Category Archives: Alcoholism

A residential substance abuse treatment group holding hands in a meeting.

9 Benefits of Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

By on July 1st, 2022 in Addiction, Alcoholism

Though other levels of care have their benefits, there are distinct advantages to residential substance abuse treatment when a client’s substance abuse problem is severe enough.

Residential substance abuse treatment provides the distinct advantage of being a much more closely monitored around-the-clock substance abuse treatment solution. Residential substance abuse treatment program benefits include more counseling hours, more 12-step meetings, and more accountability. Residential treatment also offers substance users the chance to attain sobriety in a safe, sober environment where they are free to focus solely on recovery, with very few distractions.

Residential treatment is particularly appropriate for those who have shown that they have a tough time staying sober in their home environment, or those whose substance use disorder or post-acute withdrawal symptoms are severe enough to warrant around-the-clock supervision.

1. The Residential Treatment Environment is Safe and Monitored

It’s not uncommon for drug and alcohol users to be approached by using peers in early recovery, or to discover a secret stash they had forgotten about while in a blackout. Additionally, family dynamics in early recovery can present many challenges before either side has had much of a chance to sort out their resentments, guilt, and fears individually. The early recovery process is a major life transition, and it’s not easy.

Residential treatment programs offer the benefit of 24-hour monitoring by trained staff, technicians, or counselors. Additionally, they are surrounded by peers whose goals are the same – to sober up. 24 hours a day, there will be someone who is capable of providing love, support, and objective feedback on a client’s struggles and progress. Family relationships improve as loved ones receive counseling, and self-esteem improves as the resident gains more confidence and time sober.

2. Residential treatment provides a distraction-free environment

Aside from the obvious live-in element of residential substance abuse rehabilitation programs, most require residents to give up electronics capable of outside communication, such as texting, social media, and phone calls. Residents are usually allowed communication with family members, supportive loved ones, and peers in recovery (such as 12-step sponsors), but that’s about it.

Some of the most common risk factors for relapse are contact with using peers, exposure to pro-drug social media communities, and even pro-drug music or movies. For a time, residential treatment centers completely eliminates these potential triggers.

Though this can be a big hurdle for some individuals who enter residential treatment, it provides a few unique benefits:

  • It allows residents to have some objectivity as they sort through which peers in their lives are helpful, and which ones are not.
  • It allows residents to make progress in treatment without undoing their treatment progress in the evening times.
  • It helps residents determine whether they are truly committed to the recovery process before they enter treatment.

3. Residential treatment provides appropriate separation of family members

We often observe in our substance abuse treatment programs that family members and substance users are usually at odds with each other when the treatment process begins. Though the substance user is usually the one that family members initially feel is “the problem,” family members are often surprised after a few weeks when they discover that they have fears, guilt, and resentments of their own.

Residential treatment programs allow for substance users to focus on recovery and mental health issues in an environment away from their family members, while family members seek counseling or support for issues they discover they have.

This allows the family to come back together in a cohesive way as the treatment program progresses. When the newly recovered substance user returns home and begins their IOP or PHP program, the entire family finds they have tools to respond to the new dynamics in the family.

4. Residential treatment programs provide a singular focus on recovery

Participants in outpatient or intensive outpatient treatment programs are in a unique position. They must learn to manage early recovery while also juggling family relationships, home environments, and resisting the classic temptations associated with early recovery. If the individual is also juggling work or school, then a number of other layers are present, each with their own unique temptations.

For some individuals, this is simply too much to deal with.

A benefit of residential substance abuse programs is that they eliminate the need to focus on anything other than just sobering up. Meals are provided, transportation is provided, and events are planned out. For 30, 60, or even 90 days in some cases, clients’ sole focus is to process emotions, learn the basics of the 12 steps, and develop strong bonds with peers in recovery. These early days in residential treatment often prove invaluable.

5. Community and positive peer relationships are formed in residential treatment centers

We know that connection to a community of positive peers is one of the most important factors in recovery. This is one of the fundamental principles behind programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Celebrate Recovery.

We also know that one of the most common ways to derail a newcomer’s recovery is through regular contact with negative using peers (or sometimes well-intentioned peers who don’t understand recovery).

Is it necessary to only spend time with peers in recovery forever? Of course not – but in the beginning it’s extremely valuable. Residential drug addiction treatment approaches allow for a period of time in the newcomer’s life where all of their social interactions and emotional support come from peers in recovery who understand what they’re going through.

6. Residential treatment centers offer more counseling and more meetings

When comparing levels of care in drug treatment, it’s immediately apparent that residential and inpatient rehab options have the advantage of a much higher intensity of counseling and 12-step support than outpatient or even partial hospitalization programs. Residents often receive up to 6 hours per day of counseling or therapy, in addition to daily 12-step meetings, process groups, and more.

7. Self-sabotage is much tougher in a residential treatment environment

Substance users are masters of self-sabotage, and this often takes the form of “undoing” their progress in treatment as the process unfolds. Recovering from drug or alcohol addiction is a massive step, and there are many uncomfortable challenges along the way. Substance users will often have an important breakthrough in a treatment session, only to drive by their dealer’s house on the way home or pick a fight with a family member later that evening.

Newly sober substance users also are often faced with challenges such as driving by an old liquor store or ex’s house on the way to and from work, IOP, or school day after day.

Residential substance abuse treatment eliminates all those variables for a while, which makes self-sabotage much harder. This allows residential clients to make progress more quickly in the early stages of their recovery.

8. Residential treatment programs provide thorough aftercare planning and goal setting

It’s important to remember that residential substance abuse treatment is just the beginning – it can take anywhere from 18-24 months for newly sober individuals to fully integrate into their new life as a sober individual. This process involves patience, diligence, and many ups and downs.

Residential programs will all have some sort of “hand off” process into the next phase of recovery. Typically, this involves some sort of IOP program, but will sometimes include a PHP program as well. Ideally, every program would culminate with a thorough Aftercare plan that involves check-ins with counseling staff and sober peers, 12-step meetings, and social activities.

Residential programs allow newly sober individuals the space and time to think through every step of this process, including developing specific plans and tools to respond to situations that arise at work, school, home, social time, and time spent alone.

9. Residential substance abuse treatment is a great beginning to the recovery journey

As stated above, residential programs represent a beginning. They are a chance for substance abusers to begin recovery in a safe, sober, and supportive environment. However, it’s important to remember that recovery is an ongoing process and that a robust Aftercare program is of critical importance.

If you or a loved one has been struggling with addiction or substance abuse problems alone, please reach out to a professional. We’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have and help you develop a plan to start your recovery journey today!

A young boy and his father deciding between inpatient and outpatient rehab.

Inpatient vs Outpatient Rehab: Which to Choose?

By on June 29th, 2022 in Addiction, Alcoholism, Family Support for Addiction

Realizing that ourselves or a family member has a substance use disorder is a big step – and many times comes as a shock. The next logical question we ask is: what should we do about it? Whether you’ve already discussed your options with a professional done some research on the topic, you may have heard the terms inpatient treatment and intensive outpatient rehab pop up more than a few times.

Inpatient rehab is done in a live-in environment, where treatment groups, social activities, and 12 step meetings are closely monitored. This level of care is more appropriate for those who have found it extremely difficult to stay sober in their typical home environment. Outpatient rehab is generally done in the evenings or afternoons, where participants are free to go home and are encouraged to seek their own outside 12-step meetings. It is also often recommended for those who have been through an inpatient or residential treatment program but are looking for a bridge into their long-term recovery process.

Though there isn’t a one size fits all answer to this question, we hope to offer some helpful guidance on this topic to maximize your chances of success.

Differences between outpatient vs inpatient rehab

We often receive questions from parents and family members about what level of care is right for an individual with a substance use disorder (SUD) or potential SUD. This can be an extremely complicated decision for family members to make, and advice on the topic can often be conflicting. Below we have highlighted some average features and benefits of each type of substance use treatment:

Outpatient Substance Use Treatment Inpatient Substance Use Treatment
6-12 weeks, on average 30-45 days, on average (some programs are up to 90 days in length)
9-15 hours or therapy per week, on average, split over 3-4 treatment days 6-8 hours of therapy per day, on average
Participants must seek their own outside 12-step meetings 6-7 in-house 12 step meetings per week, on average
Participants must provide their own transportation Transportation to and from outside activities is provided
Participants live at home Participants live in the treatment center
Typically followed with 6-12 week aftercare programs Typically followed by PHP or IOP programs

The main difference between any form of outpatient or inpatient program is where the client lives while attending treatment. The other difference between these types of treatment is intensity and time spent in treatment on a weekly basis.

Keep in mind that these are averages. Individual programs can vary wildly on features, goals, and length of stay. For example, a standard outpatient will meet 1-3 days a week for 1-3 hours per session. So, it is possible that one program may only meet for 1 hour once a week, while another meets for 3 hours 3 times a week, and both are referred to as outpatient programs. Obviously, the intensity of these two programs would be vastly different, so it’s important to research each program’s treatment schedules.

When to choose Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Rehab

This is a common starting point for an individual who presents with a substance use disorder but has maintained some level of functionality in their life. It can also be appropriate for individuals who have obligations to meet and cannot afford to take time off.

Intensive Outpatient treatment is most appropriate for individuals who:

  • Are not demonstrating life-threatening withdrawal symptoms
  • Do not present with medical or psychiatric symptoms that warrant hospitalization
  • Are capable of staying sober without being removed from their home environment
  • Need help learning to stay sober in their home environment
  • Have demonstrated a willingness to try to stay sober and seek 12-step support outside of the treatment environment

This can be confusing for some families, as they may think that starting with the most intensive option will increase the chances of long-term success. The reasoning behind this comes down to the most crucial elements of successful treatment, client willingness and personal “ownership” over treatment.

The “best” treatment in the world will not work for someone who isn’t committed to their own recovery, and the “worst” treatment will do wonders for someone who genuinely wants to change.

We have seen countless examples of parents who catch a family member using and immediately send them to a residential program, only to have the child return home and repeat the same behaviors. After working with these families later in their recovery journey, it became clear that the individual went through inpatient treatment without fully identifying their problem.

In other words, they thought their problem was that their family members overreacted rather than identifying their own substance use as the problem. They may learn a lot of valuable information in residential treatment, but they lacked internal understanding of why they were there in the first place.

It is for this reason that even if residential treatment or inpatient is available or seems appropriate, when safe, it can be beneficial to start treatment at an outpatient level and then move to a higher level of care if necessary. If utilized correctly, this method allows a individual to begin treatment at a less intensive level, with the knowledge that if they struggle to make progress in treatment or maintain sobriety, they will need to attend a higher level of care.

If the person does not wish to leave home, miss work / school, or miss any other commitments, then those things will serve as motivation to complete treatment goals and maintain sobriety. If the participant can make progress in IOP with these motivating factors, it’s a win-win.

The individual can begin their recovery journey and move towards a healthier lifestyle while avoiding having to put life on hold while in residential. It also allows families to retain financial resources which keeps options open if further treatment becomes necessary in the future.

If, on the other hand, it becomes clear that the person does need a higher level of care, the time spent in IOP should help provide the person with a sense of ownership and willingness. The person will be going to residential with the knowledge that they are going not because their parents caught them, but because they failed to make progress in their IOP program. This gives their counselors a solid place to start when working through issues with patients.

Intensive outpatient treatment also allows the individual and their family to begin utilizing recovery tools in the home setting, which is necessary for long term success. This often overlooked portion of the early recovery process is important, regardless of their level of care.

When to choose Residential Treatment or Outpatient Rehab

Obviously, there is no cookie cutter formula for treatment, and some individuals with SUD’s need inpatient treatment immediately. Because the individual lives in the treatment center, inpatient treatment has the benefit of providing an optimal environment for individuals to focus on their recovery without the distractions of daily life.

Inpatient rehab is most appropriate for individuals who:

  • Are using more dangerous drugs such as strong opiates or benzodiazepines regularly. (A daily opiate user has a significant chance of overdosing during a relapse, so placing them in a residential may be necessary for safety)
  • Do not have a home environment is not conducive to recovery.
  • Have a history of relapse or haven’t had success in IOP programs in the past.
  • Need around the clock accountability for their whereabouts in order to avoid relapse during the first phase of early recovery.

If their ease of access to drugs and alcohol is too high in the home environment, it can be very necessary to leave the home environment entirely in order to avoid relapse. These situations are often volatile, and require case-by-case planning to ensure the individual has a safe and sober place to live once they leave the relatively safe inpatient environment.

Other factors may include the participant’s willingness to attend treatment, physical access to treatment, or history of defiant behavior (such as running away or violence).

One element of particular importance is that we do not recommend looking at inpatient and outpatient treatment as an either / or choice. Inpatient treatment allows an individual to focus entirely on recovery for a while – extremely useful for those who need it. However, these individuals will often face unexpected challenges once they leave the treatment environment.

It is still important to continue the treatment journey after leaving inpatient rehab. This is often in the form an IOP or PHP (partial hospitalization) program.

Necessary Factors for Successful Treatment 

Regardless of the level of care you choose, there are number of elements to seek out in treatment options. For treatment plans to be successful, there are a few requirements, which are as follows.

The counseling programs, therapists, family members, and affected individuals should have consistent and effective communication. This can be a major hurdle for an early recovery journey. If someone is referred to residential for a higher level of care, or referred to an IOP for aftercare, communication between programs and families is essential. Without it, the transition between programs can be disorganized and ineffective.

It is important for the goals of treatment to remain consistent between programs, and this cannot happen without communication. When possible, it is preferable to keep treatment philosophies similar between programs. For example, if an inpatient program uses a 12-step or alternative peer group model, then the follow-up IOP program should also utilize a 12-step or alternative peer group model.

In conclusion

As stated before, there is no perfect answer to which level of care you should choose. If you’re currently weighing the options on outpatient rehab vs inpatient drug rehab, we recommend that you discuss your concerns and weigh your options with a medical provider or therapist in your area.

Those trained in responding to addiction will help you choose the best option for your individual situation. If you are anywhere near the Phoenix or Sacramento areas, give us a call. We would be happy to set up a no cost evaluation with you and your family member in order to help determine a course of action and begin your family’s path to recovery.

Wine glass with a cry for help.

Does AA Really Work? New 2020 Research on AA Effectiveness

By on August 13th, 2020 in Addiction, Alcoholism, Articles

A new analysis of research on AA published this year by Keith Humphreys, PhD et al. has sought to answer some long-standing questions about whether or not Alcoholics Anonymous is effective for alcohol use disorder and other substance use disorders.

Alcoholics Anonymous has been considered the gold standard in the treatment and mental health world for decades as a method of helping individuals beat their drinking and drug use problems. There have also been over 30 other free fellowships formed that directly utilize their 12-step program model of recovery. This number doesn’t even include the many fellowships and groups out there that credit AA with influencing their model, such as Celebrate Recovery. However, the fellowship’s insistence that each AA group remains autonomous, that access to the fellowship remains free of charge, and it’s historical resistance to being directly studied may lead one to some very logical questions:

  1. How effective is AA and 12 step treatment?
  2. If it is effective, is it more effective than other forms of treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy?

AA Research – some quick background

Humphreys is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral studies and a member of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University. For the past 3 years, Humphreys and his co-authors have been reviewing research from over 57 independent studies concerning the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous as a solution to the basic trouble of the alcoholic, drug addict, or substance abuser.

They ran the meta-analysis through the standards set forth by the Cochrane Collaboration, which has long been considered the gold standard for meta-analysis. It is trusted by clinicians and considered to be bias resistant. After holding the 57 studies up to Cochrane Reviews’ standards, it was decided that 27 of them were suitable for inclusion in the meta analysis. The 27 studies represented research on over 10,000 individuals ranging in age from young to old and who either attended AA or received other types of therapy. The average ages of participants in the studies was between 34 and 51. This is quite a large evidence base!

The original abstract of the research can be found in the Cochrane Library by clicking here.

The basics of the AA 12-step approach – a quick overview

Alcoholics Anonymous chips for lengths of sobriety

Alcoholics Anonymous gives out chips denoting various lengths of sobriety.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a grassroots movement that dates back to the 1930’s between two alcoholics who were trying to maintain abstinence from alcohol. They found that when they connected with each other, and attempted to deliver their message of hope and recovery to alcoholics still suffering, they were able to maintain their own sobriety, and even find peace and happiness.

This realization flowered into multiple free support groups in Akron, New York, and Cleveland. They later formed the basis of their recovery process, the well known approach using 12 steps. This process starts with admission of powerlessness over one’s addiction and developing a relationship with a higher power of the participant’s choice. It proceeds to complete a thorough inventory of one’s conduct and life, continues through a process of making amends with those harmed, and culminates with the 12th step – delivering the message to those who still suffer of alcoholism and addiction.

AA’s model is completely free and self-sustaining, denying charitable contributions from outside organizations. AA members are free to consider themselves members if they have a stated desire to stop drinking.

The study’s results – does AA really work?

The study refers to AA/TSF interventions, which means Alcoholics Anonymous and Twelve Step Facilitation. These interventions were compared with other psychological clinical interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Three areas were studied: rates of continuous abstinence, percentage of days abstinent, intensity of drinking/using, and healthcare cost savings.

It was found that:

AA improves rates of continuous abstinence at 12 months, and that the effect continues at 24 and 36 months. This means that AA meetings and 12 step interventions are particularly better at producing continuous abstinence in the long term.

For percentage of days abstinent (days sober compared to days not sober), AA performs as well as other clinical interventions at 12 months – but AA outperforms other interventions at 24 and 36 months.

For drinking intensity (drinks per drinking day / percentage heavy drinking days), AA was found to perform as well as other clinical interventions at 9 months and 12 months.

3 of the 4 studies reporting on the cost of health care reported that AA and 12-step interventions showed greater health care cost savings. The fourth study concluded that other interventions outperformed AA, but that those with the worst prognostic characteristics showed greater health care savings from AA. While at first this may seem like it should be obvious, keep in mind that things like overdoses, hospital visits, and sickness add to healthcare costs as well. Sober people have lower healthcare costs in general.

The authors’ general conclusions, as quoted directly from the abstract:

“There is high quality evidence that manualized AA/TSF interventions are more effective than other established treatments, such as CBT, for increasing abstinence. Non‐manualized AA/TSF may perform as well as these other established treatments. AA/TSF interventions, both manualized and non‐manualized, may be at least as effective as other treatments for other alcohol‐related outcomes. AA/TSF probably produces substantial healthcare cost savings among people with alcohol use disorder.”

What does this mean for counseling, therapy, and rehab?

Humphreys also addressed the controversy that can surround Alcoholics Anonymous at times. He noted that while physicians tend to support 12 step approaches, psychiatrists and psychologists will sometimes regard the fellowship with skepticism. After all, how can lay people do a better job at facilitating recovery from alcohol and drugs than a trained psychologist with degrees?

Humphreys was quick to point out that while the study has made him a true believer in the Alcoholics Anonymous approach, he isn’t saying that counseling or substance abuse treatment shouldn’t be considered. He recommends that counseling for substance users can be designed as a “an extended, warm hand-off into the fellowship.” He noted in a podcast interview with Stanford Medicine that he felt validated for his recommendation that so many different people try Alcoholics Anonymous over the years. While he does admit that the AA way of life doesn’t necessarily work for every single person, an individual with a substance abuse problem will likely be better off if they give AA a try.

Based on our extensive experience helping young people and teens stop drinking and find sobriety, we would agree with Humphrey’s assessment here. Alcohol and drug treatment programs, whether inpatient or outpatient, in addition to therapy, are all valuable tools, but we see success rates dramatically improve when the participant is willing to make a transition into Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar fellowship (such as those directed at drug addiction) once their participation in our support groups comes to a close.

Further reading on this important research on Alcoholics Anonymous can be found Stanford University and Inverse.com.

It's possible to seek freedom from drug usage during the COVID pandemic.

Should I Still Seek Drug and Alcohol Treatment or 12 Step Meetings During COVID-19?

By on April 17th, 2020 in 12 Steps, Addiction, Alcoholism, Articles

Who knew how much the Stay At Home Order would affect our substance abuse recovery?

Over the past month, we’ve all had a lot of time to think, pray, and reflect on the implications of our current situation. As of this writing, we have been under quarantine for one month, and I was reminded of this moment today:

After the last in-person 12 Step meeting I attended before the stay at home order, one of the regulars in the meeting joked, “I’m not sure what’s worse for us alcoholics, to risk getting COVID-19 by attending meetings or to risk drinking by not attending meetings.”

It was a sullen half-joke. We both chuckled, but in the back of our minds we thought of the countless alcoholics and addicts around the city, country, and world who would struggle in this unprecedented situation. In a very real sense, we both knew that access to recovery resources is a matter of life and death for many. We exchanged phone numbers with one of the newer members of the group and went home.

It’s been over a month since that moment, and at the time, none of us in that meeting realized how long this quarantine would last. We also didn’t realize how serious this pandemic would be.

A friend of mine recently wrote an article in which she indicated that she had spent her entire recovery fighting her natural desire to isolate. How ironic that, for our own good, we are now being directed to isolate! As a recovering person, that sentiment really resonated with me.

However, a few questions that have come up over and over throughout this process:

  • What are the newcomers to recovery going to do? (I couldn’t imagine having 30 days sober at this moment in time)
  • Are the drug & treatment programs even open right now? (Yes, they are on the essential services list)
  • Is it even worth it to see drug and alcohol treatment right now? (Hint: yes, it is)
  • My son or daughter is using drugs; how am I supposed to help them with everything shut down?

I’ve noticed that while there has been a lot said about the struggles of the recovering person, I haven’t seen very much said about the solutions that are still available to us and to our families. For that reason, I’ve decided to compile a list of resources that I KNOW are available to each and every one of us, right now:

COVID-19 Stay At Home Order Alcohol & Drug Recovery Options For the Newcomer & The Recovering Person:

  • Recovery meetings (12 Step and otherwise) are available virtually over Zoom, GoToMeeting, Skype, and other platforms. You can find links to those resources…
  • Treatment centers are still open. As an essential service, in-person and virtual IOP’s are open. Please, please, please do not hesitate to seek treatment for yourself or a loved one who needs it during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • You’re probably carrying an $800 recovery supercomputer in your pocket right now. Your phone is your friend. Call your safety nets, sponsors, and friends. Share, laugh, cry, do whatever you need to do. If you don’t have phone numbers, Alcoholics Anonymous help lines are up and running. You can also call SAMSHA’s helpline 1-800-622-HELP (4357).

Resources For the Parents of recovering (or using), teenagers, young adults, or loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Tools for anyone Affected by Drug Use or Recovery During This Time

The stay at home order has forced me to be reminded that, as we say in recovery, happiness is an inside job. Here’s some things that any of us can do:

  • Finish some Stepwork. You know the inventory you’ve been putting off? Yeah, THAT one. Go ahead and write it.
  • Write a Gratitude List.
  • Read Page 60-63 in the Big Book – or any other of your favorite passages. 

My challenge to recovering people & families over the next week:

  • Utilize ALL of the recovery tools listed above that apply to you.
  • Write your own gratitude list. You might be surprised what you come up with.
  • Do all things with love.
  • Follow Rule 62: DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY.
Depression and strained family relationships are symptoms of substance use disorder

What is Substance Use Disorder? (SUD)

By on April 6th, 2020 in Addiction, Alcoholism, Articles

When you’re looking for help for yourself or a loved one, it can be difficult to navigate terminology and information when you’ve never been exposed to the recovery or treatment world. The purpose of this article is to break down some of those barriers. The term “substance use disorder”, or SUD, is a term related to drug addiction and substance use that you may hear and/or read often on this journey. We want to provide you with definitions for the terms you will hear and see, as well as give you some insight into recovery terminology.

What does the term SUD mean?

SUD is a commonly used acronym in the treatment field that stands for Substance Use Disorder. Prior to 2013, providers would use the 4th edition of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statical Manual (DSM-IV) to diagnose an individual with either substance abuse or substance dependence, but not both. The manual gave a list of symptoms, such as tolerance, withdrawal, the presence of legal consequences, etc. Substance abuse was defined by the presence of 1 or 2 symptoms, whereas substance dependence was defined as 3 or more.

In 2013, a new edition of the manual was released. In the updated DSM-5, SUDs are not characterized by abuse vs. dependence. Without this distinction, an individual would receive a “use disorder” label with a reference to a specific drug class (i.e. “cannabis use disorder” or “cocaine use disorder”).

This new classification and symptom criteria for SUDs came on the heels of professionals recognizing that many different synergistic factors contribute to addiction tendencies involving alcohol and other drugs. This means that it is usually not just one thing (i.e. trauma, strained family relationships, negative peer groups) that causes addiction.

What this means for treatment of Substance Use Disorder

The new classification recognizes that not all substance use disorders are driven by a single cause, and not all of them can be labeled as “drug addiction”, “drug abuse”, etc. Use of drugs, alcohol, nicotine, whether legal or illegal, is a multi-factorial issue.

This is especially true of young people. Not everyone that that meets the criteria for a substance use disorder identifies as an addict or an alcoholic; however, we believe that the treatment for an individual should be consistent regardless of their personal admission of being and addict or alcoholic. This means assessing each person individually to determine the severity of their substance use disorder and to uncover underlying issues that may also be at play.

Signs and symptoms of Substance Use Disorder

The diagnosis of substance use disorder is done in an assessment with a drug and alcohol treatment professional. We take a look at the various signs, symptoms, and consequences of an individual’s consumption of drugs, alcohol, or other substances over the course of the last 12 months. Using information from the assessment, we determine things such as:

  • Did the individual’s consumption increase over the 12 month period (tolerance)?
  • Did the individual experience cravings for the drug or substance?
  • Did the person desire to cut down or quit and find they were unable to?
  • Did the individual miss out on school, work, or family obligations as a result of their substance use?
  • Many more factors

What Substances Qualify for the Diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder?

Substance abuse disorder is a diagnosis that can be applied to any substances or drugs that are causing a problem or issue in the patient’s life. We are often asked if this applies to legal substances like nicotine, alcohol, or prescription drugs. The answer is YES. The legality of the substance is not a deciding factor in the diagnosis – the main factors are the ones described in the section above. Namely, we want to assess what the effects of the substance have been on the user’s life. Substances that could qualify someone for the diagnosis of substance disorder include:

Other important definitions for treatment of substance use disorder:

  • MAT- Medicated Assisted Therapy: involves the use of medications (such as Buprenorphine) to assist in the detox and treatment of a patient.
  • Co-occurring disorders: condition in which an individual has a co-existing mental illness and SUD.
  • Intervention: A process by which family and friends confront an individual about their addiction in order to seek help for the individual. Interventions are usually facilitated by a trained personnel. Contacting a trained interventionist is the best place to start when seeking help for a loved one, as the interventionist will help with the process by providing assessments for appropriate levels of care along with referrals to treatment centers.
  • Residential Treatment Center (RTC): Intensive treatment for individuals outside of their home in which individuals participate in a live-in health care facility under trained staff supervision. Not everyone is appropriate for RTC, so be sure to have yourself or a loved one participate in an assessment to determine the appropriate level of care.
  • Intensive Outpatient (IOP): Usually 10-20 hours of group and individual therapy each week. IOP is a step down from residential treatment, and is usually recommended as follow-up care after successful completion of an RTC; however, completing a residential program is not always necessary prior to participating in an IOP program. Refer to a professional to determine which level of care is an appropriate starting point.

Visit https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-high-functioning-alcoholic/201106/understanding-addiction-treatment-levels-care for more information regarding levels care for SUD treatment.