There is no one right or wrong way to broach the subject of substance abuse treatment. Treatment methods can vary depending on the society in which you live, the cultural or religious norms that are applicable to you, the laws that govern the land in which you reside, and what impact your abuse has had on yourself, your family, or other people financially, socially, or physically. But one thing that all forms of substance abuse treatment must do is provide some kind of therapy.

Substance abuse therapy is not the end goal. In and of itself, therapy is not the stated objective of substance abuse treatment. Rather, therapy is a means to a much loftier end, which is tripartite in nature:

1. The complete detoxification of the addict from the chemical dependency that he or she has wrought upon himself or herself. In other words, the recovering addict will no longer feel compelled to take drugs in order to maintain a state of feeling “high”. This may involve learning to cope with the inevitable symptoms that are typical of withdrawal / weaning off from the routine use of a particular drug.

2. The addict being able to cope with specific problem areas of his or her life that had driven him or her to seek solace and escape through drugs in the first place. Marital problems, economic hardships, and other social pressures are some examples of stressors in a person’s life that might lead him or her to resort to taking drugs, as a coping mechanism. The addict can learn, through substance abuse therapy, how to cope with problems in life in more productive ways, rather than seeking escapism through drugs.

3. Strategies for the prevention of the recovering addict to fall into a relapse. In other words, once the recovering addict leaves the protective environment of the rehabilitation center, he or she is forced to fend for himself when faced with situations in life that tempt him or her to take drugs again. Once someone undergoes a complete substance abuse treatment program, it is not expected that the individual may end up falling off the wagon and get back into heavy drug use again.

Therapy itself can take place in many forms:

1. Private, one-on-one sessions with a psychologist, social worker, or other qualified counseling professional, where you get to discuss your problems with complete privacy. 2. Group sessions where you share your problems with a group of other addicts and seek advice and moral support in your quest to recover from your addiction and resume a normal life. 3. Classroom based education, where you are educated about the ill-effects and consequences of substance abuse. 4. Recovery homes, where the addict may lodge for a few days or weeks at a time, in order to seek asylum from the negative influences of the outside world, and dwell in a safe, supportive, positive, uplifting, and drug-free environment.

The latter option enumerated above, committing oneself to a recovery home, is an option worth considering for substance abuse treatment.