Addiction Treatment

Alcohol, a depressant, is the most commonly used and abused addictive substance in the United States. It is legal for purchase to anyone age 21 and older, and it’s widely accessible. Drinking beer, wine, and liquor excessively can harm one’s health and endanger the drinker’s life as well as the lives of the people around them. People with alcohol addiction, or alcohol use disorder, may exhibit the following signs that their drinking is out of control:

• Drinking alone or hiding alcohol consumption
• Lying about your drinking
• Intense cravings for alcohol
• Blacking out, or having no memory of what happened after drinking, on a regular basis
• Withdrawal symptoms
• Inability to function without drinking alcohol
• Choosing alcohol over responsibilities, priorities, or hobbies
• Losing interest in activities that were once enjoyable
• Mood swings and irritability
• Inability to quit drinking on your own or control the amount of alcohol consumed
• Drinking immediately upon awakening
• Feelings of guilt or remorse associated with drinking
• Continuing to drink despite the consequences (physical, mental, financial)

Stimulants are psychoactive drugs that speed up the body’s central nervous system. They also raise alertness and energy levels. Also known as “uppers,” these drugs boost brain activity while activating its pleasure receptors. This category includes caffeine and nicotine, legal prescription stimulants used in the medical field, and illegal street drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine.

Chronic stimulant abuse or addiction may exhibit the following signs and symptoms:

• High blood pressure
• Damaged blood vessels
• Malnutrition
• Aggression
• Anxiety
• Psychotic behavior
• Kidney damage
• Lung damage
• Stroke

Depressants are medications that slow down the central nervous system and brain activity. This helps to relieve anxiety, stress, or sleep disorders. These drugs are also known as “downers” and include benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and sleep medications. Signs and symptoms of chronic use of depressants include:

• Anxiety
• Panic
• Breathing problems
• Chronic fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Sexual dysfunction
• Depression

Opioids are powerful medications that are prescribed for serious, chronic pain. People who manage chronic may do so because of injuries they have sustained, had surgery, or have a major illness, such as cancer. They are also prescribed for people who have had dental work done or toothaches. Opioids, whose name is taken from the word opium, are manmade and mimic the body’s natural chemicals known as endorphins and bring intense euphoria and pleasurable feelings to people use them and abuse them. These drugs also change how the body perceives pain. This class of drugs includes codeine, heroin, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, and fentanyl, among others. Some of these drugs have made their way to the streets are being combined with popular street drugs, making these substances more dangerous to unsuspecting users.

Signs and symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Agitation
• Drowsiness
• Shallow or slow breathing
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Poor coordination
• Poor decision-making
• Abandonment of responsibilities
• Slurred speech
• Sleeping more or less than normal
• Mood swings
• Euphoria (intense high)
• Irritability
• Depression
• Lowered motivation

An outpatient program allows clients in recovery to live off-site at home or in transitional housing while attending a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program. This arrangement allows them to take care of personal duties and receive the treatment they need to overcome their dependence or addiction. They are, however, still responsible for keeping their appointments and commitment to sobriety.

Outpatient programs generally are for people who:

• Have early-stage substance use disorders
• Have mild or less-severe addictions
• Do not need detoxification from drugs, alcohol, or other addictive substances
• Want to continue aftercare services and support upon exiting from residential/ inpatient treatment
• Cannot pay for inpatient treatment or residential treatment; IOPs are generally less expensive

• Can stay on a schedule and remain committed to sobriety while in recovery

• Benefit from a structured program and can access a network of supportive family and friends

Outpatient programs offer many of the same treatments that inpatient does. Clients who enter this kind of recovery program may be offered:

Outpatient programs can include any of the following:

• Substance abuse education
• Cravings and triggers management
• Life skills
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Mental health treatment
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• 12-step programs
• Transitional living facility referrals (including sober living homes)
• Relapse prevention training
• Anger management
• Random drug testing
• Spirituality

Clients receiving intensive outpatient care can attend between 10 hours and 20 hours of treatment a week at a facility while living away from the premises. Like the outpatient setting, it is medium to high intensity and offers evening or weekend services so outside responsibilities can be met such as work or stay in school. The IOP setting is ideal for people who require multiple services or have accompanying medical or psychological illnesses along with a substance use disorder may benefit from this setting. Individuals who need a higher level of care than outpatient treatment can provide may find that an intensive outpatient program is a better fit.

Partial hospitalization programs allow clients to transfer between residential and outpatient programs. In this medium-to-high-intensity setting, clients attend four to eight hours of treatment daily, or 20 or more weekly, while continuing to live at home or another off-site facility, such as a sober home or transitional living home. As with other outpatient programs, clients do not require 24-hour supervision or receive around-the-clock medical assistance as do residential clients. They are, however, required to meet their weekly commitments and attend intensive therapy sessions. PHPs are an option for people who have a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. When both are present, the condition is called co-occurring disorders, comorbidity, or dual diagnosis.

Inpatient treatment, known at some centers as residential treatment, is a high level of care that is believed to be an effective form of treatment. This is particularly true for people who have severe addictions or severe mental health disorders and need monitoring in a structured setting around the clock. In this setting, clients receive detox and rehabilitation services for substance addiction. They also receive these benefits:

• A secure, structured 24-hour environment free from distractions or temptations to use drugs and alcohol and other negative influences can support clients’ commitment to achieving sobriety. Inpatient treatment gives clients a piece of mind as they can focus on getting well.
• Intensive care from caring, compassionate, and professional physicians and nurses who understand addiction and the unique challenges it presents for people in recovery.
• A 24-hour, live-in center where clients can learn or relearn how to be responsible for their well-being and accountable to themselves and others. Clients also learn coping skills and relapse prevention techniques.
• Support from a community that understands your personal story and struggles, and can help you face the challenges that lie ahead.

Some inpatient or residential facilities offer after-care programs and alumni groups to help people after they have ended treatment. Aftercare programs help recovering substance users address real or perceived threats to the sobriety they have worked hard to achieve after they have finished treatment. Aftercare offers quite a few benefits to the person in recovery. Among them are:

• Avoiding isolation
• Connecting to a community
• Learning new techniques to combat cravings
• Adjusting to daily life in sobriety

Counselors and sponsors can help people in recovery practice what they learned in recovery and help them put into practice the strategies and skills they learned in treatment. Aftercare will typically involve several relapse prevention strategies. These may include:

• Keeping milestones. Sobriety milestones are a common part of recovery. Keeping track of your progress and celebrating your victories can help you build a lifestyle committed to recovery.
• Accountability. Linking up with like-minded peers with similar experiences can help people in recovery recognize their personal relapse triggers so they can take action to avoid having one. Peer groups, mentors, and sponsors are there to help people stay on track when moments of weakness arise as well as encourage them to share ways to overcome specific challenges to sobriety.
• Self-improvement. There’s always room for improvement, and pursuing life goals is an integral part of overcoming substance addiction. Some treatment programs offer help in support of people reaching their goals. This help may be an alumni program or sober living house that helps people with finding housing, help with budgeting their finances, doing a resume or helping them launch a job search.

Some common types of aftercare programs are:

• Support Groups. There are various kinds of support groups that are designed to foster a community of people working on recovery from drug addiction and alcohol use disorder. The fellowship Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is widely considered the standard for alcohol recovery support groups. As the original creator of the 12-step program, AA has a huge presence in the U.S., and it probably won’t be difficult to find a meeting in your area. There’s also Narcotics Anonymous and others that offer services to specific groups.
• Sponsorships. A sponsor is someone with several years of recovery under their belt that can help you along in your recovery. They typically serve to share ideas, wisdom, and make themselves available to you in moments of weakness. Sponsors are available in groups like AA, but you may also find mentors in other capacities, like your center’s alumni program.
• Sober living. Sober living environments help many recovering substance users transition from addiction treatment into everyday life. Sober living houses provide a structured, substance-free environment that allows clients to get used to living on their own again after treatment. It also allows facility residents to put things they learned in rehab into practice.