For most people, “treatment” for substance use conjures images of detox or a residential rehab facility. In reality, detox (detoxification) is not treatment, and a residential program is just one of a variety of options.

Treatment for teens and young adults struggling with substance us or addiction can take place in different forms, settings and for different lengths of time — and the type you don’t know about could end up being the best one for your child. Before you make any decisions, take time to understand the options.

Understand What’s Available

Approaches to treating addiction are generally similar regardless of substance. However, treatment is typically individualized to some degree based on the characteristics of the patient — treatment programs usually address an individual’s physical, psychological, emotional, and social issues in addition to his or her alcohol or other drug use — as well as the type of substance itself, as in the case of medication-assisted treatment for opioids. Below is an overview of different program types. And if you haven’t already done so, be sure to review our information on Navigating the Treatment System.

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Therapy is crucial for the treatment of addiction. There are many forms of therapy that are successful in helping individuals as they overcome substance use disorders. Many use therapy and treatment synonymously to stand for the care patients receive at inpatient or outpatient rehabs following detox. Therapy may include a variety of treatment methods and can last anywhere from a few sessions to a few years.

Types of Therapy

There are many different types of therapy, each of which uses a different method and has a different purpose. Some types of therapy focus on the mind, others on the body, and some on both. Therapy is very important to addiction recovery for many reasons. Various types of therapy help those in recovery understand and manage their substance use disorders, as well as any underlying mental health conditions and physical/mental damage caused by addiction.

What are 12-step programs?

Key steps of the 12-step program

How meetings work

Common concerns about 12-step programs

Ways to find a 12-step group or more information

12-step programs for families and friends of addicts

12-step programs for other addictions

Even if someone has abused alcohol or drugs for years, it is never too late to stop, and many types of programs can help. One option is to meet regularly with recovering addicts in a 12-step program.

Many people believe that using medication in the treatment of substance use disorders is trading one addiction for another. However, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), use of FDA-approved medications in combination with evidence-based therapies can be effective in the treatment of addiction and may help recovering users stay in treatment longer, extending periods of sobriety and paving the way for successful recovery.

This combination of therapies is known as medication-assisted treatment, or MAT.

MAT is commonly integrated into treatment for opioid and alcohol substance use disorders.

There are all kinds of benefits to meditation, both physical and psychological. From reduced chronic pain to better cognitive function, meditating every day or even a few times a week is a wonderful way to boost your overall well-being and happiness. Creating the ideal space for your quiet reflection isn’t difficult, but there are specific elements you’ll want to include and others you’ll want to avoid. Let this be your guide to designing the perfect meditation room in your own home, and reap the most benefits from your meditation time.

Pick the right location

Naturally the first step is to choose a room. Make sure it’s a space where you feel relaxed and comfortable from the moment you walk in. Avoid using a home office or workspace so that no worries of unpaid bills, lingering deadlines, or upcoming projects can invade your peaceful state. If possible, you should also avoid rooms that are sleep-focused, like your bedroom or even in the living room near your favorite napping couch.

With all the images online of toned women in tights pulling themselves into pretzel-like poses, it’s easy to focus on the physical side of yoga, thinking of it as an exercise class that ends with a mini nap. But the ancient practice of yoga can also help with drug and alcohol addiction, diseases that affect millions of us in this fast-paced, modern world.

While yoga can be a powerful tool for personal transformation and recovery, many people write it off before even stepping onto a mat, saying they’re not flexible enough or they can’t afford the classes. Yet the mind-body connection, stress relief and personal growth that can occur through the regular practice of yoga can be just what a recovering addict needs. Yoga encourages a person to reconnect to their breath, body, mind and heart. Here are just a few ways yoga can help release the mind and body from the grips of drug and alcohol addiction.

Most people know how important exercise is, but do you know that it can be critical to addiction treatment and recovery? Studies from around the world show that physical activity not only decreases our desire for alcohol and drugs but helps support recovery, as well. “When you feel better, you’re less likely to engage in things that are bad for you,” Dr. Jordan Metzi, a sports medicine physician and author of The Exercise Cure, told U.S. News.

Louise Green, a certified personal trainer and former alcoholic, credits exercise for saving her life. “When I made the decision to get sober, I sought the help of a recovery program…The program was a springboard that helped me launch a new life, but when I really think about the success of my long-term sobriety, I credit it to fitness” she told Self.

Getting enough quality sleep is one of the best things you can do for your recovery and to improve your life in general. Deep sleep is when your body heals from injury and illness and it’s when your brain sifts through everything that happened during the day, turning the important stuff into long-term memories and discarding the rest. Sleep is also when your brain takes out the trash. Your brain cells produce a lot of waste that becomes toxic if it is allowed to build up. When you sleep, that waste is collected in the brain’s ventricles and flushed out of the brain.

Several studies have also found that lack of sleep increases anxiety. One brain imaging study found that sleep deprivation leads to increased activity in the brain’s amygdala and insular cortex, regions responsible for emotional processing and the fight-or-flight response. This heightens your anticipatory anxiety, as you might feel, say, before a test or when experiencing a craving. Other studies on sleep and anxiety have shown similar results, including one study that found people with insomnia were about 10 times more likely to have depression and about 17 times more likely to have an anxiety disorder. Much of that effect probably goes the other way as well, since depression and anxiety typically disturb sleep, but at least one intervention study  has found that missing a night of sleep increases perceived anxiety by an average of 20 percent.

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