What is Intensive Addiction Therapy?

Intensive addiction therapy, as with many other therapies that are designed to treat substance use disorder disorders, has multiple steps that must be taken in order to achieve “sobriety.” The nature of these steps depends on the particular patient and their history.

Did the patient undergo rehab before? Might the patient have a mental illness complicating their recovery, requiring dual diagnosis? It’s important that these questions are answered. Then, the professional who evaluates the client can provide more information on the best treatment plan.

Not only will a good addiction treatment program help curb addictive behaviors in the short-term, but it also will greatly reduce one’s likelihood of relapsing.

Who is Intensive Addiction Therapy Good For?

A rigorous addiction therapy process is good for those who tried a few different approaches to addiction treatment, but none were successful. With intensive addiction therapy, patients have a better chance to focus on the underlying source of their addiction and build healthy strategies for recovery through their frequent meetings with professionals.

Intensive therapy for addiction is also ideal for those who have been abusing substances for a good amount of time. It’s been shown that individuals with chronic substance use disorder disorders require continuous care and frequent checkups to best kick a substance use disorder disorder. Intensive addiction therapy allows for both these needs to be met.

Speaking with the professionals in the rehab or other treatment program and asking about this type of recovery process can help you determine whether it is a good program for your particular situation.

What Should I Expect with Intensive Addiction Therapy?

Those who undergo intensive addiction therapy can expect to go through a series of steps to treat their addiction. Overcoming a long-time addiction, or kicking this habit for good means taking more than one step to find the best way to overcome it.

Detox is the first step in the process. Sometimes the patient may take medication to help with any uncomfortable feelings or symptoms that might be experienced. Detoxing “cold turkey,” or without medical supervision or help, is not recommended.

Inpatient rehab is usually the next step. These facilities include bedrooms, kitchens, and common areas. Inpatient rehabs guarantee around-the-clock care and can keep patients away from environmental triggers.

After a patient leaves a rehab facility, treatment is rarely over. Outpatient services are usually the next step. A patient may live on their own, with friends or family, or even stay at a halfway house but still may opt to receive some treatment in the form of visiting a health professional or attending group therapy every so often.

This is referred to as an Intensive Outpatient Program, and it’s just one component of intensive addiction therapy. These programs help give the patient the skills and support to live an addiction-free life after leaving the rehab facility.

Medication may be prescribed for those in an intensive treatment program. This helps the patient kick the withdrawals that might happen for the rest of their lives, depending on the substance they’ve been using.

Commonly prescribed medications include Methadone, Suboxone, and Naltrexone, though many others can be prescribed depending on the addiction.

All of these steps combine to form a well-rounded and intensive rehab program that has a better chance of identifying and treating the root cause of substance use disorder disorders than traditional rehab therapies.

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Where Do I Go to Get This Type of Therapy?

Intensive addiction therapy is provided by rehab centers around the country, though the specifics will likely differ from place to place. Your physician and insurance providers will be able to direct you to rehab facilities that can help you.

You can also simply search the internet for rehab facilities/substance use disorder disorder treatment programs. Many of them will provide hotlines and emails if you wish to know more about the therapies they offer.

Will My Insurance Cover Intensive Addiction Therapy?

Insurance coverage is important to consider. Since substance use disorder disorders are considered treatable mental illnesses, most insurance companies now provide some sort of coverage for the individual to seek help.

Many public and private insurance coverage options have to provide this type of help to those who are dealing with an addiction. There are specific centers, medications, and treatments that may or may not be covered under the specific insurance plan that you currently have.

Learn more about your insurance coverage by reading the pamphlet that comes with the coverage. Mental health, addiction, and rehab services are usually covered inside this booklet.

It is important to remember that there is no “one therapy fits all” type of treatment. Usually, programs that help individuals overcome addiction are specialized and personalized (uniquely-fit to the patient who is using it).

Finding help is the best thing you can do. It is the right thing to do. With thousands of individuals losing their lives to addiction every year, you don’t want to be one more who is lost to the drug epidemic.