Treatment is all about progression. Patients advance through levels of care during their treatment at addiction treatment centers. Every patient receives a mental and physical checkup before they start treatment. The experts use the information they learn from patients’ medical and mental health history to tailor a personalized addiction treatment program suited to address their specific needs. After initial examinations, patients can embark on various levels of treatment, each varying in intensity according to the patient’s needs.
Detoxification
Although detox is a word often casually thrown around, in an addiction treatment program, it is the first step to sobriety. Detoxification is what happens when drugs leave the patient’s system. Drugs work by altering how the brain functions. Prolonged drug use can teach the brain it needs the drugs being abused to function normally. When drugs leave the system, the brain and body are thrown into shock, which creates withdrawal symptoms.
The severity of withdrawal largely depends on the substance being abused. A patient recovering from abusing stimulants might deal with headaches, insomnia, and irritability for a few weeks. Because methamphetamine depresses the appetite, patients who abuse meth often deal with a sudden, dramatic increase in their appetite as they recover. Opioid users have to navigate intense flu-like symptoms, which often render them immobile. Meanwhile, withdrawing from alcohol and benzodiazepines can actually be dangerous, and there is a risk of seizures if the patient detoxifies in a nonclinical environment.
Addiction treatment centers offer safe, medically monitored detox treatment, and make sure you are as comfortable and as safe as possible as you traverse this critical first step in recovery. Additionally, substance cravings are much easier to manage in this environment.
Residential Treatment (RTC)
Residential treatment is the best way to recover. A patient newly sober can be easily tripped up by friends and even places associated with past drug use. In a residential environment, patients can recover in a safe, comfortable environment free of those distractions, allowing them to focus on their recovery.
A treatment center maintains treatment houses located at the base of the scenic locations. Their patients might be separated by gender and sleep in two or three a room. TVs and a laundry room are available. Patients help maintain their living areas and participate in chores during their stay. Three professionally-prepared meals a day are offered, and patients can make food requests for their specific dietary needs.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Patients in this level of care participate in a highly structured form of outpatient care. During the day, patients receive therapy and psychiatric services. At night, they return home or to a sober living facility. For patient safety, many of the same rules of inpatient care, such as a ban on cellphones, apply to PHPs.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Patients in IOPs spend only part of the week in treatment. This allows them to receive the benefits of therapeutic care while participating in daily life, such as working – or conducting a job hunt, attending school, or reconnecting with family. Attending 12-step programs is often encouraged in an IOP
Insurance
Addiction treatment centers also accept most private insurance plans. The admissions team will work with you and your insurer to help you get the treatment you need. For private payments, they also offer financing through a treatment lender.
