The recovery process from substance addiction or abuse can be a long, hard road. Fortunately, there are many groups and organizations out there that are designed to ease this process and provide support, information, and safe havens. Substance abuse treatment centers are a common place for people to start out. Many times, an intervention is staged with family, friends, and- sometimes- co-workers to confront the person about their behaviors. Professional interventionists can be hired to come in and facilitate this meeting. Many times, an interventionist will also take responsibility for escorting the person to a pre-arranged substance abuse treatment center.

Before entering addiction treatment counseling, it may be necessary for the person to go though a period of detoxification. This process is commonly known as detox. Detox is necessary in cases where the body has become physically addicted to the substance. Lingering effects from the body's withdrawal can last for weeks, or even months in severe cases. For this reason, it is sometimes necessary to undergo detoxification under medical supervision.

Drug rehab treatment that comes after detox often takes place on a residential (inpatient) level. In these situations, people encounter individuals from all walks of life. It can be a real eye-opener to realize that this can, and does, happen to anyone. It also provides a variety of different views on the problem and the solution. It is common for other mental or social disorders to be present alongside addiction. For this reason, drug rehab treatment is often designed to address both substance abuse issues as well as the underlying and potentially causative issues. It is important to choose a substance abuse treatment center that is equipped to deal with both sets of issues, as one problem cannot be completely eliminated while the other still exists.

While many refer to drug or alcohol addiction as a disease, it's important to remember that this is not a disease with a cure. Every day for the rest of an addict's life is a day in recovery. For many, living one day at a time is the start to a new life based on sobriety, but it's not easy and it's intensely difficult to go about on one's own. For this reason, after intensive treatment, many people continue with either individual or group counseling, or choose to attend a support group. The 12-step groups are especially popular and help to form social bonds with others living their lives with the same intentions.