Substance Use Disorder Treatment

What are the Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment?

Drug addiction treatment has many years of history behind it. For decades, clinicians have spent time and money working on effective recovery practices. At Fairfield BHS, we believe in these principles because we’ve seen them work. Here are a few of the main things that need to be understood for effective drug addiction treatment:

1. Addiction doesn’t look the same for everyone. At Fairfield BHS, we believe in individualized treatment. Everyone that comes in for recovery has their unique pasts, behaviors, and needs. The needs of the person as a whole need to be considered for their treatment to work.
2. Easy access to treatment needs to be available. This means that if you or a loved one is struggling and needs help, we need to be available – no matter the budget or the timeline. If you need us, we’re here day or night.
3. All of your needs need to be addressed. Addiction treatment isn’t just about addressing your addiction. We look at everything you need to live a productive, fulfilling, and independent life. We look at your physical and mental health because those things go hand-in-hand.
4. It’s important to stay in treatment for the right amount of time. Everyone’s treatment needs to vary a little. Some people need treatment for longer than others. If you or your loved one leaves treatment before the time is up, it could be detrimental to achieving recovery.
5. Therapy is important to your recovery. Your mental state is important when it comes to your recovery. Therapy will help you identify the triggers that make you want to drink or turn to drugs, and it can teach you how to avoid them. This is why it’s such an important aspect of drug addiction treatment.
6. Medication is sometimes necessary. Some patients need medication in conjunction with their physical and mental therapies. It’s vital to address this and have the right medications prescribed in a safe, effective manner.
7. Your needs will change during treatment – so your treatment plan needs to change, too. Therapists and clinicians have a responsibility to keep up with their patient’s ever-changing needs. Your treatment should grow with you and consistently move you forward. This means we’ll be regularly checking in with you and assessing your next steps.
8. Mental disorders and addiction are close friends. Addiction and mental disorders often co-occur, and your clinicians must consider this. If you are struggling with a mental disorder, you’ll get help with it in treatment.
9. Medication for substance use isn’t a long-term fix. We use medication as a tool to help with severe withdrawals, but it isn’t meant to be used long-term. Medication used will not cure addiction.
10. Treatment can work even when it’s not voluntary. Sometimes, treatment needs to become mandatory. Something like a court-ordered drug addiction treatment program can be just as effective as someone coming in of their own volition.
11. Relapse can happen during treatment, too. The place you trust for your recovery needs to be aware of treatment relapse. It happens, and it needs to be taken care of when it does. Your treatment center needs to know how to modify your treatment plan when this happens. They also need to treat it with compassion and understanding – not shame.
12. Your treatment center needs to perform testing for things like HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C. Drug and alcohol-related diseases are all-too-common, and it’s our responsibility to test as you enter treatment. We need to make sure there’s nothing we’re missing when it comes to your healing process.

What Kind of Medications are Prescribed in Substance Abuse Treatment?

Medication-assisted treatment is common, but it might sound a little scary if you’re new to recovery, it might sound a little scary. The medications we provide you in treatment are meant to help you through the withdrawal process and ease you into a healthy, drug-free recovery. At FBHS, we prescribe the following medications if needed:

Suboxone: Suboxone is another drug known for its opioid-blocking effects. This comes in the form of a sublingual film.

Subutex: Subutex (or Buprenorphine) is used to help with the withdrawal symptoms of opioid misuse. When used correctly, it’s safe and effective. It’s also less habit-forming and much safer than opioids themselves.

How Often do People Succeed in Substance Use Disorder Treatment?

At Fairfield BHS, we define success not just in the ability to stay sober but also by looking at your quality of life after treatment. We wish that we could tell you that everyone who attends treatment or rehab is successful in their recovery. The long-term sobriety or recovery post-treatment statistics are all over the board because every treatment center has different outcomes.

We can tell you that when patients stick with their treatment plan and commit to aftercare programs, their chances of staying in recovery increase tenfold. We’ve witnessed countless success stories here at Fairfield Behavioral Health Services, and we plan on seeing many more.

Recurrence (Relapse) is common, both in treatment and throughout recovery. Recurrence does not mean you’re not successful. For many people, recurrences are just a small part of their overall success story. Recurrence is never a sign that your treatment program has failed you. Sometimes, it means that your doctor needs to be contacted so you can modify your treatment plan.