Drug addiction is an extremely complex problem that does not adhere to a one size fits all approach. Since the beginning of the development of drug and alcohol treatment centers, the 12step Alcohol Anonymous philosophy has served as the foundation for everything else to come. For many years, the 12-step approach was considered the only option when it came to drug rehab. In more recent years, the holistic model of treatment has emerged and has changed the framework for what is considered effective drug treatment. Essentially, holistic treatment centers cure the whole person from the inside out using a variety of different modalities such as one-on-one therapy, marriage and family therapy, hypnosis, acupuncture, physical training, and a healthy diet plan.
There are many benefits of a non 12-step model versus a 12-step drug rehab center. Holistic treatment centers offer a much more cohesive, successful program than 12-step centers, which use the outdated model that addiction is an incurable disease, and that the addiction itself is your primary problem. As a result these centers offer mostly group therapy and no therapy geared towards individual problems. This approach does not take into account that every person is dealing with different underlying issues and life circumstances, and that private attention and individually tailored therapy is really the key to get through what is going on beneath the surface.
The abuse of and eventual dependency on drugs and alcohol is merely a mechanism to cope with physical, mental, or emotional pain. New research shows that being completely cured of your addiction is possible, and in order to find this cure you must find the underlying causes of your behaviors. For example, an individual who has experienced abuse, is suffering from depression, mental illness, is going through a divorce, etc., is much more likely to begin using drugs or alcohol as a way to numb their pain, which eventually leads to a dependency on their substance of choice. Essentially, once you find and have worked through the cause of your pain, the need to use drugs and alcohol to numb the pain will cease. If you only focus on the addiction itself and not on the underlying problems, then relapse is very probable.
There are plenty of very deep, traumatic events that most people suffering from an addiction would not feel comfortable sharing with a large group. Whether you are dealing with an undiagnosed physical ailment, childhood trauma, family problems, a chemical imbalance, or one of the many other underlying causes of addiction, one-on-one therapy is much more helpful in uncovering what is driving you to use drugs and alcohol.
Sources: http://www.non12steprehabs.org/detoxification.html http://ezinearticles.com/?Drug-Rehab-Center:-Holistic-Treatment-for-Addiction&id=5153107/