Substance abuse treatment is offered in a wide variety of different treatment settings with a variety of different treatment approaches. For example, some substance abuse treatment can be carried out on an outpatient basis, where the person will typically participate in 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 helpful 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 focus on underlying psychological and emotional issues.

Detoxification is generally the very first step in getting off drugs. It allows a person to be in a supervised environment 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 common mistake that a lot of addicts make is to feel that detox is sufficient to kick their habit. This is almost never the case. All detox does is get an individual through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is often recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to learn the root of why an individual was using drugs in the first place.

Methadone detoxification is a process which must be overseen by substance abuse professionals within a drug rehabilitation facility who realize how challenging and difficult methadone detoxification can be. Methadone detoxification is known to be far more severe in terms of symptoms and duration than even heroin detox, and users typically revert back to methadone to relieve withdrawal symptoms or, worse yet, turn to heroin or prescription opioids to ease symptoms. This is why methadone detox should only be done under strict supervision at a drug treatment facility which has experience in handling this type of detox, and where the person can receive further treatment services to address all addiction issues.

Drug rehab programs which are provided on an outpatient basis are available to addicted individuals who have circumstances which prevent them from being able to take part in an inpatient rehabilitation facility. An outpatient drug treatment center offers 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 required to stay and reside at the treatment program until treatment has been fully completed. Outpatient drug or alcohol treatment is also available for individuals who have completed residential or inpatient treatment but require a comprehensive aftercare program which will offer additional support and treatment to help them avoid relapse.

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