How to Find the Best Addiction Treatment Program
No matter the nature of your addiction experience, every day can be a struggle. It’s easy to feel helpless. You may think that there’s no way to get out from under your substance abuse, or that your specific condition is beyond help, but that’s not the case. Recovery is possible if you find the right program for your needs.
The first step is the most famous one: admitting that you have a problem and that your life has become unmanageable. Once you have come to that realization, you are already well on your way to recovery, even before you enter a treatment center or a counselor’s office. Take a moment to give yourself credit. Next, you need to find the right treatment program for you. Here’s how to make that happen.
Determine your treatment goals
No two recovery journeys are exactly alike. Everyone has different needs when it comes to recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. What works for one person may not necessarily work for someone else. Therefore, it’s extremely important that you choose a program that will be able to help you reach your specific rehab goals, and in order to do that, you have to identify the goals ahead of time. Figure out which substance(s) and behavior are giving you the most trouble; determine any corresponding causes that complicate your addiction, which could be treated in a dual diagnosis; and finally, set your goal: do you want six months of sobriety? A year? A lifetime? You and your loved ones know the answer, so put together a plan before heading into treatment.
The types of addiction treatment
Once you have your treatment goals hashed out, it’s time to research the different forms of addiction treatment and figure out which one is best suited for you. There is an addiction program that can fit any background or lifestyle. Some are more casual while others are highly intensive and require constant monitoring. The severity of your condition determines which type is best for you. Here are some to consider.
Residential Treatment
For some folks, the best way to treat addiction is to get away from anything that triggers you to abuse substances. The goal is to create a space where you can fully focus on getting better without being distracted by work, or friends and family, or anything else that can interrupt recovery. A residential treatment program provides comprehensive support staff to help guide you through recovery, which is especially helpful during the detoxification process, which requires medical support.
In addition to a healthcare team, residential programs also include counseling as well as group therapy sessions. Most provide family therapy sessions, as well. The goal is to provide you with insights that will help you understand and manage your addiction, including any coinciding mental health issues.
Folks can stay in a residential program for days, weeks, or months – however long it takes you to determine healthy habits, learn coping skills, and commit to a life of sobriety.
Outpatient Treatment
If you have a solid support system in the form of friends, family. and colleagues, you might prefer outpatient treatment over a residential program. With outpatient, you can live at home while working on recovery, and it also prevents you from missing too much work.
Outpatient treatment can happen during the day or the evening, but you do not stay around the clock. Instead, you meet with counselors at the facility for a few hours per day. The things you discuss and work on are the same as those in a residential program, but it gives you the flexibility to keep up with day-to-day life.
For outpatient treatment to be successful, your home should be a safe place. If you are ever tempted to use drugs or alcohol while living at home, then residential treatment is a better option for you. Determining whether your home is a safe space should come during your goal evaluation phase.
Day Treatment
Day treatment is like a mixture of outpatient and residential. You live at home, but you receive detox, withdrawal, and counseling support for about seven to eight hours every day, rather than just two or three. Like residential, you will work with doctors and counselors throughout the program and attend various meetings and group sessions. Some recovery centers offer day treatment as part of their overall program package, but local hospitals also provide programs for patients with addiction.
Other things to consider when selecting a treatment program
There is a multitude of factors that go into picking the best addiction treatment program for you. Some are large in scale, where others are more commonplace. You might not even think to consider them. Here’s a quick list of other things to think about when selecting the right treatment:
- Location
- Accepted insurance
- Amenities
- Aftercare services
- Size and population
- Accreditation
Keep these things in mind when doing your research, and make sure to prioritize accordingly. If you’re going with an outpatient program, something close to home is going to be helpful; if you find a center that’s great for you, but is far from home, consider the residential program so you don’t have to worry about a commute.
Miramar offers these programs and more. We proudly serve the Orange County community. If you or someone you love is suffering from addiction, please contact us immediately for help.
