Alcoholics and drug abusers have the option of being treated in various formats. Their choices range from inpatient treatment in the hospital to outpatient treatment in the therapists office or clinic.
Substance abuse treatment centers offer different programs and techniques depending on their philosophy of recovery. Also, they can be customized to an individual patients needs in order to increase the chances of achieving the positive outcome of the patient staying clean and sober.
Outpatient treatment occurring in the doctors office can be an effective solution for the alcoholic or addict with a more recent history of addiction. However, treatment programs that are shorter than 90 days have a higher risk of not achieving the positive longer term result sought.
Hospital-based inpatient programs which last 90 days or more are considered a more effective option. However, those programs lasting at least 12 months have the highest chance of resulting in long term sobriety because the patients physical addiction is treated as well as his or her psychiatric needs.
Many of the briefer treatments can only provide detoxification and do not teach addicts the all-important skills necessary to remain free from alcohol or drugs in everyday life. Unfortunately, this leaves them vulnerable to the toxic pressures and stimuli that can cause them to abuse mind-altering substances once again.
Treatment programs that are longer-term add to the addicts chances of success because of the additional treatment customization and powerful repetition of therapeutic concepts that take place. The best alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs provide diverse
interventions that are customized to the addicts individual requirements.
However, the foundation is usually based on the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narconon 12-step programs; they emphasize the addicts spiritual needs in preparing them for alcohol and drug-free everyday life. Behavioral therapies are also included which teach the alcoholic or drug abuser proven coping skills that are required to resist temptation.
Medications which reduce physical symptoms of withdrawal and counseling and psychotherapy used to treat any possible symptoms of mental illness are usually part of a complete program of interventions.
These four methods are successful because of the powerful synergy they generate. Alcohol and drug treatment centers that provide this four-pronged approach focus on the unique needs of each patient.
This comprehensive approach also addresses their psychiatric needs, whether they be symptoms of depression, anxiety or any other psychological disorder. Substance abuse patients, through these interventions, are likely to acquire the new coping skills that they will need in order to live their alcohol and drug-free lives effectively and successfully.
These programs also provide continuing aftercare for the patient once he is released from treatment.
Sobriety skills are not learned in a day so patients are better served by programs of 90 to 360 day durations in order to receive the powerful repetition and reinforcement required to make sobriety skills their own. This enhances the odds that alcohol and drug abuse patients will have remained in treatment long enough to have sufficiently integrated their skills to remain sober after treatment.
Longer treatment provides the time needed for the patient to thoroughly integrate their new coping skills and to resolve any past issues which may have been crucial in engendering the abusive behavior.
Shorter-term treatment does offer sufficient time to eliminate the addictive substance from the body but is usually not sufficient for the patient to master the skills required to function drug and alcohol-free in everyday life.
Longer-term alcohol and drug abuse programs provide the best chances of a patient living a sober life. The needs of the alcoholic and drug addict are unique and being aware of the options available for treatment will make selecting an alcohol or drug abuse treatment program easier and more successful.

For this shoot the theme was a teenage girl and her parents. The family chosen was an Asian family who actively played tennis and wanted to incorporate this into some of the shoots. We did three wardrobe and location changes to keep things interesting. On the day of the shoot the weather was not entirely cooperative, it was windy, overcast and quite cool. We moved quickly so that no one go to cold or board.

We started the shoot under a canopy of trees where there was a break in the foliage and the little bit of sun there was was creating a spot light effect down trough the trees. I used two exterior flashes, with one white shoot through umbrella and one silver umbrella turned backward to reflect the light in a wide burst. I set the silver umbrella off to the right just behind the family to create a soft separation light along their hair so they would not blend into the dark trees in the background, and the white shoot through was used as the main light in front and slightly to the left.

I was able to get some really great shots of Mom, Dad and Daughter walking down the shaded path acting casually as well as some beautiful close up shots of each parent alone with there daughter for a nice intimate look at the relationship each parent has with there daughter. I asked the girl to sit in a tree which had a branch that reached out to the side (the kind you would tie a swing to!) This was the perfect set up for some lovely shots of the two parents holding each other at the base of the tree and the daughter to look down at them from above. This setup also created a nice triangle of the three people which is a very pleasant composition to look at, and keeps the viewers eye in the frame.

Next we moved into the tennis courts where we took some dynamic shoots of each member of the family in their favorite pose. For these shots I used a small soft box to fill in shadows on the dark side of the face and was able to expose for the background so as to keep the bold blues and greens of the freshly painted tennis court. I set the family up in a number of different positions and used a shallow depth of field so that only the front person was in focus this made a very commercial looking photo that could have been used in any sports magazine.

The last location was in a playground where I wanted to capture the strong sense of growing up, and getting older. I had the girl sit on the swing set and positioned the parents in the background off to the left. I used a shallow depth of field again so that only the girl was in focus. The resulting photo was a wonderful felling of independence and parental bonding, the parents in the background were holding one another and looking at their daughter with a look of pride. In the end all three of the family members were very happy with their photos and the concepts in which I was able to capture.