Substance abuse treatment takes place in a wide range of distinct treatment settings with a variety of different treatment approaches. For example, some substance abuse treatment can be performed on an outpatient basis, where the person will typically attend treatment during the day but is allowed to return home daily. Other substance abuse treatment requires the individual to stay in a hospital or residential facility during the entire course of treatment, which is particularly helpful in resolving more severe cases of addiction. Inpatient and residential substance abuse treatment can be done on a short term or long term basis, depending on various circumstances which can be different for each person. Most substance abuse treatment will concentrate on getting the person physically rehabilitated, and then focus on underlying psychological and emotional issues.

Detoxification is normally the initial step in getting off drugs. It permits a person to be in a supervised environment while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are different types of detoxification. Theyvary from drug-free to medically supervised. A frequent mistake that quite a few addicts make is to feel that detox is sufficient to kick their habit. This is almost never the case. All detox does is get a person through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is usually recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to learn the root of why somebody was using drugs in the first place.

Methadone detoxification is a process which must be supervised by addiction professionals within a drug rehab facility who recognize how challenging and difficult methadone detoxification can be. Methadone detox is regarded to be far more serious in terms of symptoms and duration than even heroin detox, and users often revert back to methadone to alleviate withdrawal symptoms or, worse yet, turn to heroin or prescription opioids to ease symptoms. This is why methadone detoxification must only be done under close supervision at a drug treatment center which has experience in dealing with this type of detoxification, and where the person can receive further treatment services to handle all addiction issues.

Drug or alcohol treatment programs which are provided on an outpatient basis are available to addicted people who have circumstances which prevent them from being able to participate in an inpatient treatment facility. An outpatient drug treatment program offers many of the same services as an inpatient program, but allows for flexibility as opposed to an inpatient drug rehabilitation program where the person is expected to stay and reside at the rehab program until the treatment process has been fully completed. Outpatient drug or alcohol treatment is also available for those who have already gone through residential or inpatient treatment but also need a thorough aftercare and relapse prevention program which will offer additional support and treatment to help them avoid relapse.

Self payment substance abuse rehabilitation centers are an outstanding alternative to other types of rehabilitation facilities i.e. private medical insurance and state funded programs. Individuals who are able to attend self payment programs pay for their entire treatment process out of pocket. Keep in mind though, this does not mean that they will not have access to financial assistance if needed. It just means that self payment is their primary method of covering the cost of their substance abuse treatment program. In order to learn more about self payment programs, contact a substance abuse treatment program and inquire as to their payment options. It is a good idea to contact a number of programs so that you have an understanding of your choices regarding treatment options and payment options.