There have been a few reports in the media recently about rehab programs in the US that have been using new innovative ways to help individuals break away from addiction. These approaches include things like booster sessions following treatment and teaching people to use mindfulness in early recovery. Rehab centres here in the UK are always looking for ways to improve their services, so we can expect these innovations to be more readily available here as well.
Inpatient Addiction Treatment is Improving All the Time
We have come a long way since the first ever rehab programs in the nineteenth century. These ‘inebriate houses’ offered very little in the way of treatment, and they had a very poor success rate. The programs have steadily improved since that time, and there is now an approach to suit almost everyone. We are still a long way from 100 per cent success rate at rehab, but these programs are constantly becoming more effective.
In the last two decades, we have seen a rise in the number of rehabs in the UK embracing evidence-based treatment approaches. This means they are now focusing their attention on finding what can be scientifically proven to work. It is this commitment to providing the best possible recovery programs that has accounted for much of the improvements in recent decades.
More Improvements Needed to Addiction Treatment
It can take a great deal of suffering before individuals become ready to get help for their addiction problems. There is no telling how many times a person is going to develop this motivation, so it is vital for them to make the most out of every opportunity. In order for this to happen, the person needs to have access to the treatments that are going to allow them to succeed. At the moment, there are some fantastic alcohol and drug rehabs to choose from, but there are still too many people slipping through the net.
One of the biggest reasons why people fail to establish long-term recovery is they relapse shortly after the transition from rehab to home. This is the trickiest time in recovery because the person is going to be moving from a protected environment to one where they are once again faced with temptation. The individual is usually highly motivated when they leave the facility, but this sense of direction in their life can begin to wane as they settle back at home.
One solution to help these individuals deal with the pressure of being back at home is to teach them mindfulness mediation. This ability to live in the moment allows the person to be able to deal easily with any temptation or stresses in their environment. The technique is very easy to learn and it allows people to be far more objective about their experiences in life. For example, if people experience the temptation to drink again, they can use mindfulness so they do not give in to this temptation.
Booster sessions are another great way to help individuals survive after rehab. This is where the person returns to rehab for a couple of day to recharge their motivation and to learn some new techniques to help them get the most out of their new life. These booster sessions can happen after about six months and they can make a huge difference to the ability of people to remain sober.
It is important that rehabs in the UK continue to look for new ways to help their clients achieve long-term recovery. No one approach works for everyone, so the winning strategy is to provide many proven techniques from which the individual can choose.
