Drug rehabilitation (often
drug rehab or just
rehab) is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on
psychoactive substances such as
alcohol,
prescription drugs, and
street drugs such as
cocaine,
heroin or
amphetamines. The general intent is to enable the patient to cease
substance abuse, in order to avoid the
psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences that can be caused, especially by extreme abuse. Treatment includes medication for depression or other disorders, counseling by experts and sharing of experience with other addicts. Some rehab centers include meditation and spiritual wisdom in the treatment process. A few centers also treat
gambling with the same techniques as are used in drug rehabilitation.