Treatment Centers

A residential treatment center, often referred to by the acronym RTC, is a live-in therapy/behavior modification facility for adolescents who present a variety of conditions, ranging from drug abuse to violence to sexual behavioral problems. Different treatment centers work with different grades of problems, and so the structure and methods of treatment centers varies. Some treatment centers are lock-down facilities; that is, the residents are locked inside the premises; however, other treatment centers don't lock the residents in.

Treatment Centers for Children and Teens

Residential treatment centers treat multiple conditions from drug and alcohol addictions, to emotional and physical disorders as well as mental illnesses. It has been discovered through various studies on youth in residential treatment centers, that many children in residential treatment centers have had history in family issues including physical or sexual abuse. Along with these issues, many children display aggressive behaviors. Most residential treatment centers cater to troubled teens with ADHD and ADD, family problems, behavioral disorders, educational issues, and behavioral issues that puts them at risk.

There are options for children and young adults to become academically successful within residential treatment as well. One program option involves therapy along with a boarding school setting. Therapeutic Boarding Schools provide staffs of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists to work with the students on a daily basis. This form of treatment has a goal of academic achievement as well as physical and mental stability in children and young adults.

Therapy Treatment

Residential Treatment Centers are highly effective for individuals who have a long history of addictive behaviors or criminal activity RTCs offer a variety of structured programs used to accommodate its residents needs. These programs mainly focus on re-socializing its residents to an addiction free lifestyle.

The therapeutic process to recovery generally begins with detoxification, a process that rids the addictive toxins from the patient’s body. This is often followed by treatment for relapse prevention that eases withdrawal symptoms. Customized treatment plans, medical and mental treatment, and follow-up treatments are also very important factors in the treatment process.

There is no single form of treatment that is appropriate for everyone. Though residential programs last an average of 6-12 months, most patients see improvement in only 3 months of treatment. With follow-up treatment, many addicts can continue life abstinent towards their addictive behaviors. This is to say that residential treatment may not be for everyone. It is important however, to understand that addiction is a chronic illness in which an addict is subject to relapse even after successful treatment.

The twelve-step model, also known as the Minnesota model, is often used along with therapeutic healing in treating addiction. The goal of the twelve steps is to make addicts admit that they are addicted, and to make them abandon those addictive behaviors. This model emphasizes the use of spirituality as a form of treating addictive behaviors, particularly substance addictions.

Residential Treatment

Residential drug treatment can be broadly divided into two camps: 12 step programs or Therapeutic Communities. 12 step programs have the advantage of coming with an instant social support network though some find the spiritual context not to their taste. In the UK drug treatment is generally moving towards a more integrated approach with rehabs offering a variety of approaches. These other programs may use Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy an approach that looks at the relationship between thoughts feelings and behaviors, recognizing that a change in any of these areas can affect the whole. CBT sees addiction as a behavior rather than a disease and subsequently curable, or rather, unlearnable. CBT programs recognize that for some individuals controlled use is a more realistic possibility.

More about the 12 step program Treatment

One of many recovery methods is the 12 step recovery program, with prominent examples including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. They are commonly known and used for a variety of addictions for the individual addicted and the family of the individual. Substance-abuse rehabilitation (or "rehab") centers frequently offer a residential treatment program for the seriously addicted in order to isolate the patient from drugs and interactions with other users and dealers. Outpatient clinics usually offer a combination of individual counseling and group counseling. Frequently a physician or psychiatrist will assist with prescriptions to assist with the side effects of the addiction (the most common side effect that the medications can help is anxiety).

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