Substance abuse treatment is offered in a wide variety of different treatment settings with a variety of different treatment methods. For example, some substance abuse treatment can be done on an outpatient basis, where the person will typically receive treatment during the day but is allowed to return home daily. Other substance abuse treatment requires the person to stay in a hospital or residential facility during the entire course of treatment, which is particularly beneficial in handling more severe cases of addiction. Inpatient and residential substance abuse treatment can be done on a short term or long term basis, depending on unique circumstances which can be different for each person. Most substance abuse treatment will focus on getting the person physically rehabilitated, and then concentrate on the root psychological and emotional issues.

Detoxification is usually the very first step in getting off drugs. It allows an individual to be in a supervised environment while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are various types of detoxification. Theyvary from drug-free to medically supervised. A prevalent mistake that a lot of addicts make is to feel that detox is enough to kick their habit. This is seldom the case. All detox does is get an individual through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is at all times recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to find out the root of why someone was using drugs in the first place.

Hospital inpatient drug treatment is done in a hospital setting and is overseen by doctors and other medical staff. Hospital inpatient treatment is sometimes necessary in the beginning stages of abstinence when the person may encounter the onset of life threatening withdrawal symptoms, which is sometimes the case when quitting alcohol as well as a category of prescription drugs known as benzodiazepines which should be supervised very carefully by medical professionals in case of any complications. Hospital inpatient treatment is also administered to individuals who desire a medication assisted withdrawal, as is the case with individuals who are addicted to opiates and wish to use this type of detox technique to manage the severe withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin or other opiate withdrawal. This type of opiate detox is not treatment in itself however, and these individuals will require additional counseling and therapy to fully recover from addiction.

Drug rehabilitation services which are provided on an outpatient basis are readily available to addicted individuals who have circumstances which prevent them from being able to take part in an inpatient treatment center. An outpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation center provides many of the same services as an inpatient program, but allows for flexibility as opposed to an inpatient drug or alcohol rehab program where the individual is required to remain at the rehabilitation center until the treatment process is complete. Outpatient drug or alcohol rehab is also available for individuals 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 remain clean and sober.

Residential short-term treatment for drug or alcohol addiction is a variety ofrehabilitation program where the individual will remain at the facility on an inpatient basis, and which normally demands a stay of 30 days or less. While attending residential short-term treatment the recovering addict undergoes an intensive but short duration of treatment that commonly includes a supervised detox, counseling, and other forms of therapy which are aimed at helping the individual to recover and be able to function without drugs in everyday life once rehabilitation is complete. Residential short-term treatment is not always effective for all instances of addiction, and most will need an aftercare program or additional treatment in a more long-term residential facility.

It is a disturbing fact that many adolescents in the United States become introduced to drugs and alcohol at a very young age, and some even become addicted and dependent to drugs and/or alcohol. For adolescents who do become addicted and dependent to alcohol and drugs, parents need to take every step possible to get the problem resolved before it is too late. Any indication that drugs or alcohol are in the picture should be addressed immediately, otherwise, addiction will lead down a path of total destruction for the adolescent and for the family. There are drug rehabilitation programs for adolescents available in every state, many of which cater only to adolescents and have treatment professionals on hand that are trained specifically in dealing with this age group.

Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders must address both issues in order to recover completely. Some people take drugs or alcohol to ease symptoms of mental health complications, and some individuals take drugs which then, in turn, creates symptoms which are identical to mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Addiction rehabilitation professionals know how to distinguish between the two, and can work with clients to correctly treat real mental health conditions in tandem with any other substance abuse treatment that is done with the person. This has proven to be effective in keeping individuals with mental health problems off of drugs and alcohol and mentally stable and happy.

Individuals can become addicted to drugs or alcohol no matter their handicap, disability or personal physical challenge. This sometimes makes people particularly more vulnerable to becoming involved in drug or alcohol use, because of the various challenges that this can bring about in the person's life. This is true for individuals in the deaf and hearing impaired community as well, and treatment for substance abuse and addiction is sometimes required. Deaf or hearing impaired individuals will require ASL or other assistance as part of their treatment needs, and there are drug rehab facilities available which cater to these needs. Professional treatment counselors who know ASL and can offer other necessary assistance to deaf or hearing impaired substance abusers.