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by wallyg

Substance abuse is the repeated use of drugs such as cocaine, heroin and prescription drugs. There are many reasons that contribute to such addictions, such as ineffective parenting, poor social coping skills, association with deviant peer group and peer pressure.

There are various symptoms too, such as forgetfulness, aggressiveness, irritability and getting drunk on a regular basis that can be seen frequently in an individual. If you notice any of the symptoms, it is imperative to approach a drug rehab center otherwise these can have deadly consequences if not treated at the right time. Treating the drug or alcohol abuse at an early stage is the best way to get rid of this habit.

Essentially treatment is a behavior modification therapy that helps drugs and alcohol addicts to come out of this habit and lead a healthy and stress free life. The drug prevention programs made available by the rehab center are offered after analyzing the person’s characteristics and knowing the type of substance being consumed.

The substance abuse treatment programs are carried out by specially trained staff members who are certified or licensed as substance abuse counselors. These substance abuse counselors or specialists identify the individual’s negative behavioral traits and take necessary steps with a positive approach.

Substance abuse counseling plays a crucial role in the psychological recovery of the patient. With this counseling session, addicts are motivated to develop basic problem-solving skills, achieve a balanced lifestyle, improve relationships, find a higher meaning in life and eventually lead a productive and happy life.

There are residential programs, outpatient programs and executive rehab programs also made available to patients by specialists helping in the recovery process. Partial hospitalization and methadone clinics are other amenities provided to individual suffering from alcohol or drug abuse. To ensure long time recovery, there are residential substance abuse programs made available by drug rehab centers. Get more information.

Question by Danyel: What type of education would I need to become an RN at a substance abuse detox facility?
I am currently going to school for pre-health with a nursing concentration, until I have the requirements to apply for nursing. I would like to be able to work as an RN in a substance abuse facility. I was wondering if anyone could give me any advise as to how to go about doing this? I do not know if I will need to specialize in a certain area in order to do so or not? If anyone could help me out in regards to what to do education wise I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by MeMeMe
Hi,

First off, good for you for wanting to work in addiction treatment! I’m an addictions counselor and have been working in mental health (mostly suicide prevention) for 7 years and we certainly need more qualified RNs in the field. So I think you will have an easy time finding work once you’re finished with school.

As for your question… To become an RN, you need to go to nursing school. Although I’m sure you already know this. As for specializing in addiction treatment, I don’t believe there are any additional requirements, but it would be good if you have experience working with addicts or at least a greater knowledge of treating clients with addiction. So I would suggest trying to get an internship of some sort with a treatment center in your area. They may not let you do much while you’re in school, but you will be able to put it on your resume. You can learn a lot from observing how things work in treatment. The other suggestion I have would be to take some extra classes that focus on substance abuse. Drug addicts and alcoholics face a variety of special issues separate from the “normal” population you would be working with in a hospital. Most community colleges and some universities now offer programs where you can learn more about these issues. I don’t know where you live, but you may want to start looking for college programs titled “Addictions Counseling” or “Addictions Studies.” Classes you may want to take would be any type of pharmacology, a bloodborne pathogens/infectious disease class, and even alternative treatments to addiction classes. It could also help to take a few classes for addictions counselors like group therapy, individual therapy, or something similar. These will definitely help you in the future in terms of communicating with your clients.

The most important thing I would think an RN working in addiction should have to be educated about is prescription drugs of abuse. Normally when I do an intake on a client coming into treatment, they have been medically prescribed multiple addictive drugs that only contribute to and exacerbate their disease (addiction). Usually these include opiate painkillers, benzodiazepines, and other sedatives and tranquilizers. I had a client once who was on NINE different benzos which she had been on for years, all prescribed by doctors for things like insomnia, anxiety, and even hypothyroidism. This is so egregious and disgusting to me! They were killing her. She obviously had to be medically detoxed for risk of seizures and death from her meds. And needless to say, after being evaluated by our MD, she didn’t NEED any of the pills.

Anyway, I’m rambling. Just excited to see someone wanting to help in the field of addiction treatment. It is rare these days, it seems. But what a satisfying and rewarding job. Good luck to you!!!

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