According to a study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “Therapeutic community residential treatment is best suited to patients with a substance dependence diagnosis who also have serious psychosocial adjustment problems and require resocialization in a highly structured setting.” As this treatment option has been known to be extremely beneficial to many individuals, those with multiple issues associated with their substance abuse should consider whether it may be the right option for them.
How Does Treatment at a Therapeutic Community Work?
This type of treatment works by focusing on the “resocialization of the individual and us[ing] the program’s entire community––including other residents, staff, and the social context––as active components of treatment” (National Institute on Drug Abuse). It helps patients see their drug abuse and addiction through a social context and begin to understand the psychological and social deficits in their life. While they are surrounded by others who become part of their treatment, even other patients and volunteers, it helps them begin to understand the problems in their lives and how they may stem from their inability to adjust to others as well as understand themselves.
This treatment option, however, is not easy. It is best attended by those who have attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors associated with their drug abuse that are in extreme need of change. The treatment itself can also be confrontational in order to draw these issues out. The program is also highly structured, ensuring that residents attend all of their classes, sessions, and meetings throughout the day with little free time and strict times for waking up, taking meals, and going to bed. “Planned lengths of stay” for these programs are normally between 6 and 12 months.
According to the NIDA, “Patients in therapeutic communities may include those with relatively long histories of drug addiction, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning,” but there are other types of programs that follow this treatment model. Pregnant women and individuals with young children may also want to receive treatment in a therapeutic community, as well as homeless individuals, adolescents, people with mental disorders, and those in the criminal justice system. People in these groups often have special needs when it comes to treatment, and a therapeutic community can be designed for groups of these types.
Do I Need to Attend a Therapeutic Community?
Socialization is a key aspect of therapeutic treatment.
Ask yourself the questions below to decide whether you may benefit from treatment in a therapeutic community.
Am I a part of one of these groups:
Pregnant women or individuals with young children?
Adolescents?
Homeless individuals?
Criminals in the justice system?
People with severe mental disorders?
Do I feel very isolated from other people?
Do my loved ones tell me my attitude toward my drug abuse is dangerous?
Will I require constant care and encouragement while in treatment?
Do I lack a strong social support system?
Do I sometimes feel I have problems understanding others and even myself?
If you answered yes to the questions above, a therapeutic community could be a beneficial treatment option for you. Call 888-646-0635Who Answers? if you or someone you love is addicted to drugs and in need of intensive treatment.
Once the decision to get drug treatment help is made, choosing between all the available treatment options can seem overwhelming at best. Depending on where a person lives, local drug treatment centers may be plentiful or scarce. As addiction rates continue to rise, there’s likely at least one local drug treatment center in most everyone’s….
When it comes to addiction and other mental health issues, the problems are often intertwined. Substance abuse and mental health disorders are often co-occurring and it’s estimated that over 8 million adults in the US have dual diagnoses. For those that are addicted, six out of 10 have at least one mental health disorder, which….
Addiction is a lifelong illness. Many people go through recovery and seem fine but when they leave the program, they quickly relapse. This leaves them right back where they started. Up until recently, there were very few options for help after rehab. Rehab only teaches people the skills they need to live without the addiction,….
Marijuana is a plant that people smoke or eat in order to sustain the hallucinogenic effects that alter the sense of time, sound, touch and sight. Most people who use marijuana believe that it is not a dangerous drug nor that it has any type of addicting qualities but this is untrue. Marijuana use results….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is similar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, and just like these other diseases, drug addiction can be managed successfully. However, it is common for a person to relapse and begin abusing drugs again, but this just means that….
There are times when a person who is suffering from a drug addiction wants to get treatment, but unfortunately they cannot afford it. In most cases they give up the idea of treatment and may continue to use drugs. Others may try quitting on their own but fail. This may be due to the painful….
For some people, addiction has to reach the brink of disaster before they realize that it’s time for help. For others, the addiction may result in premature death before help is ever even sought. So, how bad does your addiction have to be before you seek help at a drug rehab center? It depends on your individual needs,….
Free inpatient rehab centers do exist and can be exactly what many individuals are looking for who otherwise would not have been able to attend rehab because of the cost. But are free inpatient rehab centers worth the wait? Are the Waits for Free Rehab Centers Long? According to SAMHSA, only four percent of the….
Many people don’t understand the seriousness of prescription drug abuse for one very simple reason: they believe these drugs to be 100 percent safe. While it is true that these are safe to take under the eye of a medical professional, there is always the possibility of abuse and addiction. Just the same as street….
Addiction, regardless of what the addiction is to, is a deeply psychologically based condition. The roots of addiction’s causes, beginnings, and overall control over a person often are based within the person’s mind. Even if the addiction requires a physical act and has a physical response, it is largely mental. Having an understanding of addiction’s….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser that includes Right Path Rehab.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.
