Not to be confused with addiction to technology, more and more treatment centers are beginning to use technology in their diagnostic and treatment regiments. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, technology sharing has a profound impact on addiction research and furthering knowledge. Not only is technology allowing public and private sector research teams, it also provides a more hands on way of treating drug abuse.
Imaging Technology
Imaging technology allows for doctors to see the difference between an addicted brain and a normal one.
It is now possible with imaging technology and dyes to see the exact brain processes of the addicted brain against the so called normal brain. Scientists and doctors are now able to see and plan for the development of these patterns. Some of them seem to indicate a predilection for addiction while others indicate addictive behaviors that are already in place.
Medical Technology
New drugs such as Suboxone and methadone are all products of the ever changing medical aspects of addiction science. New and improved medicines are being researched and developed to prevent withdrawal symptoms and help with a patient’s recovery. Whether it is something as complex as stopping withdrawal or as simple as taking care of one particularly bothersome symptoms, new medicines are developed on a daily basis.
Like any other aspect of treatment technology can plan an important role in diagnosing and treating addictions and the mental health issues that go along with it. Some of the techniques technology is helpful for are:
Role playing and scenario games
Unless the addiction is to technology or videogames the video game world can be an excellent resource. It can help with:
Role playing scenarios,
Fear reduction scenarios,
Healthy escape techniques,
Personal and intersocial boundaries,
Socialization,
Helpful for treating or at least stabilizing agoraphobia, and
Allows those who are socially or mental disabled to work from home in a productive environment.
Technology is extremely helpful when used for each of these scenarios. It does however need careful monitoring. It is possible that it can create the very situation that it was designed to prevent. This is why technological solutions should be monitored while they are being used in therapeutic situations.
Computerized evaluations
In the past the majority of mental illness and addiction evaluations were subjective. With the use of computer technology, it takes some of the examiners opinion out of the equation. The more standard evaluations can be done almost completely objectively without the feeling and option that creep into so much of the evaluation when it is done by a human.
Although there are still circumstances where only a human can judge an amount of pain or level of a condition, computers can correlate many of the symptoms from available data. A computer can also find correlations that humans might not be able to.
Featured Rehab Center
Aftercare and Support Programs Using Technology
In today society of social media and chat channels, it is little wonder that technology is often a part of aftercare. If you are in a 12 step program you can go to a meeting anytime and anywhere in the world. If you just need to talk to someone, there are counselors and others in your situations that are there to help. For more information on how to access technology assisted treatment, call us at 888-646-0635Who Answers?.
Free inpatient rehab centers actually do exist. Though these facilities are not as common as paid inpatient facilities, they can be found and patients in need are able to receive 24-hour care in a controlled environment which can significantly help their chances of making a successful recovery from addiction. How Many Facilities are Free? According….
Gov. Rick Scott and his cabinet have been using an arbitrary system to decide when—and if—to restore Florida residents’ voting rights after they have been convicted and served time for a felony. This system has kept more than 10 percent of adult Floridians from being able to vote, and this largely includes those who were….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a person does not necessarily need to want to go to rehab in order for rehab to work. This means coerced or forced rehab does still have a chance to get your loved one back on the right path. There are a number of ways to go….
People who are addicted to alcohol and those who are not have likely heard the many myths that are associated with alcohol rehab. In fact, you or someone you know may even believe some of the myths that you have heard along the way. Unfortunately, there are many myths about alcohol rehab and it’s important….
Art therapy, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is a nontraditional type of therapeutic modality that is considered to be “not only compatible with but also essential to the success of treatment” for many individuals in rehab for drug and alcohol addiction. Art therapy can be extremely beneficial to rehab patients in many….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, rehab centers are one of the more effective forms of drug addiction treatment. Unfortunately, there are a number of myths that movies, television, and popular media have perpetrated against rehab centers. People tend to believe these myths and many of them hurt the reputation of rehab centers….
It seems every addict has suffered from denial at one point or another. Drug addiction, an inability to admit to it and the fact that it’s difficult to believe all make denying one’s own drug addiction a much easier thing to do than to cope with, confront and admit to the problem. You’ve heard it,….
Patients who are treated at local rehab centers undergo their rehabilitation in a safe environment that is in close proximity to their friends and family making them feel a little more at ease. For the recovering addict, there is a sense of ease knowing their surroundings, not that they are home but in an area….
Although some might not think it, rehab centers are open during the holidays. Many of the programs do not stop just because it is Christmas or Thanksgiving. People still need help and there are both inpatient and outpatient clinics who provide it. The holidays are a tough time for many people who suffer from depression,….
Every teen goes through significant changes as they grow older and often times they remove themselves from their parents which makes it difficult to talk to them. If you are already having trouble talking with your teen as it is, talking with them about their suspected marijuana use can be even more difficult. The fact….
