the information provided by AA and its other offshoots.
To this end, most all of these rehabs make you engage in group work, attend offsite and onsite meetings, and meet up with a sponsor. During these activities, you will go through the steps that will enable you to deal with your addiction from the twelve step perspective.
Some of the rehabs in Halifax that are based on the twelve steps of addiction recovery may also use other treatment options - such as individual therapy.
Medicine-based centers look at substance use and addiction issues as symptoms that ought to be fixed medically - in much the same way you would deal with other conditions such as diabetes.
To this end, they often prescribe the long term use of such medicines as Suboxone to manage an addiction.
These kinds of drug and alcohol rehab centers are, however, sometimes classified as harm reducing because they might transfer your dependence from one substance to another. For instance, the methadone may replace heroin.
But, there are medicines that a proven track record of deterring active substance abuse. For example, Antabuse makes an alcohol abuser ill when they consume alcohol. Because of this, this type of medicine is productive at managing addiction and reducing harm.
Some addiction treatment programs do not fit into any of the categories we have discussed above. These centers offer cures that are not founded on any evidence-based treatment methods or protocols.
Alternatively, these centers say that their way of handling addiction issues is unique to them. But, they are questionable in the sense that they will probably not have proof of success or be able to provide evidence about their theories.
These are alcohol and drug treatment programs that theorize that individuals suffering from addiction and a variety of substance use disorders are not completely capable of abstinence or that they do not want to stop using drugs and alcohol entirely.
These drug and alcohol rehab facilities, instead, work on the belief that addicted individuals can use less of the substance in question. Based on this belief, they claim that it is okay to have a glass of wine or so during lunch and will teach the patients how to do this with success. While going through this, you will learn how to control your addiction while still allowing for some substance use.
Most harm-reduction alcohol and drug rehabs are found away from the reaches of traditional drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. A good example would be a needle exchange program.
The concept behind these programs is that not every addict is ready for or wants help. For this reason, they are aimed at trying to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and HIV by providing IV drug users with clean needles free of charge. In doing so, these programs reduce the risk of disease transmission which arises from drug abuse, even though addicted people continue using as they did prior to the intervention.
6 treatment listings in or near Halifax, Pennsylvania: