Addiction and Recovery : Choosing the Right Level of Care For Treatment
Addiction is treated on a continuous care principle, with a variety of treatment options available. The general goals of treatment for alcoholism and other drug addictions is the development of abstinence and the prevention of relapses. Addiction treatment services can range from a brief intervention in a doctor's office to long-term inpatient treatment. Each level of care has its strengths and benefits. Patients have the following treatment options available. Treatment providers try to tailor the appropriate level of care to the particular needs of the patient. The type of care an alcoholic or addict needs is identified according to his or her particular needs. There is a standardized set of criteria for treatment at different levels of care, with levels of care that are scaled based on intensity and with different levels of restriction. Outpatient counseling is one of the least restrictive forms of substance abuse treatment. Patients live at home, continue to go to work, or cont...