Why a Treatment Center Is Better than Jail
In a best-case scenario, the drug addict finds drug addiction treatment centers before running into the legal troubles associated with long-term addiction. Unfortunately, it is all too often that an arrest is the intervention which brings the addict to their senses and causes them to evaluate where their life is going. Whether the arrest is specifically for drug possession or for actions due to poor decision-making while high, the outcome is the same. In addition to fines and potential jail or prison time, the addict may lose their driver’s license and job, there is likely going to be a disruption of home life, and it may cause a financial crisis.
Although it would be impossible to list every crime a drug addict may potentially commit, there are a few common ones other than simple possession of drugs. Someone who isn’t an actual drug dealer can still face charges of selling the substance simply by getting it for a friend or having an amount over what is legally defined as personal use. For the functioning addict, someone who keeps a steady job and spends their paycheck on drug use during their time off, fraud, bad checks, and domestic abuse are typical charges. For the deeper addict who uses illegal means to fund the habit because of inability to maintain a job, shoplifting, larceny, breaking and entering, or weapons possession charges are all too common.
Detoxing with Professionals Instead of Guards
The problem with jails is other than a facade of service they don’t really offer feasible treatment for drug addiction. A forced detox without personal support is not a substitution for the services provided by drug addiction treatment programs. Some guards may show a degree of empathy, but generally, the guards simply aren’t trained to help addicts find recovery the way professional counselors and specialist doctors are.
How Drug Addiction Treatment Centers Can Serve a Legal Purpose
Assuming the addict has the resources to make a bail payment and hire a lawyer to postpone the court date, they have the opportunity to attend drug addiction treatment centers, which serves two purposes. First, time spent in a rehab facility will usually count toward any prison time received. Secondly, it looks good in court and opens the possibilities of lighter sentencing and plea deals for lesser charges. Any criminal can make up excuses for their actions, what a judge prefers to hear is an explanation of what happened and what is being done to prevent future occurrences.
Daily Life in a Treatment Center
Being in a treatment center is much different than jail. Most importantly, the addict can leave if they absolutely demand to and understand the consequences of walking out, and there are daily meetings in which grievances can be aired and addressed. Beyond that, there is usually a reasonable bed to sleep in rather than what is essentially an exercise mat on a table next to a shared metal toilet. Then there’s the fact the food is healthier, and according to the need of the addict, there are medications to ease the pain of detox along with an active program to diagnose and treat any mental illness which may have caused or contributed to the addiction.
A New Hope After Treatment
Hands down, the most important aspect of formal treatment for drug addiction is the hope it provides which wasn’t available during the throes of addiction and isn’t always available to people in forced sobriety. Professional counseling provides the tools needed to approach life with the joy and hope it was meant to provide.
His House Rehab offers industry leading Drug Addiction Treatment Programs. We were founded in 1994 and we base our Drug and Alcohol Treatment programs on five key principles: commitment, honesty, integrity, respect, and service. These five principles guide us in all that we do and all the care we provide. Contact us today to see how we can help you or your loved one.
