Drug Rehab Joburg – stages of addiction rehabilitation at Houghton House
Getting to know the addiction rehab process
There are few journeys harder than the one undertaken by a patient to go from an addict with a substance use disorder to a person who is healthy and sober. For most people, it takes a lifelong commitment of dedication and hard work. The road toward sobriety is difficult but professional treatment such as the type offered at Johannesburg’s best rehab centre, Houghton House, helps many people start the journey with vigour and purpose.
So let’s get a better understanding of the stages in this journey through addiction rehabilitation.
Our drug rehab Joburg has 4 stages of addiction treatment
While every individual experiences their unique and varied experiences, addiction rehabilitation programmes can generally be divided into at least four distinct stages of treatment. These are intake, detox, rehabilitation and aftercare/ongoing recovery.
The process begins with an intake where a patient will be evaluated. This evaluation that takes place at our Drug Rehab Joburg, creates the blueprint that will make up the genetics of the individualised treatment plant to combat the addiction and set the course for recovery.
What goes into rehabilitation?
Rehab is the therapy and treatment used to rectify drug-seeking behaviours, create the correct coping mechanisms and teach important relapse prevention skills to the patient. As part of ongoing recovery, Houghton House Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Centres, the top addiction rehab centre in Johannesburg, provides individuals with long-term support and continued relapse prevention opportunities
Drug Rehab Joburg Stage 1: Intake
The first step, as mentioned earlier is intake. This is where a customised care plan is created and the process set in motion for our patients. It begins with admission.
Drug Rehab Joburg Admissions and Assessment
While there is no stock standard process used by every organisation that treats patients with addiction, when patients begin their journey at our Drug Rehab Joburg:
- First is an assessment and a meeting with a professional to discuss treatment options and figure out what approach will work best for the patient.
- At Houghton House Drug Rehab Joburg our goal is to develop a personalised treatment plan based on an assessment of the patients medical, emotional and social functioning.
- Our team may carry out extensive assessments that could include a medical examination, a psychological assessment and a psychosocial assessment.
- These assessments offer insight and information about a patient’s personal drug use history, family history of addiction and can assist with the financial arrangements for treatment.
- Once completed, these assessments will help best determine how we can tailor treatment to be as effective as possible for the patient’s needs.
Co-Occurring Disorders and Dual Diagnosis
If our patient has a medical issue and/or a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis, we will discuss additional treatment options to ensure that the patient receives the appropriate level of support and care. Dual diagnosis typically applies to people who suffer from a mental illness coupled with a substance use disorder.
Drug Rehab Joburg Stage 2: Detox
This stage deals with the removal of addictive substances from a patient’s body in a safe and healthy environment. Detox may involve uncomfortable and in some cases, dangerous symptoms.
Houghton House’s Drug Rehab Joburg Medical supervision of withdrawal ensures the patient’s safety and comfort throughout the withdrawal period. Our team of highly trained specialists are well trained to ensure that patient receive the best care during this critical phase.
The withdrawal syndromes associated with certain types of physical substance dependence can be markedly unpleasant and/or dangerous. People at risk of developing these withdrawal syndromes benefit from the added supervision and monitoring interventions availed by medical detox settings. As the leading drug rehab centre in Johannesburg Houghton House Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Centres, we offer a world-class detox facility.
Medically Supervised Detox
Our Drug Rehab Joburg’s method of treatment offered during detox will depend on the specific substance/s being abused. Prior to detox, patients will be assessed by professional medical personnel to determine certain withdrawal risks. The likelihood of a complicated withdrawal, as well as the specific types of interventions that may be needed to mitigate these risks during detox.
Drug Rehab Joburg Stage 3: Rehabilitation
Following the successful completion of the detox stage, patients will undergo Stage three of the journey, rehabilitation. This is where the foundation of long term treatment efforts are built. This stage allows for intensive therapy where we can examine the underlying issues that lead a patient to their substance use disorder.
When selecting a treatment setting, it is important for patients to familiarize themselves with the available options we offer.
Inpatient and Outpatient
The first treatment option at our Drug Rehab Joburg we offer is known as inpatient treatment programmes. These programmes remove patients struggling with substance use disorders from their old ways of life by taking them out of a potentially problematic environment and placing them into the Houghton House Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Centre treatment facility which offers 24/7 care from our highly trained and caring team.
Should the patient have work or family obligations, such as caring for children or elderly parents or working at a business that requires personal attention from the patient, our second option at our Drug Rehab Joburg is outpatient care allows them to maintain some of those responsibilities. Outpatient care is a good option for those with more mild or short-lived addictions but maybe a less optimal choice for those with serious, long-term addictions or for those with dual diagnosis conditions.
Dan Wolf is a board-certified psychologist and addiction professional. In this video above he discusses the intervention process
Drug Rehab Joburg Rehabilitation Therapy
Effective withdrawal management and successful detox completion allow the team to proceed with a closer focus on longer-term recovery and that’s where the rehabilitation Stage comes in. A crucial point to understand is that the therapy-heavy period of rehabilitation is the foundation of longer-term treatment efforts. It is through extensive counselling and therapy that patients are able to address the underlying issues behind their addictions, addressing those issues so they can recover and live normal lives without resuming their addictive behaviours.
Key points about Individual Therapy at our Drug Rehab Joburg
- Patients receive strategies on how they can redirect their time.
- Time management skills are taught to allow patients to better use their time.
- As part of the process, patients do a form of self-analysis by analysing where and when they began using substances and the reasons they started misusing them.
- Patients learn to identify triggers and how to deal with these triggering situations to avoid relapsing.
This type of behavioural therapy helps patients reform their thinking patterns and make behavioural changes that will better route them toward a healthy, sober life.
Key points about Group Therapy
- Most addiction rehabilitation processes usually include group therapy.
- Group sessions are for a majority of programmes, the mainstay of therapy types.
- Group settings allow those recovering from addiction to interact with others who are in similar situations. Group therapy is helpful for recovering individuals to know that they are not alone in their struggles.
- Group therapy allows the very important element of positive ‘community support’ to impact the overall recovery process.
Key points about Family Therapy
- Family members are encouraged to participate in family therapy sessions at our Drug Rehab Joburg as it allows inclusion, understanding and empathy to take place.
- Family therapy can help to resolve issues so the family can serve as a pillar of support once their loved one leaves the rehabilitation facility.
- Family therapy can allow the family unit to unravel and unpack elements of the patient’s actions which have impacted their lives and affected the family, themselves or vice versa.
- Family therapy can unite a family further in the pursuit of a sober, healthier future.
What Facilities and Services are offered at our Drug Rehab Joburg?
Alex Hamlyn is a board-certified Addiction Professional, above in the video he discusses Mental Health and Addiction
Participants in our substance use disorder rehabilitation programmes here at our Drug Rehab Joburg can expect world-class treatment with a list of amenities tailored to ensuring that recovery is safe, secure, professional and pleasant. At Houghton House Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Centres patients can expect:
- Shared bedrooms
- Swimming pool
- On-site and secure parking
- Beautiful garden
Drug Rehab Joburg Stage 4: Recovery and Aftercare
Regular therapy sessions post-rehabilitation (both individual and group therapy) can help patients stay accountable to their sobriety on their path toward recovery. Even after patients have completed their initial rehabilitation programme, they are not finished with recovery work, far from it in fact! Recovery, as is commonly quoted, is a lifelong journey.
Stages 1-3 are there to ensure that patients can live a sober and happy life, but it is not without training and consistent practice in the form of aftercare. Prior to completion of an addiction treatment programme our counsellors will meet with the patient to discuss a formal plan for aftercare. Building a solid plan of aftercare is of course important however as always, individual components of aftercare may differ from person to person.
Sober Living, Continued Therapy, and Support Groups at Drug Rehab Joburg
Houghton House Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Centres will tailor make follow-up programmes to assist patients as they return to their daily lives. Our Drug Rehab Joburg programmes consist of additional counselling, meetings and classes of the treatment programme. Many patients maintain regular therapy sessions post-rehab, and some submit to scheduled drug testing as a way to keep them accountable to their sobriety. Regular group therapy attendance is a wonderful method for building a support system in your local area.