Substance abuse treatment takes place in a wide range of different treatment settings with a variety of different treatment methods. For example, some substance abuse treatment can be performed 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 serious 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 individual. Most substance abuse treatment will focus on getting the person physically rehabilitated, and then concentrate on the root psychological and emotional issues.

Detoxification is commonly the very first step in getting off drugs. It enables a particular person to be in a supervised setting while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are diverse types of detoxification. Theyvary from drug-free to medically supervised. A widespread mistake that quite a few addicts make is to believe that detox is enough to kick their habit. This is seldom the case. All detox does is get someone through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is usually recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to uncover the root of why an individual was using drugs in the first place.

Methadone detoxification is a process which should be overseen by addiction professionals within a drug rehab program who recognize how challenging and difficult methadone detoxification can be. Methadone detoxification is known to be far more serious in terms of symptoms and duration than even heroin detox, and users frequently revert back to methadone to relieve withdrawal symptoms or, worse yet, turn to heroin or prescription opioids to relieve symptoms. This is why methadone detoxification should only be done under strict supervision at a drug rehabilitation facility which has practical experience in handling this type of detox, and where the individual can receive additional recovery services to deal with all addiction issues.

Drug rehab services which are provided on an outpatient basis are readily available to addicted people who have circumstances which prevent them from being able to take part in an inpatient rehab program. An outpatient drug and alcohol treatment center provides many of the same services as an inpatient program, but allows for flexibility as opposed to an inpatient drug or alcohol rehabilitation program where the person is expected to stay and reside at the treatment program until treatment is complete. Outpatient drug rehab is also offered for individuals who have completed residential or inpatient treatment but also need a comprehensive aftercare and relapse prevention program which will offer additional support and therapy to help them remain clean and sober.

DUI/DWI offenders are typically required to participate in a certain number of hours either in counseling, meetings or a substance abuse rehab program. Each state has its own requirements when it comes to retribution for the DUI/DWI offender. Offenders who are considered to be low to moderate DUI/DWI offenders will typically be required to participate in some form of group counseling or therapy. These are sometimes referred to as "Level I & Level II Alcohol Classes". These group meetings are usually held by a professional in the field of addiction recovery or a person with long-term sobriety involved in the Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous groups. DUI/DWI offenders deemed to be serious offenders will likely have to serve jail time at a minimum before beginning their mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment program.

Self payment substance abuse rehabilitation centers are an outstanding alternative to other types of rehabilitation programs i.e. private medical insurance and state funded programs. People who are able to attend self payment programs pay for their entire rehab 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 drug or alcohol treatment program. To learn more about self payment at a specific program, make contact with a substance abuse treatment center and ask about their payment options. It is a good idea to contact a number of facilities so that you have an understanding of your choices with regards to treatment options and payment methods.