If you’re ready to embark on the road to recovery, it is normal to wonder what that process looks like. While it is different for everyone, a rough outline can help you prepare. Take a closer look at an ideal treatment plan for addiction detox and recovery.
Completing a Drug or Alcohol Detox
The first step of any treatment plan is removing the physical dependence. To achieve this, detox is usually recommended. This typically lasts anywhere from one to two weeks.
During a detox, patients will go into withdrawal. This can be unpleasant, and there may be some withdrawal symptoms. The exact symptoms, and the duration of the detox, will depend on the patient and their history of addiction.
Detox is largely physical. While it gets patients sober and frees the chemical need for drugs or alcohol, it is only the first step. What comes next is learning how to live without substance abuse for a lifetime.
Pre-Admissions Assessment
Since every patient is unique, a great rehab and treatment facility will spend time getting to know incoming patients. Extended pre-admissions involvement is the time to learn as much as possible about health, family history, and addiction history.
Sometimes, patients have already attempted to recover and relapsed. This doesn’t mean that failure is inevitable! Armed with that information, medical professionals can make adjustments to focus on relapse prevention.
This assessment is also an opportunity to address any physical health concerns. While addiction is often considered a mental health disorder, its impact can still be physiological. Treating and addressing underlying physical issues can be key during treatment and beyond.
Partial Hospitalization Program
The next step in the treatment plan is a partial hospitalization program or PHP. This is a part-time residential drug treatment program with 24/7 resources. It allows patients to have around-the-clock medical care as required.
Partial hospitalization programs, or PHP, are an important step in the process. They allow patients to commit to full recovery, and they allow loved ones to step back for a brief respite.
The best results from PHP come when patients are in smaller facilities. At Steps to Recovery, there are just 18 beds. This means that for roughly two weeks, patients are getting lots of personalized attention and direct care.
Intensive Outpatient Programs
After PHP, patients can begin intensive outpatient programs. As an outpatient program, it is designed so that patients can head home each night. For six days a week, however, patients attend a full range of treatments and therapies.
During intensive outpatient programs or IOP, patients can take full advantage of addiction treatment approaches. Just some of the options may include:
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- One-on-one behavioral therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Addiction education classes
- 12-step program meetings
- Transitioning to Independent Living
After the intensive outpatient program, patients can move on to the next stage in the treatment plan. The ultimate goal is for patients to live independently and still avoid the risk of relapse.
During this phase, patients will expand on their life skills. Learning how to live independently is key. Also a focus during this stage will be creating custom coping mechanisms. Identifying and relying on a support system is also critical.
Ongoing Care and a Continuing Treatment Plan
Recovery from addiction should be thought of as an ongoing process. Finishing treatment is great news, but it doesn’t mean that the risk of relapse is gone forever.
Patients have to understand that remaining sober requires ongoing care. Any treatment plan has to include knowledge of continuing risks that will always require attention. This might mean ongoing therapy, group support meetings and abstinence from many substances.
Having a plan for treatment can make the entire recovery process easier to understand. At Steps to Recovery in Levittown, Pennsylvania, you can begin the process of overcoming any addiction. Call 267.719.8528 to make positive changes in your life starting right now.
