Finding the right treatment

Levels of Care

Different levels of intensities of treatment exist. The right level of treatment depends on the severity of your addiction and how far along you are in your recovery journey. Most people need a lot of structure and support to break the cycle of addiction in the beginning of their journey. This is usually found in an addiction treatment program (aka rehab). Before entering a treatment program, you should have your level of withdrawal assessed and managed by a medical professional. Certain withdrawal syndromes can be deadly if not treated. If you have a history of severe withdrawal or significant medical or psychiatric conditions, you may need your withdrawal managed at an inpatient program, a detox center, or an emergency department, prior to going to a treatment program. Treatment programs can be either a residential program (a rehab that you live at for 30 days or more) or it can be an intensive outpatient program (a program you go to daily while you continue to live at home). Once you complete these treatment programs you should transition to an aftercare program, halfway house, or recovery residence to help maintain your sobriety. Madina House Recovery Residence is a good way to maintain your recovery after you leave a treatment program. Recovery residences based on our model have been shown to increase the success of long-term recovery.

How to choose a good treatment program?

Most people will make the decision of what treatment program to go to based on insurance, location, and availability. Treatment can be expensive, so many will start by calling a representative from their insurance provider to find what programs are available to them. After making a list of options that are financially feasible, the next consideration is availability. Getting into a good treatment program immediately is much better than getting into the best treatment program days or weeks from now. When the decision to get into treatment occurs, the window of opportunity might not stay open for long given the nature of addiction. If you do have options to choose from, researching the program’s website or calling their intake team can help you understand what type of program to enter. A good program has evidence-based interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational techniques, professionally-led and peer support groups, and medication management for those that need it. If you have co-occurring mental health conditions, you may consider looking at a dual diagnosis program.

Residential vs Intensive Outpatient Program

These are two types of treatment programs. A residential program (e.g. checking into and living at a 30-day rehab program) has different benefits than an intensive outpatient program (e.g. live at home but show up at the treatment center for classes and groups 3-5 days a week). An intensive outpatient program might be a starting point for some people if they have a stable home environment that is supportive towards their recovery from addiction (at a bare minimum it should be a substance-free home). If you are still struggling at this level of care, you should escalate to a higher level of care (i.e. residential rehab program). Many might decide to go directly into a residential program as a starting point because their instinct tells them an outpatient program won’t get the job done. All of these short-term treatment programs are designed to get you started off on your path and should be followed up by a good aftercare plan and program to help you maintain all your gains. After you are discharged from one of these places, you can go to a halfway house, outpatient program, or Madina House Recovery Residence.

Can I see a professional to help me find treatment?

If addiction is a new problem to you, finding the right professional to conduct an evaluation of your addiction and help you design a treatment plan can be helpful. There are three main routes to find help; the therapist route, the doctor route, and the treatment program route.

Therapist

If you have seen a mental health professional in the past, that may be a good place to start. You can ask them if they have experience or training in addiction to assess if you have a problem, or if they can refer you to someone with training in addiction.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/addiction

Doctor

When seeking competent professionals to evaluate and treat addiction, you should know that not every doctor or psychiatrist can diagnose or treat addiction. However, they can often be a good starting point. A trusted doctor can help refer you to an addiction specialist such as an addiction medicine physician or addiction psychiatrist who can help evaluate and provide treatment solutions.

Websites that can help you find an addiction medicine specialist in your area:

https://certification.theabpm.org/physician-lookup

Addiction Treatment Programs

These treatment programs usually have qualified professionals who can provide an evaluation and help you figure out how to get help. You can usually get an evaluation without committing to the actual treatment program. Many people will go through their insurance to find what nearby treatment programs are covered under their insurance. You can often find a substance use or mental health phone number on your insurance card that you can call to help you find your options.