Three Concepts of 30 Day Rehab Programs

Most rehab programs in California will admit that there are facets of alcohol and drug addiction which are not completely understood. What causes one person to become an addict while another remains a casual user? Drug treatment programs have many different ways of treating people with alcohol and drug addiction, and with the variety of treatment approaches out there, a person should explore and research all of them in order to get the help they need. To help understand the different treatment modalities, and schools of thought regarding drug and alcohol rehab, here is some general information on the three generally accepted concepts of addiction. Most California drug treatment centers utilize the first.

Addiction is a Disease:

Although it may be the most debated of the three concepts, it’s the most often used. The foundation of this concept is the idea that there is an altered state that exists in the central nervous system of some people which causes their inability to stop using drugs and alcohol. This altered state of the mind in the addict cannot be altered or changed and the only workable approach for them is total abstinence.  The main debate around this school of thought is due to the fact that some people have a hard time seeing a self-inflicted problem such as alcohol or drug use in the same light as other diseases such as cancer.  Even so, most do refer to addiction as a “disease” when discussing treatment.

Addiction is a Choice:

Some other programs are based upon the idea that people develop addictions because they have chosen to. They also believe that the choice to quit is also up to each person, and once this choice is made, the problem will simply vanish. Treatment from this approach usually looks back into a person’s personal history and then address some of the social or behavioral situations that caused them to make this poor choice. A rehab center utilizing this concept will mostly focus on cognitive behavioral therapy, and changing the addict’s behavior.

Addiction is a Product:

This approach focuses only on factors which caused the addict to start using. The drug rehab treatment will take a probing look (sometimes using hypnotherapy) into emotional and psychological factors that are fueling the current addiction. Childhood trauma, medical factors and psychiatric disorders are commonly blamed. The belief is that a person is driven to use alcohol and drugs to suppress the feelings which stem from these issues.

So is addiction a disease, a choice or the result of various traumatic experiences?

In our alcohol and drug addiction detox rehab we work with individuals, not generic concepts. Everyone has different needs and thoughts when it comes to their addictions. When you decide it is time for rehab, you should look for an addiction treatment in an affordable rehab that best meets your needs. Above it All is a 12-step based program which has also incorporated additional therapies to help individuals address and explore all the factors in their lives that have contributed to their struggle with addiction.

Fear and Self-Discovery at a California Rehab Center

“Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.” AA Big Book, p. 62 “How It Works”

When we first arrive in a California rehab center, we may feel alienated from our family and friends, we are doubtless filled with anger and resentment that they, our employers, or the entire world just haven’t treated us right and don’t understand at all.

What we begin to realize when we choose one of the 30 day rehab programs and begin work with recovery professionals is that we are not without fault. When we have detoxed from drugs and alcohol and our mind and body begin to clear, we are able to take a look at our relationships, our feelings and ourselves in a way that has eluded us for so long. The more work we put into our recovery, the easier it becomes to be honest with ourselves. When we work a 12 step program addiction becomes something we are able to move beyond.

As we begin to take an honest look at our selves and our behaviors, the ways in which we have allowed fear to control our lives and drive us to do things that damage our personal and professional relationships becomes more readily apparent and through the “searching and fearless moral inventory” described in the fourth step of Alcoholics Anonymous we are able to work toward setting those relationships right and not repeating the same mistakes in sobriety that we made while we were active in our addiction to drugs and alcohol.