Drug detox programs are a multiple-angles approach toward cures for drug addiction and dependence. There are many treatment centers for alcohol, opiate, heroin and oxycontin addiction, and the ultimate goal of these programs is to promote and allow the addict to remain abstinent from their drug of choice.

Detoxification can at first be frightening for the recovering addict. Drug detox centers in offer counseling services during this time, both in relieving the feelings of fear and by getting to the underlying problems that caused the addiction in the first place. Addressing the underlying problems help to decrease the addict’s need to go back to a drug-using lifestyle.

Drug rehab and detox are long processes, but with the right center, it can be made easier because of round-the-clock nursing care, an extensive knowledge of drug abuse and addiction. Surveys have shown that 70% of the time, inpatient drug rehab programs are successful. In addition, programs that don’t use alternate drugs to wean the addict free are healthier than those that do, such as rapid detox. 90% of drug addicts have gone through outpatient rehab or detox programs, and can attest to its effectiveness because of the follow-up services and counseling support.

Drug detox programs operate by first clearing alcohol and drugs out of the person’s system, which is what drug rehab centers have begun to do through various methods such as alternative therapy, counseling, group therapy and counseling sessions and more.

The first step in detox programs, after the initial cleansing, is to help the addict cope with withdrawal. Withdrawal occurs when an addictive substance is no longer supplied to the body, causing the mind to experience a placebo effect. This causes mental, emotional and behavioral changes that reflect the alterations in the brain’s chemistry.