Residential-Treatment

Introduction to New Beginnings
Principles of Effective Therapy
Links to More Resources

New Beginnings is a dual diagnosis facility offering family-oriented intermediate care to individuals aged 13 to 20 recovering from addiction or similar problematic lifestyles. Here, people are challenged as well as supported in integrating the skills necessary for recovery.

Principles of Effective Therapy:
Based on information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA

No single Treatment is appropriate for all individuals. Matching treatment settings, interventions, & services to each individual's particular problems, needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and society.
Effective therapy attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her illicit substance use. To be effective, treatment must address the individual's use, any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems.
Therapy needs to be readily available. Because individuals who are addicted to drugs may be uncertain about entering therapy, taking advantage of opportunities when they are ready for therapy is crucial. Potential treatment applicants can be lost if therapy is not immediately available or is not readily accessible.
Counseling (individuals or groups) & other behavioral therapies are critical components of effective therapy for addiction. In therapy, patients address issues of motivation, build skills to resist substance use, replace addiction-using activities with constructive & rewarding non-using activities, & improve problem-solving abilities. Behavioral therapy also facilitates interpersonal relationships & the individual's ability to function in the family & community. (Approaches to residential drug and alcohol treatment.)
Remaining in therapy for an adequate period of time is critical for therapy effectiveness. The appropriate duration for an individual depends on his or her problems & needs. Research indicates that for most patients, the threshold of significant improvement is reached at about 3 months in therapy. After this threshold is reached, additional therapy can produce further progress toward recovery. Because people often leave therapy prematurely, programs should include strategies to engage & keep patients in residential therapy.

Return to Top
Addicted or abusing individuals with coexisting mental disorders should have both disorders treated in an integrated way. Because addictive disorders & mental disorders often occur in the same individual, patients presenting for either condition should be assessed & treated for the co-occurrence of the other type of disorder.
Medical detoxification is only the first stage of addiction Therapy; by itself does little to change long-term use. Medical detoxification safely manages the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal associated with stopping use. While detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicts achieve long-term abstinence, for some individuals it is a strongly indicated precursor to effective alcohol addiction therapy (see Drug and Alcohol Addiction Therapies Section).

Return to Top

Links to More Resources

New Beginnings

The Twelve Steps
History of AA
Adolescent Treatment and therapy
Substance Addiction Therapy
Get More Information About Narcotics Anonymous

Return to Top