Free Drug Counseling

What is Free Drug Counseling?

Free drug counseling is a type of drug addiction and abuse treatment that helps individuals get back on their feet when they are unable to stop abusing drugs on their own. For many people, drug abuse starts out as voluntary and becomes involuntary when addiction sets in. This type of counseling is for individuals who need help working through their issues with drug abuse and addiction and who cannot afford more expensive rehab centers or treatment facilities.

Free drug counseling is treatment that is made available to all people, especially those who cannot afford more expensive treatment. It may entail going to a facility or staying at one (depending on your individual needs) and usually revolves around counseling and therapy for the main treatment. There may also be the use of medication involved, but most individuals will especially benefit from the behavioral treatment aspect of free drug counseling.

How Does Free Drug Counseling Work?

Free drug counseling can sometimes be difficult to find, but it is an extremely beneficial treatment option for those who would otherwise not be able to afford treatment. These facilities are usually operated differently than others, and according to SAMHSA, “data show that private nonprofit organizations operated the majority of facilities offering ‘all free’ and ‘partial free’ facilities (73.8 and 68.1 percent, respectively).” These organizations are often government regulated and held to certain standards in order to retain nonprofit status.

Patients come in to a facility (either inpatient or outpatient-based) and will usually receive free counseling sessions that allow them to learn coping skills become more in control of their addictions and recoveries. These sessions may be individual or among a group and in many cases, patients receive both. Patients are then often given the ability to receive other treatments such as:

Drug counseling is an essential part of addiction treatment and recovery.

• Free drug tests
• Medication to curb withdrawal symptoms, help with cravings, and slowly treat their addictions to more harmful substances
• Vocational counseling or training
• Resocialization
• Medical treatment for both psychological and physical issues related to their drug abuse

Patients are normally required to prove that they are in need of free drug counseling due to a low income or financial problems as a result of drug abuse. Free drug counseling works best when a patient is engaged and ready to work on ending their drug abuse and recovering from their addiction.

Who Needs Free Drug Counseling?

Individuals who cannot pay for expensive drug treatment are those who are most in need of free drug counseling. Also, there are options where people can receive treatment on a sliding fee scale which means if this kind of treatment can be afforded by the individual, it could be a good choice. Free drug counseling is for those who really need it and spots should be kept for those individuals specifically as well as others who may currently be in bad shape financially. If you think you may need free drug rehab ask yourself the following questions.

• Have I had long-term financial issues as a result of my drug abuse?
• Am I ready to stop abusing drugs and begin my recovery but unable to do so because I cannot afford the expensive treatment options?
• Am I serious about wanting to stop abusing drugs and will I take my counseling seriously?
• Can I prove that I am a good candidate for free drug counseling?
• Have I been through substance abuse treatment or counseling before?
• Was it successful?
• Am I looking to just brush up on my coping skills and hoping to attend sessions that will help me with this?
• Do I feel that my addiction is not as strong or severe or that I am in control enough of it that I can attend regular counseling to help with it rather than needing full addiction treatment?
• Will I be engaged in my sessions and serious about my recovery?

For many individuals who have already been through substance abuse treatment or counseling before, free drug counseling can be incredibly beneficial as a way to brush up on skills learned in previous sessions or a good reminder of the continuing recovery that you must be constantly maintaining.

Free drug counseling is not right for everyone, but there is an emphasis on those who need the free treatment. Counseling is a large part of treatment in most cases and is usually the main focus in these types of programs.

If free drug counseling is right for you, you should seek treatment as soon as possible to find a facility or program that suits your needs. Remember that “matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to an individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and society” (NIDA). And the financial side of free drug counseling is also fulfilling a need of the individual, often making their treatment more successful by not sinking them into more debt or causing more monetary problems while they are trying to work on their recoveries.

Are All Free Drug Treatment Programs Free Drug Counseling?

For the most part, free drug treatment facilities will put an emphasis on counseling and/or other behavioral treatments (group and individual therapy, family counseling, relationship counseling, etc). “Behavioral therapies–including individual, family, or group counseling–are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment” in any type of facility, and though medications are often used in combination with these, different types of counseling help individuals actually change the way they feel about their drug addictions.

This is so important because medically-assisted detox does very little to actually change a person’s situation and help them recover from their addiction. For the most part, counseling is the backbone of treatment, so most free drug treatment programs contain if not emphasize a large amount of counseling for drug addicted individuals and abusers. Counseling is relatively inexpensive and extremely effective, a large part of why it is so commonly used in this case.

Finding Free Drug Counseling

There are many ways of finding free drug counseling. One of the easiest is to use an Internet database like InpatientDrugRehabCenters.com‘s. This directory lists inpatient rehab centers that are both free and contain counseling as part of the treatment in a way that is easy to navigate and use to find the treatment facility that is best suited to fit your needs. Follow these instructions on how to find local and free inpatient drug counseling.

• First select the state you are in or the one which you hope to attend treatment in.
• Then read the information about the specific state itself which is below the city and county-based choices.
  • Each state has its own profile dealing with the types of drugs most associated with rehab in that state, statistics on drug use and treatment attendance, and advice for how to best navigate the treatment options in that specific state.
  • There is also a list of resources for each, including anonymous addiction groups and other mutual-help groups that either meet in person or online and information on drug-specific programs like those specifically for marijuana abusers or opioid addicts.
• Once you have a general overview of your states treatment profile, choose the city or region that is closest to you and listed on the page.
• You will likely see several different facilities. These are all free inpatient drug rehab centers that provide free drug counseling to patients. If one seems local enough or at least close in proximity to you, click “View Details.”
• You will be given:
  • An address for the facility
  • A phone number or more than one
  • A map showing the exact location of the facility
  • Suggestions for nearby facilities that could also be similar to what you are looking for
• If you believe you have found a free inpatient rehab facility that is local to you, call the number and set up an appointment to see the grounds. This is always highly recommended first as you never know how you’re going to feel in a facility until you set foot there.
• If you need to speak with a drug abuse counselor, you can also call 800-430-1407Who Answers?.

All of the centers listed under this directory are free inpatient facilities where the individual is able to stay at the facility as a part of their treatment and able to receive access to counseling as well as other treatments. Patients may be able to go on a medication regimen, receive free drug tests as an incentive to stay clean, and the ability to meet other individuals who are going through the same situation.

Free drug counseling is an enormously beneficial and helpful treatment that allows many individuals who are unable to receive paid treatment be able to talk to someone, learn better coping skills, and learn new ways of viewing their addictions and fighting them in order to have a better and more solid recovery. Attending free drug counseling could be the best decision for you, so seek treatment immediately if you believe you are a good candidate for free drug counseling.