Category Archives: Resources

Stealing Addiction – How to Stop

Larson is a well-respected man. He participates in community outreach programs, regularly donates chunks of his wealth to charity, and even hands out soup to the homeless on every holiday he can.

By day he is a stock broker, and by night a humanitarian… except when he goes shopping. Larson lives a double life. When he goes to the mall, he obsessive-compulsively steals items, some he wants, and some he doesn’t even care for. When grocery shopping, he hides things on the bottom of his cart and walks out with them. Even his friends feel the wrath, as many small things seemingly disappear around him. Larson has a stealing addiction.

Kleptomania VS Addictive-Compulsive Theft

According to the Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft, Spending & Hoarding, which hosts Kleptomaniacs Anonymous, kleptomania is a rarely-diagnosed disorder with different characteristics than the more common addictive-compulsive theft. Basic differences between the two are as follows:

Kleptomania	Addictive-Compulsive Theft
Steals for no monetary gain	Steals to better self
Tension increase beforehand	Tense entire time
Pleasure at time of theft only	Pleasure after theft
No remorse, may even be unaware	Remorse usually felt
Not angry when stealing	Likely to be angry when stealing

Basically, if you find yourself stealing random items for no purpose, and you cannot control this urge, you likely have kleptomania. However, if you find you cannot stop stealing things you desire and you feel guilt or shame afterward, chances are you’re an addictive-compulsive thief Either way, there is help available to you, although currently that help is limited. (See bottom of article.) More and more experts are agreeing nowadays that stealing can be an addiction, just like drug and alcohol abuse can be, as reported by CBS News.

Theft as an Addiction, not just a Crime

Terrence Shulman, founder of the aforementioned Shulman Center, is the leading expert on theft as an addiction. A former addictive-compulsive theft himself, (as well as a lawyer), Shulman realized he was addicted, not just breaking the law. He set out to help himself and others like him, and founded the Shulman Center, which is the largest stealing-addiction recovery network available.

In an article written for Addiction Professional, Shulman notes that 10% of Americans shoplift regularly, nearly 70% of arrested shoplifters will repeat the offense, and a whopping 75% of Americans have stolen from the workplace.

The fact that 10% of Americans admit to shoplifting regularly is simply astounding. Further research on these 32 million people may show a majority of them to be addicted to stealing. Foundations like Mr. Shulman’s serve to treat these addictions, but perhaps because stealing is a private and taboo thing, many people do not treat their addiction. This is perhaps illustrated most greatly by the fact that 70% of those caught stealing go and do it again.

In Conclusion

If you took a Milky Way from a gas station once and also borrowed money from your uncle but never paid him back, you are not addicted to stealing. If every Thursday night you steal a Milky Way, and borrow money from people constantly without paying them back, you may be addicted to stealing. This is all to say that only you know the difference. If you believe you may be addicted to stealing, there is help:

The Shulman Center

Help for Shoplifters

The Pathways Institute for Impulse Control

Also, there are conference calls available three times a week, open to anyone anywhere who wants to discuss their addiction to stealing. Click here for the days, times, and phone numbers.

Viral Video: Dad Tells Son of his Mother’s Fatal Heroin Overdose

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Children of addicts are the real victims of drug abuse. Of the 586,000 heroin addicts in America, surely a large number of them are parents. With heroin addicts dying from overdoses at a rate of over three per hour, surely a large number of them leave small children behind. The average age of a heroin addict in America is 23, so it’s fair to assume that the majority of heroin users who are parents have children well under 18.

Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark’s son is eight, and last week in a video that’s gone viral, Bickerstaff-Clark told him how his mother had died from a heroin overdose the previous night. After grabbing his hand and taking a deep breath, Bickerstaff-Clark looks his son in the eye and says, “Mommy died last night.” The unnamed boy is unsure how to process the information at first, but after a moment responds, saying, “What? What do you mean, my mom?” He then cries hard as Bickerstaff-Clark explains the truth: that his mother had died from a fatal heroin overdose. It’s the saddest thing online right now.

The 29-year-old father posted the video to Facebook “for any and every addict with children.” Bickerstaff-Clark himself is a recovering heroin addict with (at the time of the post) 94 days clean. Regardless of whether or not you agree with his method, the message was definitely spread. The video currently has over 34 million views.

Already an Epidemic

This happened in Youngstown, Ohio, which is in Mahoning County, which is just one of the several Ohio counties in the middle of a heroin epidemic. In fact, according to the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network (OSAM), the Youngstown area is oversaturated with heroin. A recent report stated that on a scale of 1 to 10, the overall availability of heroin in the area is a 10. Local law enforcement commented on this, saying “Heroin is still our biggest problem; we’re just so inundated with the heroin.…”

One woman from Youngstown recently begged the police to take her to jail in order for her to beat heroin. Her quote given to NBC makes it clear how badly the area is affected: “There’s no help out there anymore. There’s a three-month waiting list for any rehab around here because of the heroin epidemic. It was faster to go to jail.”

Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US, and the Mahoning County Coroner reported that 42.4% of the drug-related deaths processed in the last six months were due to heroin. The drug is so rampant in the area that even a 97-person drug bust in Warren, OH didn’t even make a dent in the amount of heroin around. Actually, OSAM reported that the amount of heroin in the area “has either remained the same or has slightly increased during the past six months.”

Evidence suggests there is an entire drug-smuggling operation in Youngstown. Last year, the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force issued fifteen arrest warrants for suspected drug dealers in the area. Also last year, a “drug trafficking organization operating in Mahoning County” was taken down. A locally-based criminal gang called the Vic Boys is the most likely culprit. Ohio is in the middle of a heroin epidemic.

Ohio is by no means the only state with a heroin problem. The entire country faces a serious threat. The Centers for Disease Control reports “The United States is experiencing an epidemic of drug overdose (poisoning) deaths.” It just happens that Ohio is where Mr. Bickerstaff-Clark lives, and is also one of the states affected the most. Still, regardless of where it happens, children of addicts are the true victims. Remember, for instance, the Ohio couple who recently passed out in their car from heroin overdoses, the woman’s young son in the back seat.

Silent Victims

Parents die from heroin overdoses, leaving their children behind. This is a cold reality. Also, babies are born with heroin addictions due to their mothers’ abuse. Last year in Whitefield, New Hampshire, as reported by WMUR, Tanya Fleury’s granddaughter found her father (Tanya’s son) dead from an overdose. Told that her father was sick and went to heaven, the little girl said, “I’m not going to have my adventures with daddy anymore.” Often, the two would surf or play guitar.

Lieutenant Nicole Ledoux of the Manchester Police Department told WMUR that children are usually the callers-in of heroin overdoses. “Kids as young as 8 or 9 are calling us to say their parent or their guardian or caregiver is unconscious and unresponsive, and we come out, and we find out that the person is suffering from an overdose,” said Lt. Ledoux.

Earlier this month, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, a seven-year-old girl spent an entire day trying to wake her parents up. The next day she went to school, and upon being dropped off afterward, she told the bus driver about how she couldn’t wake her parents up. Police later found both parents dead from heroin overdoses. Also inside the house were three other children, aged 5 years, 3 years, and 9 months. All four children are now heroin orphans. Allegheny County, where McKeesport is located, suffered 422 opioid-related deaths last year, a new record for the county.

Take a look at Huntington, West Virginia, where one in ten babies born at Cabell Huntington Hospital suffer from drug withdrawal, usually from heroin and other opiates. The national average is one in 150, still a number far too high. The drug-addicted babies shake, vomit, and scream inconsolably. The symptoms can last months. Usually the hospital has room for 12 babies, but numbers haven’t been that low in years.

One out of every four people who live in Huntington has a heroin (or other opiate) addiction. Lieutenant David McClure of the local police “has grown accustomed to drug overdoses,” and “his crew responds daily to such calls.” What exactly is he accustomed to seeing? “Moms passed out with their kids still seat-belted. Dads sprawled on floors, their toddlers within an arm’s reach of heroin.”

The story of Maycie Nielsen is hard to forget. She was four years old when her parents started doing heroin. Her sister was nine and her little brother was two. Early on, her parents would physically fight, use heroin in the open, call the cops on one another, and generally create chaos for the children. Eventually her grandmother took her in, as her mother was arrested and her father a homeless junkie. She spent her childhood wondering where her father was and with her mother in jail.

This last example truly shows how bad the heroin epidemic can be for children. In January of this year, the seven-month-old child of Wesley and Mary Ann Landers was a patient at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Upon visiting one day, the parents went into the bathroom of their child’s hospital room together, and proceeded to shoot heroin. Both of them overdosed. Mary Ann died, and Wesley was rendered unconscious when medical staff opened the locked door. Narcan saved his life.

Wesley was found with a needle in his arm, two on the bathroom sink, and a loaded gun in his pants pocket. He faces drug possession and concealed weapon charges. The child went into the hospital with two parents, and left with one. Also, that child will someday have to face the fact that his or her mother died just a few feet away.

More than the Loss of a Parent

Obviously, losing a parent is one of the toughest things any child ever has to endure. With nearly 80 people dying from heroin a day, this is happening too often. However, there are countless other ways parental drug abuse negatively affects children.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that 2.2 million children in this country have at least one parent dependent on illicit drugs. According to the Children’s Bureau, “Parental substance use can affect parenting, prenatal development, and early childhood and adolescent development.” Furthermore, parental drug use can lead to a lack of proper nutrition, a lack of supervision, and a lack of nurturing, even neglect. Oftentimes, affected families experience mental illness, are victims of domestic violence, or suffer from unemployment.

The Children’s Bureau offers a wealth more of information regarding children of addicts. The following are typical outcomes for children with drug-abusing parents:

Poor cognitive and/or social development
Depression and/or anxiety
Mental health issues
Physical health issues
Substance abuse
High stress
Difficulties concentrating and learning
Difficulty controlling responses to stress
Difficulty forming trusting relationships

In the case of Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark and his 8-year-old boy, a parent was lost at the merciless hands of heroin. That is a worst-case-scenario. As a parent, simply doing drugs already puts your child at much greater risk for the above outcomes. However, even children without parents are being affected by the heroin epidemic as well.

Heroin Affects Foster Children

Parental substance abuse is “a major reason for the growing number of children in foster care,” according to Pew Charitable Trusts. In Ohio’s Clermont County, over 50% of children placed in foster care have at least one parent addicted to heroin. When case workers investigate claims, whether they be of abuse, neglect, malnutrition, etc., “What we’re finding more and more is that the parents are addicted to opiates. And more often than not, it’s heroin,” said Timothy Dick, assistant director of child protective services in the county.

Dealing with the same issue, the state of Indiana recently had to hire 113 additional caseworkers to keep up. One-third of children in foster care in the state of Vermont have parents who abuse heroin. Last year, the number of US children in the foster care system reached an all-time high of 415,000. Nancy Young, director of the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, talked about how it’s not entirely clear just how many child welfare cases involve parental drug abuse. She said that she suspects most of the cases do. This is also “what all the caseworkers and judges are saying,” according to Young.

In Conclusion

Maybe you think that Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark posting the video of telling his son that his mother had died was helpful. Maybe you think that he went too far. Either way, it cannot be argued that Brenden’s son is not alone. Using related statistics, it’s safe to assume that every single day at least one child loses a parent to heroin. Bickerstaff-Clark included a caption with his video, explaining his actions. Whether you agree with his method or not, it’s difficult to disagree with his words:

“THIS FOR ANY AND EVERY ADDICT WITH CHILDREN. TODAY I HAD TO TELL MY 8 YEAR OLD SON THAT HIS MOMMY DIED FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE LAST NIGHT. THIS IS THE REALIZATION AND REALITY OF OUR DISEASE. DONT LET THIS DISEASE HAVE TO MAKE SOMEONE TELL YOUR CHILD THAT YOUR DEAD BECAUSE OF DRUGS. THIS WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS IVE EVER HAD TO DO. MY SON HAS NO MOTHER BECAUSE OF HEROIN… KINDA HARD TO HEAR BUT U CAN HEAR WHAT WE’RE SAYING.
PLEASE GET HELP SO OUR CHILDREN DONT HAVE TO SUFFER. THIS WASNT STAGED. THIS WAS REAL. I HAD SOMEONE RECORD THIS SO ADDICTS WITH CHILDREN CAN SEE THE SERIOUSNES OF OUR EPIDEMIC. I AM A RECOVERING ADDICT MYSELF WITH 94 DAYS CLEAN TODAY… PLEASE SHARE N MAYBE HELP SAVE A CHILDS PARENTS LIFE.”

How Much Does Rehab Cost?

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Well-known centers often cost up to $30,000 for a 30-day program. For those requiring 60- or 90-day programs, the total average cost of rehab could range anywhere from $12,000 to $60,000. Outpatient programs for mild to moderate addictions are cheaper than inpatient rehab. Many cost $5,000 for a three-month program.

A breakdown of the costs associated with different levels of addiction treatment can be helpful. For example, if you are considering detox, the lower end of cost would be approximately $350 to $750 a day, while the upper end may reach $1,500 to $3,000. It is important to keep in mind the range of costs as you begin researching addiction treatment programs and facilities.

It can be overwhelming to think about paying for treatment at these rates. But when you consider the alternatives, it may be easier to see the benefits of finding the funds needed to afford rehab treatment.

Insurance is one of the most common ways to cover the costs of addiction treatment. The amount insurance covers depend on the insurer and what the health provider accepts.

Types of insurance that may cover addiction treatment include:

Medicaid

Medicaid is a public insurance program for low-income families. Under the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare,” insurance providers (including Medicaid) must cover all basic aspects of addiction treatment. While Medicaid covers addiction treatment, not all addiction treatment centers accept Medicaid as a form of payment. To find a rehab that accepts Medicaid, get in touch with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Medicare

Medicare is available to anyone over 65 years old and those with disabilities. Medicare is available for a monthly premium, which is based on the recipient’s income. People who earn less pay lower premiums.

Medicare can cover the costs of inpatient and outpatient drug rehab. It consists of four parts that cover different parts of addiction treatment.

Part A – Insurance for Hospital Stays. Medicare Part A can help pay for inpatient rehabilitation. Part A covers up to 60 days in rehab without a co-insurance payment. People using Part A do have to pay a deductible. Medicare only covers 190 days of inpatient care for a person’s lifetime.

Part B – Medical Insurance. Part B can cover outpatient care for addicted people. Medicare Part B covers up to 80 percent of these costs. Part B covers outpatient rehab, therapy, drugs administered via clinics and professional interventions. Part B also covers treatment for co-occurring disorders like depression.

Part C – Medicare-approved Private Insurance. People who want more benefits under Medicare can opt for Part C. Out-of-pocket costs and coverage is different and may be more expensive.

Part D – Prescription Insurance. Medicare Part D can help cover the costs of addiction medications. People in recovery often need medication to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings. These medications increase the likelihood of staying sober.

State-financed health insurance

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a health care system law passed in 2010 that covers addiction treatment. If you are addicted to drugs and alcohol, the ACA may be a way to help pay for it.

Under the ACA, coverage for addiction treatment must be as complete as it is for any other medical procedure. Some of the things you can get with these insurance plans include:

Addiction evaluation
Brief intervention
Addiction treatment medication
Clinic visits
Alcohol and drug testing
Home health visits
Family counseling
Anti-craving medication

ACA health insurance plans also assist with inpatient services like medical detox programs.

Some states run their own Health Insurance Marketplace platforms separate from Healthcare.gov. Differences between state and federal medical plans are based on Medicare and Medicaid coverage in each state.

Private insurance – The out of pocket cost will vary based on your specific insurance, the type of rehab and the length of your stay.

Cash Pay

Some people can either afford to pay for rehab themselves or lack insurance coverage. If you are serious about treatment and its expense, talk to friends or family about fund-raising methods and finding support for your rehabilitation. Other avenues could include tapping into savings or seeking help through public programs or charities.

Overall Costs

Some treatments can cost $5,000 to $10,000, whereas luxury rehab facilities can carry a price-tag of $100k or more, for a one-month stay. However, there are public programs that offer basic addiction treatment education and counseling for low-income individuals.

With this said, it is important to note that the degree of a person’s success is strongly correlated with the type of treatment he or she receives. The goal of getting treatment is to avoid the potential for relapse and getting the treatment that is right for you is essential.

Not everyone has insurance, but there are still ways to access addiction treatment. One way is to look for a free or low-income rehab center. The other is to look into rehabs that offer financing options. Financing is often a better choice because free rehabs often have limited funding and waiting lists.

Drugs and the Brain: Changing You One Neuron at a Time

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For those that remember the television commercial, it turns out if your brain is an egg, the idea of drugs being a hot frying pan isn’t so far off.

Abusing drugs of any kind affects brain functions we use every day to live. Some effects on the brain are temporary, such as a hangover from alcohol, but >some are permanent and irreversible, such as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, which can cause muscular paralysis and/or amnesia in alcoholics. Every drug, not just alcohol, affects the brain; it is just important to note that any amount of any drug also affects the brain. However, before we can understand what happens to our brains on drugs, we need to understand what happens in our brains without drugs.

What does my brain do?

The human brain is an unimaginably complex organ that functions more efficiently than any computer ever built. To actually answer the question of what a brain does would take a mountain of essays. However, regarding the brain and drug use, a simplified version will do.

The brain is comprised of 100 billion nerve cells called neurons. Essentially, there are releasing neurons and receiving neurons. The releasing neurons disperse chemicals called neurotransmitters, which carry messages all around the body. These ‘messages’ include anything from blinking our eyelids to solving a math problem. Receiving neurons have landing pads for neurotransmitters, and once they land, the message is ‘unlocked’ and carried out by the body.

Basically, the brain is a communications center that functions as the command post for the entire body. Brain cells communicate, and we live. When actions are performed that are conducive to survival, such as eating, sleeping, having sex, etc., the brain rewards us by releasing >dopamine, or sometimes serotonin. These are the two neurotransmitters responsible for happiness. This is called the reward system, and is crucial to our survival.

What do the drugs do?

Drug abuse alters the way the brain communicates, especially regarding the reward system. Drugs force the brain to produce up to ten times the normal amount of dopamine. The brain therefore believes something good has happened, and will crave a repeat of the dopamine flow. More and more will be needed to get dopamine levels back to normal, resulting in higher tolerance.

Also, the activities that create regular amounts of dopamine, such as eating or having sex, become less important to the brain than drug abuse, which creates abnormal amounts. The end result is addiction, because the brain tells the body it needs the extra dopamine.

The Vicious Cycle

You’ve never done hard drugs. One night, you use heroin, and extremely high levels of dopamine are released. The next night, you use the same amount as before, but don’t get quite as high. You double up your dose to feel the same effect. Already, you have a higher tolerance. The next night, you need even more. By the time the week is over, you realize you haven’t eaten or slept. Your brain has replaced the dopamine it receives from normal functions with the dopamine it receives from the drug. Within a week, you’re addicted. Now, on top of needing it like you need sleep, you need more every time.

The worst part of this vicious cycle is not actually what happens to your brain on the drugs, but what happens to your brain when you’re not on them but addicted to them. Once addicted, your brain will produce less dopamine than usual for normal events. For instance, a good meal and a nap may not do anything emotionally for an addict. This can cause severe depression. Consider this quote from drugabuse.gov:

“Just as we turn down the volume on a radio that is too loud, the brain adjusts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine (and other neurotransmitters) by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number of receptors that can receive signals. As a result, dopamine’s impact on the reward circuit of the brain of someone who abuses drugs can become abnormally low, and that person’s ability to experience any pleasure is reduced.”

The bottom line is that drugs affect your brain in such a way that they become the only means by which an addict can feel pleasure. At that point, your brain might as well be a frying egg.

Inpatient vs Outpatient Rehab

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For patients needing drug and alcohol treatment, outpatient rehab and inpatient rehab can provide an essential level of care to achieve long-term recovery. But how do you know which type of program you or a loved one would best benefit from? Both types of treatment have distinctions which make them more or less appropriate for a patient’s needs, depending on the patient’s level and length of addiction.

What is Inpatient Rehab?

Inpatient treatment lasts a minimum of 28 days. You voluntarily enter a safe, secure facility in which intensive drug and alcohol treatment is the cornerstone of your daily activities. Often, people who have attempted outpatient treatment but have ultimately relapsed back into drug and alcohol use, or have found outpatient treatment difficult to complete, achieve success in an inpatient program.

People who require detoxification services due to concerns about withdrawal also benefit from inpatient rehab, as detox services can be included as a part of inpatient treatment. After detox (if necessary), patients undergo an intensive, daily drug or alcohol treatment regimen to learn about the disease of addiction in a supportive, immersive environment.

Inpatient rehab programs are safe, structured environments in which you are removed from stressful circumstances that promote or fuel the urge to use. Because negatively influencing factors are removed from your daily experience, participation in inpatient treatment can begin to work on building life skills that had been interfered with due to addiction. Because of this intensive level of care, inpatient rehab is ideal for people who have unsuccessfully attempted to overcome addiction in outpatient rehab programs, or for people who have identified that they need drug or alcohol treatment and want to “do it right” the first time. As previously stated, the level of care necessary for you should be determined by an in-person assessment with a qualified medical or counseling professional. Most often, people who have attempted outpatient treatment without success do require inpatient care, but some people who have not yet undergone outpatient treatment may not require this high level of care.

Some people are wary about voluntarily beginning an inpatient drug or alcohol treatment program because of the intensity, but inpatient programs are highly emotionally supportive and focus on helping the whole body and mind through treatment. For this reason, many inpatient treatment centers encourage family participation, including family education programs and weekend programs. In addition to immediate family, people benefit from having a “therapeutic community” in inpatient – a community of patients who support one another through treatment by encouraging others to stay on task. In addition to the other differentiators of long-term inpatient care, it is this camaraderie gained through empathy and shared experience that often helps you overcome addiction while completing drug or alcohol treatment.

What is Outpatient Rehab?

Outpatient Rehab provides you with more freedom. Outpatient drug and alcohol treatment programs share many similarities with inpatient, but in a differently structured environment. Outpatient rehab provides you with more freedom of movement which allows you to maintain a regular commitment to family, work, and educational responsibilities. Because of the ability to go home after a daily or evening program, you are able to have a greater level of privacy and anonymity. You do not need to explain a prolonged absence to friends, coworkers, or family members.

Unlike inpatient rehab, you are not provided with the safe, secure environment that isolates you from negatively influencing factors. You return to your own environments after outpatient drug or alcohol treatment, and must voluntarily abstain from drug or alcohol use, which requires a greater amount of diligence. However, the benefit of this is that outpatient rehab (like inpatient rehab) provide a support network for patients in the form of official support groups, individual counseling, and family counseling so that you are never alone in your recovery. You are provided with a strong support network of non-using peers and sponsors. Outpatient drug and alcohol treatment requires a component of group therapy and support groups like NA and AA, which provide a new, positive element of social change in your life and facilitates long-term recovery.

Like inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab also focuses on family support and involvement, and an immediately positive element of outpatient rehab is that you can automatically apply the lessons learned from outpatient treatment programs to your daily experiences.

Advantages of Inpatient Rehab

Inpatient rehab requires a 28 day stay. The actual length of a typical stay depends on your diagnosis, needs, situation and insurance coverage.

5 Pros & Cons of Inpatient Rehab

Pros:

You receive 24-hour supervision by trained staff and therapists; you are never alone while battling your addiction.
You are part of a community – other residents in the facility are also overcoming their addictions.
You are in a program that provides an intense level of care – individuals who have tried to battle addiction previously may a more intense setting.
Being in a residential setting, more time each day is focused on recovery, through group and individual counseling settings, as well as other treatment exercises.
You do not have the distractions of daily life activities/worries while in treatment.

Cons:

You are not free to come and go and you please
You are in a structured environment that dictates when you get up in the morning, when you eat, when you have counseling sessions and when you have free-time. For many, though this seems like a “con” it is actually one of the best components of residential/inpatient treatment.
Arrangements for child care will need to be made while you are in treatment.
Often, you will need to take a leave from your job to participate in residential treatment.
Many insurers will only cover outpatient rehab.

5 Pros & Cons of Outpatient Rehab

Pros:

Outpatient rehab is structured so you can continue many of your daily activities such as work, caring for children etc.
Counseling sessions are often offered in the evenings and sometimes even on weekends.
You can apply what you learn in treatment to your real life setting and start making changes immediately.
Many outpatient rehab programs includes family sessions, to help your support network better understand the challenges you face.
Outpatient rehab is considered a more affordable treatment option and is generally covered by insurance.

Cons:

You risk being exposed to the same influences, risks and triggers in your life that pushed you towards drug or alcohol.
You may still have access to drugs/alcohol.
Daily life distractions could keep you from focusing on recovery.
Access to your counselor is more limited than in a residential/inpatient facility.
Many residential clients develop bonds with other people in treatment that later become part of their sober support network. In outpatient rehab, you do not spend as much time with others in treatment, which makes building the foundation of this support network more challenging.

There are many pros and cons to rehab facilities. The right facility for you depends on many factors. It is possible to make changes before you become dependent on drugs and/or alcohol. Many people change their relationship with drugs and/or alcohol before it is too late.

A variety of health and treatment professionals can help you to stop using drugs / alcohol. Treatment professionals help you evaluate your problems with drugs or alcohol and gain an understanding of where you are in the disease. What are the symptoms you are experiencing? How has drugs and alcohol use affected your life? Then they help you make choices about the goals you want to accomplish in terms of quitting and remaining sober. Armed with a treatment plan, you are much better able to choose among the options.

People who want to stop using choose among the available treatment options to find an approach that is right for them. The right approach will give you the knowledge and support you need to meet your goals and to set new goals during recovery. Treatment will help you and your family and loved ones recover from a disease that has damaged their daily lives and their hopes for the future. The right approach will restore the hope you may have lost to the disease of drugs and/or alcoholism.

Health professionals who treat any type of disease—cancer, AIDS, arthritis, diabetes— will attest to the importance of hope in the recovery process. When a person’s hope is restored, so is the motivation to act, to make ongoing choices to fight the disease and to do what is necessary to recover.

Recovery is an Ongoing Process

Recovery from addiction is an ongoing process because there is no cure. The treatments and support that you choose now may later be too much or too little. The goal is to find what works now, and to educate yourself about all the options available, so that if you need more help in the future, or less help, you can find the treatments and supports that are right for you.

To think that you have to recover from addiction on your own with no help represents the distorted thinking that is a well-known symptom of addiction. In recovery from addiction, support comes in many forms. Family physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists, counselors, self-help groups and other organizations are just a few of the supports available that will help educate you about addiction and provide the level of support you need.

You and your medical or counseling professional are best equipped to know which type of treatment is ideal for your situation. Be honest with yourself about how independently dedicated you can be in an outpatient rehab program. Do you feel like the temptations to use based on daily stresses, friends and acquaintances, or lack of social support would be an issue in successfully completing outpatient rehab? Have you tried and been unsuccessful time and time again at stopping your drug or alcohol use by yourself or in outpatient rehab? Are you physically addicted to drugs or alcohol and absolutely require a medical detox prior to receiving treatment services? When you speak with a specialist about voluntarily entering drug and alcohol treatment, talk about your personal circumstances in order to figure out which aspects of inpatient or outpatient rehab programs would best suit you. Outpatient and residential drug and alcohol treatment programs both have life-changing benefits, and understanding which program will best help you achieve long-term recovery is one of the first steps toward becoming sober.

An addiction can strike a person when they least expect it, as they’re trying to handle an increase in their workload, childcare or child-rearing, mental health issues, family issues, or for no reason whatsoever. It often begins innocently — trying to relieve the stress of everyday life, or just to try something new. Before the person knows it, they’re turning to the drug or alcohol as a way of coping with any negative feelings or stress in their lives. They may find they need more and more of the drug or drink in order to gain the same benefits from it. Efforts to scale back or to stop altogether are difficult or next-to-impossible.

Drug addiction and alcohol addiction is usually not easily overcome on one’s own. Most people who face an addiction to a substance or alcohol need additional help. At the onset of your treatment, you’ll have to figure out what path works best for you and your needs.

What is Outpatient Drug Rehab?

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Outpatient drug rehab is a form of substance abuse treatment that does not include living at the facility. Outpatient treatment can vary widely, from partial hospitalization to 12-step meetings. Outpatient drug rehab programs allow you to continue to live at home during drug or alcohol rehabilitation. Outpatient drug rehab tends to cost less than residential or inpatient treatment, and it may be more suitable for those unable to take extended absences from work or personal obligations.

Before you choose a program, consider which type of outpatient treatment program will work best for you and ask some questions about the program – such as how much it costs, what kind of treatment it offers, and where it’s located.

Intensive outpatient: These programs are similar to inpatient residential programs with respect to service and effectiveness. The major focus is relapse prevention. Intensive outpatient programs usually meet at least 3 days a week for 2-4 hours a day or more. These programs are often scheduled around work or school to accommodate daily schedules.
Partial hospitalization: This treatment is specifically meant for people who require ongoing medical monitoring but have a stable living situation. Partial hospitalization treatment programs usually meet at the hospital for 3-5 days a week for at least 4-6 hours per day.
1 on 1 Counseling

Therapy and counseling: These treatments are usually combined with other treatment methods or as follow-up support after inpatient rehabilitation. Therapy and counseling can help you identify the root cause of your drug use, repair relationships and learn healthier coping skills. Treatments include self-help programs like Narcotics Anonymous (following a 12-step model), behavioral therapy, group or individual therapy and family counseling.

Outpatient treatment can be extremely effective. Many who begin and continue treatment stop using drugs and improve their occupational, social and psychological functioning.

Everybody’s treatment needs are different based on their history of abuse, substance being abused, duration of abuse and much more. Depending on these factors, you may require varying combinations of services and treatment such as a combination of counseling or psychotherapy, medication, medical services and family therapy. Additionally, these needs may change as treatment and recovery progresses.

Therefore, make sure that the outpatient drug rehab program offers individual treatment plans and a continuing care approach where the treatment intensity varies over time according to your changing needs.

What to Expect from Outpatient Drug Rehab?

It is important to note that the exact program used in a recovery facility may differ greatly. However, all programs tend to include the following:

Patients enrolled in the program are expected to remain abstinent from recreational drugs or alcohol.
Patients begin with an initial assessment. During this initial assessment, it is possible to determine what the needs of the patient are. This provides a basis for forming a treatment plan and goal setting.
Patients agree to a weekly number of therapy sessions.
Oftentimes there are activities and seminars that the patient is expected to attend.
While attending rehab, there are specific rules that govern the behavior of the patient. The patient may be removed from the program if they do not abide by these rules.
If the treatment plan is proving ineffective, there may be a need to modify the existing plan.
Patients are expected to share personal information with therapists. Oftentimes this happens in one-on-one settings, but may also include group sessions that include other people.

There are a number of benefits in attending these selected rehab options, they may include:

The patient is able to remain employed or stay in school while they attend outpatient recovery. Those who would struggle to find time away from their commitments may find this to be highly advantageous.
The transition from recovery facility to home life is non-existent. Those who leave an inpatient program for the first time often have to adjust to having personal freedoms again. Unless there is an aftercare program in place, this transition can lead to a relapse. Because the patient is already going home at the end of each session, the program ending is not such a shock.
Some worry that they may be stigmatized by attending an inpatient facility. It may not be possible for someone to leave for several weeks on end without giving an actual explanation. If the patient is worried about discretion and privacy, attending an outpatient program is much easier to keep a secret.
When comparing the costs, an inpatient treatment facility is often much more expensive than an outpatient facility.
If the patient has a supportive family or sympathetic friends at home, they may be able to benefit from interacting with them when they go home every night.

Disadvantages of Outpatient Drug Rehab

As stated before, not everyone might benefit from outpatient drug rehab. There are a number of disadvantages to consider as well:

It is only natural that those who go home unsupervised face more temptation than those who remain in inpatient rehab. Because there is no restriction on their movements, it means they have to show more determination and willpower right from the start.
Those who do not stay in rehab will find that there is far less support available. Patients at an inpatient facility have the option to talk to professionals around the clock. It may feel empowering to be in close proximity to others who all share the same goal.
When attending outpatient recovery, there is a chance that the patient will have a number of distractions. Work commitments and family life do not take a breather as the patient transitions into a sober lifestyle.
The same triggers that led to the abuse of drugs and alcohol in the first place may still be present. When trying to stay sober, worrying about potential triggers is going to serve as a distraction.
There are both physical and emotional challenges throughout the first weeks of recovery. Withdrawal symptoms may prove to be problematic for weeks after the patient has last used drugs or alcohol. During inpatient rehab, a professional can generally help with these situations. In the outside world, this level of help is unlikely.

Outpatient Drug Rehab isn’t for everyone. If you need more supervision or want to get away from your surroundings look at Inpatient Drug Rehab Programs.

What is Needed to Succeed in Outpatient Drug Rehab?

There are clearly additional challenges to succeeding at an outpatient facility. However, if you or someone close to you is considering this option, remember that you can increase your chances of success by adhering to the following:

There is no factor more directly related to the success of a program than the patient’s motivation to change. No matter what option of recovery they decide upon, if they have no desire to succeed, it may ultimately result in a relapse.
Having an outside support group that can help during or after treatment is always a positive step. Because these facilities have limited availability, it is a good idea to have somewhere to turn.
A good facility will provide the patient with a number of different resources. However, it is ultimately up to the patient to make the most of these resources. The saying goes ‘you get out what you put in’.
Those not enrolled in an inpatient facility need to take responsibility for their own environment. This means avoiding things, places and people that may trigger a relapse. It may seem harsh, but spending time with the same friends you used to drink with is not a good idea.

There are many services available to those undergoing outpatient drug rehabilitation. Examples of these include: behavioral counseling, mental health attention, job searching help, support groups, psychiatrist meetings, educational classes on drugs and how they affect a person, and regular visits with a counselor to discuss progress and revise the plan if it is not working.

Length of Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient drug rehab treatment programs vary in structured schedules and timelines. Everyone progresses through addiction treatment at their own pace, so there’s no set length of time for care.

Typically, programs run anywhere between one and three months, but they can run longer. Most treatment facilities require 90 days of participation in order to ensure successful results. The length of your outpatient treatment care can be extended depending on the progress the individual makes, following further care recommendations and ongoing evaluations from an addiction treatment professional.

Just like the variations in care, there are variations in the cost of an outpatient drug rehabilitation program. Of the different types of outpatient care available, one of the most consistent features is the low cost in comparison to other forms of treatment. Additionally, due to being referred as less intensive, outpatient care tends to attract those who are intimidated by the recovery process.

Inpatient vs Outpatient Rehab

There is a common misconception that outpatient treatment programs are the opposite of residential inpatient programs in regards to treatment intensity. When it comes to the intensity of outpatient care there is a large degree of variation. Some outpatient drug rehab programs are designed with accessibility and flexibility in mind while others are a major commitment and would be difficult to complete while handling day-to-day responsibilities.

Some argue that there are distinct benefits to allowing a patient to continue to live (and in some cases, work and attend school) in a home environment – in this case, whatever it is they might call home. While inpatient treatment removes those struggling with substance abuse from an environment that may have contributed to the development of drug or alcohol addiction to begin with, outpatient drug treatment provides a way to more accurately test the efficacy of ongoing treatment while a patient remains amidst those very triggers. In a way, some point out, it more accurately assesses the coping mechanisms of the person in recovery when they return home at night, while continuing to provide them with intensive periods of support throughout the day.

In addition, outpatient treatment challenges a patient to seek out and utilize sources of support in their home environment, such as in finding local self-help groups or other recovery mentors in the neighborhood that can help guide someone down the path of recovery. Given that the transition from inpatient to outpatient treatment can be jarring, the addict in recovery will have the support of the community where he lives, works, and belongs, welcoming him back to wellness, and to a life without bondage to addiction.

There is a flip-side to these arguments, however. Those struggling with an addiction might face a much greater challenge of abstinence in an outpatient treatment center, especially in the early stages of recovery. Since their environment is not changing, they can easily access the addictive substance and are faced with temptation on a regular basis.

In addition, outpatient treatment does not always mandate follow up or aftercare treatment after the period of outpatient treatment ends, so it is important to find a facility that can direct you to another service that provides it, to help ensure continuity of care and continued recovery.

Of course the most important consideration in determining the need for inpatient or outpatient care is dependent upon the severity of your condition. If substance abuse is interfering with normal activity, is associated with or causing medical problems or is part of a dual diagnosis, inpatient programs frequently will prove a better option. Inpatient treatment is also preferred by many who need medical detox.

What to Look for in a Drug Treatment Program

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When evaluating the many types of drug addiction treatment programs, remember that everyone’s needs are different. In general, the longer and more intense the drug use, the longer and more intense the drug treatment program you may need.

Regardless of a drug treatment program’s length in weeks or months, support and long-term follow-up are crucial to recovery. A quality drug addiction treatment program not only addresses the drug abuse, it also addresses the emotional pain and other life problems that contribute to your addiction.

The Drug Treatment Program Checklist

When you start looking for drug treatment, you may see advertisements for programs in tranquil settings with gorgeous views. While amenities like that are nice to have, they likely come with a big price tag. Focus on what is truly important: appropriate licensing, quality of care during the drug treatment program, follow-up services, and staff credentials. Things to check include:

CARF Accreditation

Program accreditation and licensing. Make sure the drug treatment program is accredited by the state it’s in. Also check to ensure that the program is run by licensed, well-trained mental health professionals and drug addiction specialists.
The effectiveness of the program’s drug treatment methods. Drug Addiction Treatment centers should have at least some statistics on their success rates, preferably from an objective outside agency.
Type of aftercare services to prevent relapse. Is there a well-run aftercare program? Does it provide referrals to other recovery services and support groups in the community? Also make sure that a staff member will collaborate with you to create a discharge plan before you leave the program.

Phases of Drug Treatment Programs

Residential Drug Addiction Treatment – Residential treatment involves living at a drug treatment facility while undergoing intensive drug addiction treatment during the day. Residential drug treatment normally lasts from 30-90 days.

Partial hospitalization – Partial hospitalization is for people who require ongoing medical monitoring but have a stable living situation. These drug treatment programs usually meet at the hospital for 3-5 days a week, 4-6 hours per day.

Intensive outpatient program (IOP) – Not a live-in drug addiction treatment program, but it still requires a major time commitment. Intensive outpatient programs usually meet at least 3 days a week for 2-4 hours a day or more. The major focus is relapse prevention. These outpatient drug programs are often scheduled around work or school.

Counseling (Individual, Group, or Family) – Works best in conjunction with other types of drug addiction treatment or as follow-up support. Therapy can help you identify the root causes of your drug use, repair your relationships, and learn healthier coping skills.

Sober living – Normally follows intensive drug treatment like residential drug treatment. You live with other recovering addicts in a supportive drug-free environment. Sober living facilities are useful if you have nowhere to go or you’re worried that returning home too soon will lead to relapse.

Brief intervention – The Importance of Professional Intervention is for those at risk for drug abuse or drug addiction. Consists of several visits to a healthcare professional to discuss the harmful effects of drug abuse and strategies for cutting back.

The goal of drug addiction treatment is to stop drug use and allow people to lead active lives in the family, workplace, and community. One continual challenge, however, is keeping patients in drug treatment long enough for them to achieve this goal. That is why finding the right drug addiction treatment for a person’s specific needs is critical. Drug addiction treatment is not “one size fits all.”

Family and friends can play important roles in motivating people with drug problems to enter and remain in drug treatment. However, trying to identify the right drug addiction treatment programs for a loved one can be a difficult process.

Questions to Ask

To help, the National Institute on Drug Abuse created this brief guide containing five questions to ask when searching for a drug treatment program:

Q: Does the drug treatment program use treatments backed by scientific evidence?

Effective drug addiction treatments can include behavioral therapy, medications, or, ideally, their combination. Behavioral therapies vary in focus and may involve:

Addressing a patient’s motivation to change
Providing incentives to stop taking drugs
Building skills to resist drug use
Replacing drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding activities
Improving problem-solving skills
Building better personal relationships

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Seeks to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they are most likely to abuse drugs.

Motivational Incentives.

Uses positive reinforcement such as providing rewards or privileges for remaining drug free, for participating in counseling sessions, or for taking treatment medications as prescribed.

Motivational Interviewing.

Uses strategies to encourage rapid and self-driven behavior change to stop drug use and help a patient enter treatment.

Group Therapy.

Helps patients face their drug abuse realistically, come to terms with its harmful consequences, and boost their motivation to stay drug free. Patients learn how to resolve their emotional and personal problems without abusing drugs.

Q: Does the drug program tailor treatment to the needs of each patient?

No single drug addiction treatment is right for everyone. The best drug treatment addresses a person’s various needs, not just his or her drug abuse.

Matching drug rehab settings, programs, and services to a person’s unique problems and level of need is key to his or her ultimate success in returning to a productive life. It is important for the drug treatment approach to be broad in scope, taking into account a person’s age, gender, ethnicity, and culture. The severity of addiction and previous efforts to stop using drugs can also influence a treatment approach.

The best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet a patient’s needs. In addition to drug addiction treatment, a patient may require other medical services, family therapy, parenting support, job training, and social and legal services.

Finally, because addictive disorders and other mental disorders often occur together, a person with one of these conditions should be assessed for the other. And when these problems co-occur, treatment should address both (or all conditions), including use of medications, as appropriate.

Q: Does the drug treatment program adapt treatment as the patient’s needs change?

Individual drug addiction treatment and service plans must be assessed and modified as needed to meet changing needs.

A person in drug treatment may require varying combinations of services during its course, including ongoing assessment. For instance, the drug program should build in drug monitoring so the treatment plan can be adjusted if relapse occurs. For most people, a continuing care approach provides the best results, with drug addiction treatment level adapted to a person’s changing needs.

A patient’s needs for support services, such as day care or transportation, should also be met during drug treatment.

Q: Is the duration of drug addiction treatment sufficient?

Remaining in drug treatment for the right period of time is critical.

Appropriate time in drug addiction treatment depends on the type and degree of a person’s problems and needs. Research tells us that most addicted people need at least three months in drug treatment to really reduce or stop their drug use and that longer drug treatment times result in better outcomes. The best drug programs will measure progress and suggest plans for maintaining recovery. Recovery from drug addiction is a long-term process that often requires several episodes of drug addiction treatment and ongoing support from family or community.

Q: How do 12-step or similar recovery programs fit into drug addiction treatment?

Self-help groups can complement and extend the effects of professional drug treatment.

The most well-known programs are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA), all of which are based on the 12-step model. This group therapy model draws on the social support offered by peer discussion to help promote and sustain drug-free lifestyles.

Most drug addiction treatment programs encourage patients to participate in group therapy during and after formal drug treatment. These groups offer an added layer of community-level social support to help people in recovery with abstinence and other healthy lifestyle goals.

Get Help Today

Every day, people across the United States find themselves in need of drug abuse treatment. There’s a positive trend in the US where drug treatment is becoming more available to more people than ever before, thanks to recent changes that require insurance plans to recognize addiction as a medical issue.

However, there’s one disadvantage to this abundance of choice: the wide variety of drug treatment options leaves many people unsure which one is right for them. Some people find themselves re-entering drug rehab multiple times, because they’re involved in a program that doesn’t meet their individual needs. To find the best drug addiction treatment center, you need to know the options, and the right questions to narrow them down.

The Importance of Professional Intervention

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Treatment for addiction does not need to begin voluntarily to be effective. The lower the bottom, the harder it becomes to ever return to the surface. Traditional psychiatry and counseling are most often not the answer. Research shows intervention to be successful 85% to 95% of the time. Truly successful outcomes for any serious illness require a variety of interventions—based on the latest research to include medicine, nutrition, education, relational support, etc. A professional interventionist will provide oversight and continuity to permanently raise the bottom of the entire family of those suffering from addiction.

Anyone who is consumed by alcohol or drugs of any kind is incapable of making consistently healthy choices, and thus requires professional expertise to help get healthy again. Working with a specialist will offer significant advantages that save families time, money, and emotional pain in the long run.

Consult an Addiction Professional

Consulting an addiction professional, such as an alcohol and addictions counselor, social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or interventionist, can help you organize an effective intervention. A substance use or addiction professional will take into account the particular circumstances surrounding the alcohol or drug use, suggest the best approach, and provide guidance for what type of treatment and follow-up plan is likely to work best.

An intervention is a carefully planned process that may be done by family and friends, in consultation with a doctor or professional such as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, or directed by an intervention professional (interventionist). It sometimes involves co-workers, clergy members or others who care about the person struggling with addiction.

Much of the intervention process is education and information for the friends and family. The opportunity for everyone to come together, share information and support each other is critically important. Once everyone is ready, a meeting is scheduled with the person everyone is concerned about.

During the intervention, these people gather together to confront the person about the consequences of addiction and ask him or her to accept treatment. The intervention:

Provides specific examples of destructive behaviors and their impact on the addicted person and loved ones
Offers a prearranged treatment plan with clear steps, goals and guidelines
Spells out what each person will do if a loved one refuses to accept treatment

Here’s a look at seven tips that will increase the likelihood of your family member saying “yes” to accepting professional help and walking into a new life of health and happiness.

Tip #1 Choose the Right Team

An intervention is not something to be performed alone. Most likely, you’ve already tried to “intervene” on your own. Choose somewhere between 3 and 8 people to participate; consider close friends, family members and colleagues who have first-hand knowledge of the problem.

Tip #2 Hire a Professional Interventionist

A professional interventionist is experienced and trained in addiction. They know how to prepare an intervention, respond to common reactions and set a proper tone for the event. Despite reading about it or seeing it on TV, nothing can substitute the value of experience.

Tip #3 Prepare and Discuss the Intervention

Team members should be prepared to speak knowledgeably regarding your family member and his/her addiction. Reading a one-page letter (written by each team member) to the addict is a common practice of interventions.

Tip #4 Omit Blame, Anger and Judgment

When rehearsing for your family member’s intervention, omit using any words or tones that may cause more confrontation than necessary. Read your letter aloud and discussing the proper tone with your interventionist before the big day. This is an important part of preparation.

Tip #5 Ensure It’s Unexpected

If your family member is aware of an intervention, he/she may prepare a defense or avoid the situation altogether. Although it might feel sneaky or dishonest, planning the intervention in secret is one of the keys to success and effectiveness.

Tip #6 Carefully Plan Your Objective

The goal of an intervention is to facilitate the immediate treatment your family member’s addiction. Typically, a treatment center will be lined up beforehand and they should be expecting your family member’s arrival. Professional counseling or therapy sessions should also be available for you and other family members following the intervention.

Tip #7 Understand Leverage and Compassion

Threats and ultimatums are sometimes counterproductive and dangerous, but you must be prepared to voice the consequences of treatment refusal. Whether it’s how the refusal of treatment will affect the addict’s relationship with the family, current living arrangements or the family as a whole, you must remember that you wield significant leverage. When used compassionately, your family member will ultimately thank you for showing such strength.

Remember; the point of an intervention is to help – not threaten, hurt or embarrass.

Relapse Prevention: Excellent Tool for Addiction Recovery

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To err is to be human. We all make mistakes, and most of the time that’s how we learn. In the process of beating an addiction to drugs or alcohol, these mistakes are called relapses. When a recovering addict slips and uses the substance he or she is addicted to again, it is called a relapse. Several factors contribute to why an addict relapses. How an addict copes with these factors plays a crucial role in possibly preventing the relapse altogether. A common term used to describe the factors that contribute to a relapse is ‘triggers’. Relapse Prevention rests on if an addict can healthily avoid triggers.

Relapse Prevention (RP) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment method that identifies such triggers and formulates ways to avoid them while still maintaining a balanced life. Since anywhere from 50-90% of recovering addicts eventually relapse, RP serves as a welcome method for lowering this awful statistic.

What is Relapse Prevention?

In 1985, professors Marlatt and Gordon proposed the Relapse Prevention model as a method for preventing alcohol relapses. The method beings with identifying high-risk situations, which the professors define as “the environmental and emotional characteristics of situations that are potentially associated with relapse.” Once high-risk situations are categorized, appropriate coping responses are utilized. According to the model, an addict can either have effective coping responses or ineffective ones. The effectivity of coping determines self-efficacy, or the belief in oneself to be able to exert control and “execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.”

With self-efficacy comes decreased likelihood of relapse. A lack of self-efficacy leads to a relapse, which can trigger the abstinence violation effect. This effect is what happens when a recovering addict uses again, feels guilt and shame because of it, and therefore uses more to mask the guilt and shame.

Regarding treatment, once the triggers are recognized, the patient’s responses to the triggers are analyzed as well as the patient’s lifestyle. With this information, the responses and/or weaknesses causing relapse in the patient can be curbed and/or strengthened.

What are the triggers?

There is a variety of triggers for relapse. Frankly, what triggers a recovering addict to relapse is personal to him or her. However, the majority of relapses can be attributed to some factor outside of addiction. Among the many recognized, reasons for relapse include improper aftercare, lack of self-efficacy, sobering up to appease others, certain people and places, loneliness, and addiction replacement.

Relapse Prevention

Relapse itself has three stages: emotional, mental, and physical. In emotional relapse, the addict is not actually using, but is exhibiting signs of anxiety, mood swings, poor hygience/health, etc. Preventing relapse in this stage means taking care of oneself and realizing self-importance. Ask for help. Set small-term goals. Eat well and sleep well.

The mental stage of relapse is when you want to use but you do not. The internal struggle where you desire but refrain is known as mental relapse. Signs include reminiscing on the (drug-fueled) old times, fantasizing about using, and lying about what one is thinking and feeling. Preventing relapse in this stage means talking to others, distracting yourself productively, surrounding yourself with the right people, or something as simple as taking a nap. Cravings go away.

The final stage of relapse is physical relapse. This is when the addict indulges in use somewhere along the path to recovery. At this point, the addict should seek professional assistance. The abstinence violation effect can make relapse turn into full-blown addiction.

Outpatient Rehab: The Freedom to Help Yourself

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Being in outpatient rehab means traveling to the rehabilitation center for treatment and then returning home. Some programs require patients to be there for many hours, and other programs require only a half-hour. It depends on the severity and nature of your addiction. There are also three basic types of outpatient rehab: therapy/counseling, intensive outpatient rehabilitation, and partial hospitalization. Discussed below is why outpatient rehabilitation could work for you, along with a breakdown of each of the three types.

WHY CHOOSE OUTPATIENT REHAB?

First and foremost, if your addiction is out-of-hand, and you need full attention, then outpatient rehab is not for you. Seek inpatient rehabilitation, (living at the treatment facility), immediately.

Now, if you need help but not around the clock, here are some of the many benefits of choosing outpatient rehabilitation:

Costs significantly less than inpatient rehabilitation
Allows for the patient to still have time at home with family, to work, or for school
Behavioral therapy (optional) can help in all aspects of life
Many locations are available across the United States

The above facts are true for all three types of outpatient rehabilitation. Let’s find out which is best for you.

I JUST NEED A LITTLE HELP.

Therapy/counseling consists of the patient attending short counseling sessions, usually once a week, whether individual, group, family, behavioral, etc. Therapy-based outpatient rehabilitation is for someone who perhaps is already in recovery, or whose addiction is not as severe. Many groups exist that are open to the public, such as Narcotics Anonymous, but it is important to remember that these groups do not qualify as outpatient rehabilitation by themselves.

If you are in the process of beating your addiction, or you simply need support to maintain sobriety, therapy and/or counseling is perfect for you. A completely full life outside of recovery is able to be maintained.

I NEED HELP, BUT I WANT A NORMAL LIFE.

Intensive outpatient rehabilitation consists of the patient attending long sessions, multiple days a week. Commonly, the scheduling of these sessions is based around the patient’s pre-existing life schedule, allowing a normal life along with treatment. Extended sessions allow the patient to dive deep and treat the issues behind the addiction. Even though a fair amount of time is dedicated to recovery, intensive outpatient rehabilitation still allows for a presence either at work or at home, and allows for time with family and/or friends. Also, the network of support you establish utilizing this method of recovery is vast. All of your loved ones, as well as the entire staff & patient body, are available to you 24/7. Lastly, intensive outpatient rehabilitation allows for the treatment of more than one addiction simultaneously. Many of us have multiple addictions, and this method can help beat them all.

I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. IMMEDIATELY.

Partial hospitalization is exactly what it seems like. Patients who require consistent monitoring yet desire a stable life should consider partial hospitalization. Usually three to five days a week, for several hours a day, patients will have the benefit of hospital resources, as well as all the aforementioned benefits of therapy, counseling, and intensive rehabilitation. You would not live at the hospital. This method of outpatient rehabilitation is also ideal for those going through a detoxification, as the bodily changes may require hospital-grade equipment and knowledge.

TO WRAP IT UP

No matter what you may be addicted to, an addiction is still an addiction. The methods used in outpatient rehabilitation can be applied to drug addiction, sex addiction, gambling addiction, etc. The bottom line is always the same: Help yourself and let others help you.