Drug addiction is a complex disorder that can involve virtually every aspect of an individual’s functioning—in the family, at work and school, and in the commun
ity. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that 2020 was a record year for synthetic opiate deaths in the United States. It is estimated that over ninety-three thousand (93,000) people died in the United States last year.
This almost 30% increase over 2019 deaths was attributed to the flood of synthetic opiates beginning at the end of 2019 as well as the isolation and anxiety associated with the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The demand for discreet, individualized, and evidence-based has been rising as well. There are many different treatment methods in many different settings using a variety of behavioral, spiritual and pharmacological approaches. These treatments are provided in inpatient, outpatient, and residential settings.
Most of these treatments, however, start with medical detoxification and medically managed withdrawal. “Detox” is often considered the first stage of substance abuse treatment and represents the process by which the body clears itself of drugs, is designed to manage the potentially dangerous and acute physiological effects of withdrawal. Detoxification alone does. typically, have a Recovery component in it; Detox does not address the biopsychosocial problems associated with addiction and therefore does not typically produce the lasting behavioral changes needed for long-term recovery. Detoxification should thus be followed by a formal assessment and referral to drug addiction treatment.
Residential Treatment
The two main types of residential treatment are Long-term and Short-term treatment. While both provide care 24 hours a day and are generally in non-hospital settings, the difference between them is the time and intensity of therapy. Long-term can range between 6 and 12 months and may focus on the “resocialization” of the individual back into society by using the program’s entire community. Treatment is highly structured and focuses on developing personal accountability and responsibility as well as socially productive lives. Short-term residential programs may provide intensive treatment but the duration is a relatively brief stay of typically a 3-6 week period. Because the stay is short, many Short-term residential programs focus on the 12-Step approach as this will be the most readily available Recovery option when the individual leaves and goes out into the world. Upon discharge from a residential program, it is important for individuals to remain engaged in outpatient treatment programs and/or aftercare programs as these programs help to reduce the risk of relapse.
Vero Beach Recovery Center Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Whether an individual elects to begin our IOP following their discharge from a Residential facility or they decide to start their journey to Recovery with IOP, this form of Outpatient treatment costs far less than residential treatment and often is a great choice for people with jobs, school, and extensive social supports. Our IOP is evidence-based and the treatment techniques can be comparable to residential programs in services, therapies, and effectiveness. However, depending on the individual patient’s needs, a treatment plan will be developed for individual therapy. In our IOP we stress accountability and structure, therefore, drug testing and group counseling is a requirement. Our Intensive Outpatient Program is also designed to treat patients with other mental health problems in addition to their drug disorders.
