Thanks to programs like Celebrity Rehab, most people in the United States understand what a drug rehab is - despite the fact that the portrayals of this program are inadequate at best and completely skewed at worst. However, it's common knowledge that if you have a drug or alcohol problem you can attend a 30 day program that will help you get clean and take back control of your life. However, few people understand exactly how drug rehab centers help people. Unless you've been to a rehab yourself, it can be difficult to imagine how a drug treatment center works other than warehousing people away from drugs and alcohol long enough to keep them clean. Understanding how drug rehab centers help people is important for those struggling with a problem to know what to expect and find the courage to reach out for help.

The following are the most common types of therapies and treatment practices employed at successful rehab centers:

*Evidence-based Practices

Most drug rehab centers in the United States have been mandated to use evidence-based practices. These practices are aptly named because they are practices that have been tested using various scientific measures and are considered "tried and true." This means that a professional group of researchers and treatment specialists have employed practices in a controlled environment where the results were measureable and produced significant improvements for the patient.

*Reality Therapy

Reality therapy is a type of therapy that teaches patients to control what they can control, accept what they cannot control and learn to recognize the difference. Additionally, some people consider reality therapy to be the exposing of a patient to a treatment environment that is as much like reality as possible. This is evidenced in residential inpatient substance abuse centers where patients are required to shop, cook and clean for themselves and take part in normal activities - without the use of drugs or alcohol.

*Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches a person to control their own thoughts. CBT teaches addicts that most unhappiness and discontentment - in fact nearly all problems - occur as a result of our thoughts and feelings. By changing the way we think, we can change the way we react. This is the primary principle of cognitive behavioral therapy.

*Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis - generally one on one counseling sessions - seeks to uncover underlying issues that may cause or contribute to drug addiction or alcoholism. This therapy may delve deeply in a person's past to find answers that are responsible for the way they act today. Additionally, psychoanalysis seeks to diagnose co-occurring conditions like bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia, and mediate or otherwise treat these conditions concurrently with addiction.

*Group Therapy

Talking about addiction and substance abuse in a group environment can help addicts to see that they are not alone. Additionally, more experienced people in recovery can help to impart valuable information that others can use to help stay clean.

*Biofeedback

Biofeedback teaches patients to learn to recognize the clear signs that our bodies give us when we are stressed or otherwise not feeling well. Recognizing these signs is essential to correcting the issues that are causing them and help and addict to cope with problems without turning to drugs or alcohol.