Colorado Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center

Drugs in Colorado are, for the most part, controlled by Mexican and Columbian drug cartels that are flooding the state with cocaine, heroin, meth, and a variety of club drugs. Like Arizona and a few other states, Colorado is moving toward legislation that attempts to reduce escalation of minor drug habits into full-blown drug addiction. In 2000, voters overwhelming approved a proposition allowing medical use of marijuana; in 2002, a second law reduced criminal penalties for simple drug possession. The millions of dollars now spent incarcerating small-time drug offenders is being eyed for rerouting into drug treatment facilities and drug rehabilitation programs instead.

Addiction Recovery

Colorado has many centers for alcohol recovery or treatment for drug addiction. Searching for one is no more difficult than picking up the phone book or going online. However, be sure to evaluate those you find carefully to see if they offer programs that are right for your particular problem. Start with local rehab centers, and try to find one that offers a holistic approach to drug treatment or alcohol abuse. A simple drug detox center that does not also offer counseling and long-term support and behavior modification against relapse may help in the short term but will likely not lead to a full recovery.

Likewise, in Colorado or anywhere else, treatment centers with a “cookie cutter” approach of treating all addictions the same should be avoided. No drug addict experiences addiction in the same way; no two people have the exact same life circumstances; and no two drugs have the exact same effect on the human body. Find a drug treatment center that specializes in your type of addiction.

Colorado’s network of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers covers everything from detox centers to outpatient clinics to residential treatment centers and halfway houses. Many are affiliated with churches or other religious organizations. Some are publicly funded. Many others are private, for-profit centers with extensive service offerings. Check out the funding and staffing for each to see if they are adequate for individualized attention and long-term contact with the person and his or her problem. Having to start over with a new counselor on a regular basis could be detrimental to full recovery.

24 Hour Addiction Treatment & Intervention Assistance

800-559-9503

Be careful of a program focused on drug or alcohol detox alone. “Sober for life” should be the goal of any treatment center for either drug addiction or alcohol abuse. While managed detoxification is crucial to the overall recovery process, it cannot achieve permanent recovery by itself. Also, if you are seeking help for yourself or a loved one, find a center that offers a “whole family” approach to alcoholism or drug addiction. The addict’s problem is also his family’s problem, and few families are equipped to cope with it without professional help.

Colorado is attempting to transform its laws and attitudes toward drugs and drug treatment. For drug abusers and alcoholics alike, this is good news.