Drug Treatment Centers - Glossary

Learn What's Going to Work for You

Most people don’t give much though to rehab until they or a family member becomes in desperate need of quick entry into a program, and as such it can be pretty confusing just trying to understand what your available options are, and just what these rehab web sites mean when they say, Christian rehab, or executive rehab, or therapeutic community…

Here is a brief glossary and explanation of terms and of the general types of residential care as offered in America today.

The Glossary of Terms...

Christian Rehab

Faith based residential programs represent a major percentage of low cost and free programs on offer today, although secular programs do also exist at low cost. Faith based programs may also exist within the domain of very high cost private rehabs.

Christian rehabs emphasize spiritual healing in the treatment of addiction, and in doing so generally use a modified version of the 12 steps of AA, called the Christian 12 steps. They also emphasize prayer, bible study and religious counseling as a comprehensive spiritual solution to the problems of the flesh.

Christian rehabs may also offer secular and pharmacological therapies, such as cognitive education, group addictions therapy and relapse preventing medications.

For addicts with a belief in a Christian God, Christian rehabs can offer powerfully resonant teachings.

Conventional or Secular Rehab

Rehabs offering conventional and clinically based therapeutic care encompass the bulk of private rehab options in America today. These rehabs run programs on average from 28 days to three months in duration, and offer a variety of treatments that can include 12 steps based group meetings, peer support groups, individual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy and nutritional and health education and programming.

These rehabs offer the greatest intensity of scientifically proven therapies and treatments and can be found at all price ranges, although are normally higher cost options.

These rehabs can offer a great base for sobriety, although you should look for a facility that offers intense and wide ranging therapeutic programming.

Detox Clinic

More expensive residential programs will offer medically supervised detox programs; but many less expensive or free facilities' cannot, and demand that you be medically stable and detoxed as an entry criterion. Depending on the drug of abuse, medical detox can occur over a few days to a week or more, and state and private clinics do offer detox independent of residential rehabs. Detox without therapy and treatment is rarely enough to induce lasting sobriety.

Executive Rehab

Never a low cost option, executive rehabs exist to provide high luxury, confidentiality of care, and the ability to continue working while in rehab to professionals who feel they cannot or will not enter into a conventional form of rehabilitation.

Holistic Rehab

Holistic rehabs exist to treat addiction and abuse as a problem of the body, mind and spirit; and insist that without a comprehensive and holistic approach to treatment, no long term recovery is possible. In addition to traditional therapies, holistic rehabs will integrate peripheral programs such as equine therapy, meditation, yoga and karate into a treatment matrix.

Long Term Rehab

With programs running from 6 months to two years, these rehabs tackle addiction with stamina. In many cases, addicts progress upwards through the programs, gaining additional privileges and responsibilities as they do so. A similar base of therapies to the conventional rehab will be offered, although generally with less intensity; and most rehabs will mandate a form of work therapy to all participants. This work may or may not be paid, but is mandated to instill a sense of purpose and responsibility, as well as to decrease relapse provoking idle hours.

Many of these programs operate as low cost or free entities, and many may be faith based in nature. Two very prominent examples of free faith based longer term rehabs are those as offered by the Salvation Army and the Baptist and Union Missions. Both organizations will offer long term rehabs in all major cities nationwide.

Teen Rehab

Teens do not do well in general adult recovery programs, and since they face very unique life challenges, they require age appropriate treatment. Teens should never be admitted to an adult facility unless no other options are reasonably possible.

Sober Living Housing

Most commonly used as a transitional living environment after a rehab graduation, they can also be accessed by anyone willing to commit to complete sober living. The vast majority of the tens of thousands of sober living houses across America will open their doors to those in need regardless of an initial ability to pay for services, but after a transitional period all members of the house are required to gain employment and contribute a nominal monthly rent against the house expenses.

These houses enforce strict rule of conduct, most fundamentally a requirement for complete sobriety, and anyone who does use drugs or alcohol will often find themselves quickly evicted. Most houses will run some form of therapeutic programming, often 12 steps and group therapy based, and most will require an active and daily participation in AA or a similar program.

These homes offer sober sanctuary, peer support, low cost entry and housing, and a long period of residency to those in need; and are an excellent resource for anyone struggling with sobriety.

Therapeutic Communities (TC)

Long term recovery options, these communities run on a model of re-socialization. They believe that a complete relearning of how to live without drugs or alcohol is necessary for any real chance at long term sobriety, and to accomplish this ambitious goal they require a long term participation, generally of at least a year and often longer.

They will offer group, 12 steps or individual therapy at low intensity, but the model is more based on a peer learning and recovery matrix, where recovering addicts learn from one another how to live and act appropriately without using drugs and alcohol. Residents progress through the program earning greater rights and privileges as they show increasing sobriety and mature acts, and will start at the bottom of an informal chain of command, and graduate at the top. Addicts learn how to live with one another, how to work under, with, and over others, and how to have fun without drugs and alcohol.

These very long term communities can be an effective solution for people who have struggled with addiction for a long period, and who may have already tried shorter duration programs with little effect.

These communities exist in all price ranges, but in general provide lower cost care.