For decades, the addiction treatment community in America relied heavily on a cookie-cutter approach to treatment. Every client received the same kind of detox and therapy regardless of their circumstances. What everyone began to realize was something wasn’t working. The best indication that something was amiss came from the fact that relapse rates remained in the 45% range for decades.
As you can imagine, that kind of a number is unacceptable by any measure. About 15 years ago, the collective addiction treatment community started taking another approach to treatment. The leaders within the community took it upon themselves to discover and innovate new ways to treat clients. When the list of potential treatment methods grew from one to as many as a dozen, therapists began using these new resources to develop custom treatment plans for each client. Here is how that works. When a client reports to rehab, they go through an initial intake interview. During the interview, the rehab staff member is seeking information.
They want to know all of the circumstances surrounding each client’s addiction. The information they collect becomes the basis for charting a tailored course of treatment. All of this was made possible by innovative addiction treatment specialists who were looking for better results when treating clients, Today, the numbers are looking better. Some experts lay claim to the fact that the average relapse rate has dropped to as low as 35%. A 10% change might not seem like much, but don’t tell that to the extra 10% who have been beneficiaries of the transformation the addiction treatment community has gone through.
In the minds of a lot of experts in the field, some of these new treatment methods seem a bit unconventional. Truth be told, all of the new treatment methodologies look unconventional when compared to the treatment programs of the past. With that said, kudos to these new unconventional treatment methods because they are delivering results.
Is Unconventional Treatment a Big Part of Drug Rehabs in Florida?
We know that many of the new unconventional treatment methods are a big part of what is happening in Florida, the rehab capital of the world. We know this because many of these new unconventional treatment methods are being born right in the heart of the South Florida addiction treatment community. After years of developing its reputation for delivering great addiction care, Florida’s top treatment professionals are leading the way to better care. At this point, you are probably wondering what is new. Well, here is a partial list of some of these unconventional treatment methods:
- cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Holistic therapies
- Dialectal Behavioral Therapy
- multi-dimensional family therapy
- motivational interviewing
- Incentive systems
Twenty years ago, none of these methods were being used to any extent. Things are very different today, and the results speak for themselves. At this point, we would like to touch a little more on the first two methods on this list.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) comes from a group of treatment methods that the addiction treatment community refers to as evidence-based methods. The methodology behind CBT is very clear. It is based on the assumption that a client’s negative thoughts are part of the driving force behind the addiction. It is these negative thoughts and negativity that drive the individual to take drugs or drink alcohol as an escape mechanism. Knowing that negative thoughts are impacting the addiction, the solution has to be getting the client to convert their negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Therapists teach clients certain coping skills to achieve this goal. Once the client can see the light through the darkness, the hope is they will learn to depend less on substance abuse. Dialectical Behavior Therapy is quite similar with one major exception. That exception involves focusing on the client’s feelings instead of thoughts.
Holistic Therapies
In an effort to consider the entire well-being of their clients, some therapists have been employing holistic treatment therapies. The premise behind this is that by addressing the client’s body, mind, and soul, the client might find an inner peace that will diminish their need to escape reality through drugs or alcohol. For a lot of clients, this methodology works in conjunction with other treatment options. For you information, here is a partial list of popular holistic therapies:
- Equine therapy (caring for horses)
- Recreational therapy
- Meditation therapy
- Yoga
- Art and music therapy
- Acupuncture
- Massage therapy
When you are ready to seek help, you can take solace in knowing you will get the treatment that best suits your circumstances. In our Palm Beach facility, that is the only way we can provide treatment. If you want our help, you can start by reaching out to us by phone at 833-497-3808. When you get one of our staff members on the line, please feel free to ask them about our facility and all of the services we can provide.