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The history of drug rehab originates from the history of drug addiction. Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Humans have used drugs of one sort or another for thousands of years.

In the 1930s most states required anti-drug education in the schools, but fears that knowledge would lead to experimentation caused it to be abandoned in most places. Soon after the repeal of Prohibition, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Drug Enforcement Administration) began a campaign to portray marijuana as a powerful, addicting substance that would lead users into narcotics addiction. In the 1950s, use of marijuana increased again, along with that of amphetamines and tranquilizers.

Throughout the years, the public's perception of the dangers of specific substances changed. The surgeon general's warning label on tobacco packaging gradually made people aware of the addictive nature of nicotine. By 1995, the Food and Drug Administration was considering its regulation. The recognition of fetal alcohol syndrome brought warning labels to alcohol products. The addictive nature of prescription drugs such as diazepam (Valium) became known, and caffeine came under scrutiny as well.

Drug laws have tried to keep up with the changing perceptions and real dangers of substance abuse. By 1970 over 55 federal drug laws and countless state laws specified a variety of punitive measures, including life imprisonment and even the death penalty. To clarify the situation, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 repealed, replaced, or updated all previous federal laws concerned with narcotics and all other dangerous drugs. While possession was made illegal, the severest penalties were reserved for illicit distribution and manufacture of drugs. The act dealt with prevention and treatment of drug abuse as well as control of drug traffic. The Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988 increased funding for treatment and rehabilitation; the 1988 act created the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Its director, often referred to as the drug "czar, " is responsible for coordinating national drug control policy.

The History of Drug Rehab: Disease Model and Twelve-Step Programs
The disease model of addiction has long contended the maladaptive patterns of alcohol and substance use displayed by addicted individuals are the result of a lifelong disease that is biological in origin and exacerbated by environmental contingencies. This conceptualization renders the individual essentially powerless over his or her problematic behaviors and unable to remain sober by himself or herself, much as individuals with a terminal illness are unable to fight the disease by themselves without medication. Behavioral treatment, therefore, necessarily requires individuals to admit their addiction, renounce their former lifestyle, and seek a supportive social network who can help them remain sober. Such approaches are the quintessential features of Twelve-step programs, originally published in the book Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939. These approaches have met considerable amounts of criticism, coming from opponents who disapprove of the spiritual-religious orientation on both psychological and legal grounds.

The History of Drug Rehab: Client-Centered Approaches
In his influential book, Client-Centered Therapy, in which he presented the client-centered approach to therapeutic change, psychologist Carl Rogers proposed there are three necessary and sufficient conditions for personal change: unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy, and genuineness. Rogers believed the presence of these three items in the therapeutic relationship could help an individual overcome any troublesome issue, including alcohol abuse.

The History of Drug Rehab: Relapse Prevention
An influential cognitive-behavioral approach to addiction recovery and therapy has been Alan Marlatt’s (1985) Relapse Prevention approach. Marlatt describes four psychosocial processes relevant to the addiction and relapse processes: self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, attributions of causality, and decision-making processes. Self-efficacy refers to one’s ability to deal competently and effectively with high-risk, relapse-provoking situations. Outcome expectancies refer to an individual’s expectations about the psychoactive effects of an addictive substance. Attributions of causality refer to an individual’s pattern of beliefs relapse to drug use is a result of internal, or rather external, transient causes. Finally, decision-making processes are implicated in the relapse process as well. Substance use is the result of multiple decisions whose collective effects result in consumption of the intoxicant. Furthermore, Marlatt stresses some decisions—referred to as apparently irrelevant decisions—may seem inconsequential to relapse, but may actually have downstream implications that place the user in a high-risk situation.

The History of Drug Rehab: Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse
An additional cognitively-based model of substance abuse recovery has been offered by Aaron Beck, the father of cognitive therapy and championed in his 1993 book, Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse. This therapy rests upon the assumption addicted individuals possess core beliefs, oftentimes not accessible to immediate consciousness (unless the patient is also depressed). These core beliefs, such as “I am undesirable,” activate a system of addictive beliefs that result in imagined anticipatory benefits of substance use and, consequentially, craving. Once craving has been activated, permissive beliefs (“I can handle getting high just this one more time”) are facilitated. Once a permissive set of beliefs have been activated, then the individual will activate drug-seeking and drug-ingesting behaviors. The cognitive therapist’s job is to uncover this underlying system of beliefs, analyze it with the patient, and thereby demonstrate its dysfunctionality. As with any cognitive-behavioral therapy, homework assignments and behavioral exercises serve to solidify what is learned and discussed during treatment.

The History of Drug Rehab: Emotion Regulation, Mindfulness, and Substance Abuse
A growing literature is demonstrating the importance of emotion regulation in the treatment of substance abuse. For the sake of conceptual uniformity, this section uses the tobacco cessation as the chief example; however, since nicotine and other psychoactive substances such as cocaine activate similar psychopharmacological pathways, an emotion regulation approach may be similarly applicable to a wider array of substances of abuse. Proposed models of affect-driven tobacco use have focused on negative reinforcement as the primary driving force for addiction; according to such theories, tobacco is used because it helps one escape from the undesirable effects of nicotine withdrawal or other negative moods. Currently, research is being conducted to determine the efficacy of mindfulness based approaches to smoking cessation, in which patients are encouraged to identify and recognize their negative emotional states and prevent the maladaptive, impulsive/compulsive responses they have developed to deal with them (such as cigarette smoking or other substance use).

Below are short descriptions of the many different types of drug rehabs. Now that you know the history of drug rehab it will make choosing the appropriate one for you or a loved one that much easier.

In Patient- In patient drug and alcohol rehabilitation is a more intensive process than others. The recovering addict lives on location at the drug rehab facility. This gives structure and support to provide long term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. For many, inpatient treatment seems to be a last resort, a place to go when all else fails. In reality, inpatient drug rehab offers a place of hope and rejuvenation, a place where miracles happen and lives begin to make sense again.

Out Patient- Out patient treatment can offer a tremendous amount of support for those who need help and have a brief history of drug or alcohol addiction. This form of treatment encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients including individual or group counseling. The recovering addict meets at a center on a regular scheduled basis but does not live on location such as in the in patient treatment programs. The ultimate goal is to provide long lasting abstinence and the ability to function in the day to day world.

Sober Living- Alcohol- and drug-free houses (also known as sober living) play an important role in supporting treatment and recovery services in a community by helping recovering persons to maintain an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle. What is important about these houses is that all have three things in common. First, they make sure that a person who is in recovery lives in a place that is free from alcohol and drug use. Second, the residents themselves reinforce their recovery through support with other recovering persons. Finally, the residents are free to voluntarily pursue activities to support their recovery, either alone or with others.

Halfway Houses- These houses offer chemically dependent men and women a carefully planned program of challenges and growth experiences the goal of which is a lasting, satisfying recovery. Halfway houses continue the work begun during the resident's previous treatment experiences - building on that foundation, reviewing work that might have been missed, and moving toward a new level of understanding and commitment. The drug treatment industry adopted the term halfway house and began setting up or supporting independent halfway houses as a way for the newly discharged client to establish roots, secure gainful employment, stay connected with the treatment center and NOT return to a life of drug use. Halfway houses usually have strict guidelines for all residents, including curfews and mandatory, random drug testing. These facilities are for-profit, non-profit and not-for-profit companies.

Counseling- Counseling (individual and/or group) and other behavioral therapies are critical components of effective treatment for addiction. It is considered to be a time-limited approach to drug recovery. In counseling, patients address issues of motivation, build skills to resist drug use, replace drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding non drug-using activities, and improve problem-solving abilities. Behavioral therapy also facilitates interpersonal relationships and the individual's ability to function in the family and community.

Meetings- Don't feel alone anymore. Meetings are a great way to share your experiences on recovery and can add hope and happiness to your life. The two most common kinds of meetings are open meetings and closed meetings. Open meetings, as the term suggests are open to recovering drug addicts, their families, and their friends. A closed meeting is limited to those recovering from drugs or alcohol only. They provide an opportunity for those recovering to share with one another problems related to drug abuse patterns and attempts to achieve stable sobriety.