Treatment: Settings and goals
Treatment settings
Treatment can occur either in in-patient settings, such as hospitals and residential units, or in out-patient settings. Where treatment takes place depends on a number of factors such as the presence of psychiatric problems, family and social supports, the severity of the problem and previous treatment efforts.
Treatment goals
There are two major types of treatment goals – abstinence and reduction. Abstinence involves never taking the drug again whereas reduction (or harm minimisation) involves reducing the amount of the drug taken to a relatively safe level.
Each approach differs according to difficulty level and types of outcomes. Which goal is chosen depends on the type of treatment option, whether you think you will be able to stick with your goal, the outcome you would prefer and how much support you have.
Check out the Residential and out-patients page for more info.
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