As the goal of any treatment program for substance use should be sustainable recovery, it’s essential to be aware of all of your options for treatment programs. As you become aware of what each one offers and how it compares to the others, you can get a sense of what’s most aligned with your needs and your specific situation. Today, let’s look at how to make more effective treatment choices by becoming better informed about what’s available to you.
With multiple options available for treatment programs, men with alcoholism or addiction should consider the factors specific to their circumstances when making a decision on which program to choose. These factors can include the type of substance use disorder, the need for medically-supervised detox before treatment, the presence of a co-occurring mental health disorder, and the amount of family support that’s available. Beyond the work towards beginning recovery and restoring sound mental health, an additional advantage to treatment programs can be seen in learning how to create healthy connections with other men and building community through shared experiences.
What you need for substance use disorder treatment is specific to you.
Your decision-making when effectively choosing a treatment program should be specific to your needs and circumstances rather than what someone else has tried or what’s most common. Your treatment provider should be vastly experienced in treating someone with your particular substance use disorder, and it’s highly beneficial when choosing an inpatient program that offers pre-treatment medical detox services as well as a post-treatment continuing care program to help support your goal of long-term sobriety after the completion of a residential program. Even your own health insurance can be a factor as your policy may provide specific coverage for drug or alcohol treatment.
An SUD and co-occurring mental health disorder requires specialized treatment.
If you have been diagnosed with both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or trauma/post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dual diagnosis treatment offered within a program is a recommended choice to address both disorders in an integrated way. A multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, therapists, and support staff in those environments, for example, can treat a dependence on opiates while also providing treatment for depression, giving a patient the tools and strategies to begin recovery from an SUD as the process to restore good mental health is underway. For patients with a recognized substance issue and frequent relapses despite their attempts at sobriety, assessment at a treatment facility offering dual diagnosis care may reveal the presence of a co-occurring mental health disorder that may have been affecting their efforts to stay clean.
A residential program can be a first step for some, a next step for others.
An attempt at sobriety may begin at an outpatient program with daily treatment scheduled around the other responsibilities of a patient’s life or an inpatient program may follow a residential program. The same applies to a residential program where a patient might choose this option as a first step to conquer a dependence on marijuana or ecstasy, for example, without choosing an inpatient program first. What you’re evaluating in these programs is which one right now is best suited to your needs, goals, and circumstances.
Treatment and recovery should be seen as an ongoing process.
Treatment and recovery are multi-step processes that put a patient on the path to sobriety with careful consideration of what’s needed at each step. For instance, a patient with a benzodiazepine addiction should avoid the serious health risks associated with a detox at home and turn to a program with a medically-supervised detox before treatment commences. The treatment program itself should be followed by some form of specific aftercare to help a patient continue to work on their recovery with an individualized plan. As family support is a critical piece of recovery, enlisting the help of loved ones through family programming can be a benefit to the person in recovery, too.
Learning how to create healthy connections with peers is a valuable aspect of treatment.
No longer recreationally using alcohol, benzos, opiates, or other substances is not the only behavior a treatment program is focused on. Helping men learn how to form healthy connections with peers and build community through shared experiences, such as parenting, military service, or personal loss, is an essential aspect of an evidence-based treatment program. Equipping patients with these skills helps them return to their daily lives and recognize the adjustments they need to make in choices of where to spend their time, who to interact with, and how to cope with difficulties and demands in ways that protect their recovery efforts.
Origins Recovery Center is a well-known care provider offering a range of treatment programs targeting the recovery from substance use, mental health issues, and beyond. Our primary mission is to provide a clear path to a life of healing and restoration. We offer renowned clinical care for addiction and have the compassion and professional expertise to guide you toward lasting sobriety. For information on our programs, call us today: 844-232-3833.
