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[V83]Video Game Addiction Treatment

by Todd Lange, Tod

If you are planning addiction treatment in Colorado for yourself or for someone in your family, then you will probably be conducting a lot of research on the Internet to know about what options you have for treatment and how it is conducted. This is all quite well, but you must know that there are several concepts that you need to know about if you want to understand the program for addiction treatment in Colorado. This is an explanation of some concepts relating to the addiction treatment program in this state.

Difference between Substance Abuse and Substance Addiction

Most people use the words "abuse" and "addiction" interchangeably, but the fact of the matter is that there is a lot of difference between these two terms. When a person is into a substance abuse, the person is using the substance only occasionally, but on those occasions, the person is going beyond acceptable limits of usage. When the person is not using the substance, he or she is perfectly normal and even performing their tasks effectively.

Substance addiction, on the other hand, is total dependency. A person who is into substance addiction will not be able to do without the substance even for a short period of time. The entire waking hours of the person will be spent in how to acquire the substance and use it for recreation. Hence, a person who is into substance addiction will actively think about the substance even when he or she is not using it.

In that manner, substance addiction seems to be more serious than substance abuse, and it is quite right too. But the social repercussions of both of them could be the same. The person who is into an abuse might be a menace to society during those episodes when he or she is under the influence. That could be just as bad as coming from a person who is into substance addiction.

Treatment methods for people who are into substance addiction in Colorado are more stringent than those that are used for people into substance abuse. However, treatment is definitely available and needed in both cases.

Difference between Detox and Rehab

Again, these two are terms that most people think mean one and the same thing. The simple logic is that both are parts of the addiction treatment program in Colorado. However, this is definitely not the case. If you understand what these two mean, you will see that they are as unlike as chalk and cheese.

Detox is the name for the program in which the person's body is cleansed from the accumulation of the toxins that the addictive substance might have caused. This is done by first making the person abstain from the substance which then causes a withdrawal. In order to treat the withdrawal and to make the person lose the temptation for the substance, the person is provided some maintenance treatment. A normal detox program in Colorado can last from three days to up to three weeks, which will mostly depend on the nature and extent of the person's dependency and also on the policies of the treatment center.

Rehab, on the other hand, is a complete program that helps bring the person out of the addiction and into a sober life. This is a much elaborate program that can go on for quite a long time. It usually follows a detox treatment program. When the person has been detoxified, the rehab treatment begins as a means of aftercare. In rehab, the person will be given some sort of maintenance medication in order to keep the temptation of the substance away.

Then there will be a complete counseling program for the patient and the family members of the patient. The patient will be coached on how to deal with the cravings for the substance and the family members will be trained on how to become able supports for the patient to bring them out from the addiction and how to cope with the addiction itself. Families might have to attend a short training course too, mainly to equip them in dealing with the addiction condition.

Patients might be trained in certain meditation and relaxation methods too, which can help in answering the urge for the substance if it occurs. Most of these rehab programs will also counsel patients on how they can become an effective part of their societies once again and even take up a job if they are interested because these are the things that will actually cure their addiction and bring them into a normal constructive and meaningful life.

The reason almost all health insurance companies have stopped paying for residential addiction treatment is that the effectiveness of residential treatment and outpatient treatment has been compared many times, with no advantage being found for residential treatment. The July, 1986, issue of the American Psychologist contains the definitive article (by Miller & Hester) on this subject. Their article “reviews findings from 26 controlled studies, which have consistently shown no overall advantage for residential over nonresidential settings.” You might question whether a 1986 article would still be relevant this many years later. However, more recent evidence has not led to a different conclusion.

Yet residential treatment continues to be popular, if judged by the number of stories in the press about celebrities “going to rehab.” Miller and Hester suggest, however, that “it is recommended that 3rd-party reimbursement policy should (1) discourage the use of intensive residential models for addressing alcohol abuse when more cost-effective alternatives are available and (2) reinforce the use of research-supported treatment methods regardless of setting. It is noted that such policy priorities run directly counter to the current practices and financial interests of many for-profit providers.”

Miller and Hester clarify that even though residential treatment works no better than outpatient for clients who can afford it, for clients who cannot afford residential treatment (e.g., they are homeless), it is often better than outpatient. For this population residential treatment may provide the stability otherwise lacking in their lives.

Residential treatment may be useful if 1) someone has attempted to make change and cannot seem to maintain it in their normal environment and 2) this individual freely chooses to attend residential treatment. However, even if the individual will be returning to a different environment upon discharge from residential treatment, outpatient treatment will still be needed. Anyone can abstain in a residential treatment facility. Being there only postpones dealing with the real problem, which is how to live (and abstain) in the real world.

Consequently, unless it is obvious that getting the addicted individual into a secure environment needs to happen immediately, start with outpatient treatment. If residential treatment does occur, a 28 day or 30 day stay may not be needed. Unfortunately, most facilities are not flexible about length of stay. On the other hand, if one or several month-long stays have not worked, 90 days or more may be worth considering.

There are many benefits to outpatient treatment. It is the treatment of choice for most individuals. There is no problem about what happens when the individual returns home. Outpatient treatment is often much less expensive (especially considering that your insurance may pay for some of it). If change is not happening quickly enough (or not happening at all) residential treatment can be the backup plan.
The push for residential treatment often comes from the family, which is desperate for relief (“just get him out of here and safe, so life can be better for awhile!”). In these situations, however, the individual may often have great resistance to residential (“I don't need that, I can do this on my own. And I can't afford to be away that long”). If discussion about treatment arises because of a family confrontation, the family response can be that as long as there is (progress, abstinence, successful moderation, etc.), the family will not insist on residential treatment.

Article Source : Baby Your My Disease

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Both Todd Lange & A. Tom Horvath, Ph.d. are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Todd Lange has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disease & illness, Alcohol Treatment and Medicine. Visit in order to read more.. Todd Lange's top article generates over 823000 views. to your Favourites.

A. Tom Horvath, Ph.d. has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family Concerns, Disease & illness. A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP, is a board certified clinical psychologist and president of Practical Recovery (), an addiction treatment facility. A. Tom Horvath, Ph.d.'s top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.