Understanding The Aftercare Phase Of The Addiction Treatment Program In Kentucky

Published May 16, 2010

When researching on the addiction treatment program in Kentucky what people usually neglect is reading about the aftercare phase of the treatment. In fact, most people will not even want to consider that such a phase exists. For the bulk of the people who are searching for an option on the addiction treatment program in Kentucky, the whole treatment is just about detox. The common notion is that if there is a detox treatment involved, then the treatment program is complete. However, this is definitely not the case. Let us see some details on this.

Why is an Aftercare Phase needed at all?

The very first thing that we need to note here is that addiction is not a physical ailment. It is something that happens in the mind of the person. Most addictive substances that people consume for recreation target various parts of the central nervous system of the person. For example, methamphetamine can make the brain release dopamine among other substances. Dopamine is responsible for our sense of pleasure. As long as the person consumes methamphetamine, the brain will be forced to release this pleasure inducing substance and that will keep the patient in a state of euphoria. This is what the addiction is all about.

Now it can be seen that addiction is a mental disease. It is the mind of the person that triggers him or her to continue taking the substance. The way in which the substance is taken might be a physical act, but the action of the substance is purely mental.

This is the reason why an aftercare treatment program is so very important. When the person has a detox it is just the body that is treated. But during the aftercare, the person will be trained on how to stay away from the urges of the substance. This is what will actually help to person to stay in long-term sobriety.

How is the Aftercare conducted in the Addiction Treatment Program in Kentucky?

The first thing is to decide how the aftercare will be conducted. Most treatment centers in Kentucky will decide this at the detox stage itself. The nature of the person’s withdrawal during the detox treatment is what will give them the right indication. If the patient has a very vehement withdrawal, then it might be because the patient’s addiction has been quite intensive. In that case, the patient will be made to enter into a residential treatment program for the aftercare. However, if the patient’s withdrawal is bearable, then the patient will be asked to enter an outpatient treatment program for the aftercare treatment.

The nature of the aftercare will depend on what kind of treatment program the patient is entered in. But three points are basic elements in any aftercare treatment program in Kentucky. These are:-

1. The Medication: The patient will need to be kept on maintenance medication to make sure that he or she does not have a relapse into the addiction. This maintenance medication is typical of the substance that the person is addicted to. It is decides such that as long as the maintenance medication is taken in the prescribed amount, the patient will not feel the pangs for consuming the substance of the addiction.

2. The Education: The patients are educated on what the addiction is all about. Here they are taught how the addiction acts on their body and what physical and mental complications it can cause in the long run. They are also educated on the social and personal implications of the addiction and the fact that the addiction can ruin their profession life is also brought home to them. The education can be provided in a classroom setting, so it is usually a group program.

3. The Counseling: The patient might have some emotional issues that might be working at keeping them into the addiction. It is important that these emotional issues are identified and the patient is coached on how they can overcome those. In most cases, without working out such psychological problems, it might become difficult for the patient to come out of the addiction at all. The patient will also need to be counseled on various techniques and therapies that can help them avoid the temptations for the substance that might occur in them from time to time.

In most cases, the families of the patients will also be included in various parts of the aftercare program. Here, the families will mostly be counseled on how they can deal with the fact that there is someone at home undergoing an addiction treatment without developing conditions of their own. They are also trained on how they can actually help in the treatment by becoming a motivating support for the patient.

Understanding The Aftercare Phase Of The Addiction Treatment Program In Kentucky

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