Outpatient Crack Rehab Benefits

Making it through the crack detox stage is no easy feat. At this point, a person knows how hard it is to stop using. Likewise, ensuring ongoing abstinence should become a top priority.

Crack and cocaine addictions accounted for 13 percent of all drug treatment admissions in 2007, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. While it may seem like detox “solved the problem,” detox only marks the beginning of the recovery process.

Outpatient crack rehab makes it possible for recovering addicts to build upon the progress made in detox and maintain abstinence for the long-term. With ongoing crack rehab treatment, recovering addicts can develop the skills needed to overcome drug cravings. Outpatient crack rehab also helps a person learn how to ask for help when the urge to use becomes overwhelming.

Crack Addictions

Outpatient rehab programs can make it easier for you to carry on with other aspects of your life while in treatment.

Compared to cocaine, crack delivers a more intense “high” that lasts half as long. These seemingly small differences between crack and cocaine amount to a highly addictive substance where crack is concerned. The more intense the “high,” the more damage is done to brain chemical processes. The shorter the “high,” the more often a person uses.

Not surprisingly, crack addictions develop quickly leaving users desperately dependent on the drug’s effects. Outpatient crack rehab treatment helps undo the damaging effects of crack in a person’s life.

Behavioral Therapies

Outpatient crack rehab specifically deals with the psychological dependency that develops from long-term crack use. Behavioral therapies are designed to help a person identify and work through any underlying emotional problems that drive addiction behaviors.

Crack’s effects on the brain essentially reprogram a person to seek out and use the drug at all costs. Behavioral therapy treatments help recovering addicts regain a sense of self and purpose that doesn’t require crack as a support.

Group Supports

Group supports play a central role within the outpatient crack rehab process. Twelve Step support groups, in particular offer recovering addicts a built-in support network made up of people going through the same struggles and challenges.

Twelve Step support group programs also follow a 12-Step plan for personal development wherein each group member works the program at their own pace. These groups can become an invaluable source of support and guidance for years to come.

Treatment for Co-Occurring Psychological Problems

Anyone who uses crack for months or years will likely develop psychological imbalances along the way. Depression and anxiety disorders are common. A co-occurring psychological disorder can quickly aggravate drug cravings, making it that much more difficult to maintain abstinence from crack.

Outpatient crack rehab offers needed treatment for psychological imbalances. For some people, this may entail ongoing psychotherapy sessions. For others, both medication treatment and psychotherapy may be needed to keep a person from engaging in drug-using behaviors.

Considerations

While outpatient treatment in general may seem like a “take it or leave it” option, anyone who’s serious about living a drug-free life would do well to take advantage of the treatment options outpatient care provides. Neglecting this essential part of the addiction treatment process leaves a person wide open for relapse and continued drug use.