The addiction to prescription painkillers and other opioids is on the rise in the United States, and it’s leading many lawmakers and medical professionals to refer to the problem as an epidemic. It’s increasingly difficult for many people to avoid painkillers because of the prevalence of prescriptions being written by doctors, and the rise in chronic pain scenarios. Despite how common the use and ultimately the abuse of painkillers has become, it’s important for people to understand if they are abusing these narcotics and take the necessary steps to seek treatment. Seeking addiction treatment and rehab can help prevent the dangerous and even deadly results that can come with long-term painkiller abuse.
Specialized Painkiller Addiction Treatment
At The Recovery Village, there is a belief that in order to be successful in the long-term as far as remaining off painkillers, it’s important that a full continuum of care is provided. The treatment approach at The Recovery Village regarding painkillers and opioids of all kinds is one that’s in-depth, and also progressive. The treatment approach for addiction to painkillers allows patients to move from one step to the next, and each phase of their recovery builds on the other.
If you come to The Recovery Village with a problem with prescription painkillers, we will first begin assessing you for the medical detox program. For many of our clients, the detox phase is the most challenging of their recovery, and that’s why we think a medically-supervised detox is so essential for success in your sobriety. You’re evaluated by our team of medical professionals, and we take every possible step to provide comfort and safety.
Once you’ve safely and effectively completed the detox phase of the treatment program, you’ll move to residential treatment. This is where our clients with painkiller addictions begin their treatment and recovery with around the clock care and unique therapeutic opportunities.
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For patients addicted to painkillers, the next step of the process usually is a move to a partial hospitalization program (PHP). This offers the stability needed, but there is less monitoring. Patients still have constant support, however.
Painkiller addiction treatment at The Recovery Village then moves to our intensive outpatient program (IOP), where clients learn coping and life skills that will help them navigate through their lives, beginning with a sober living environment.
Finally, patients can move to outpatient programs, with the support needed and access to recovery specialists. We can also provide aftercare during the painkiller addiction treatment process, which will include the implementation of a relapse prevention plan and ongoing counseling sessions.
While there is a standard progression with programs for people addicted to painkillers and opiates, at the same time, everyone is an individual with their own unique identity and struggles, so the person is ultimately what guides all treatment plans. It’s our belief that painkiller addiction treatment can only be successful if it looks at the whole person, underlying factors contributing to their addiction, and other pertinent information. No one factor exists in a vacuum, and that’s how our treatment plans are constructed.
Painkiller Addiction Inpatient Rehab
The concept of inpatient rehab can be one that’s daunting for a lot of people facing a prescription painkiller addiction. They may be apprehensive about what to expect, and they often wonder, do I really need inpatient care? Unfortunately, all-too-often people who are addicted to prescription drugs may feel like the can either be successful with just outpatient rehab, or they can handle their addiction on their own, but more often than not, they fail with this approach.
The most important thing you can do to calm your fears or uncertainty about inpatient rehab is to understand the process and what happens.
What Happens During Treatment?
The general process includes intake, which is probably the most crucial stage of the entire rehab process because it focuses on understanding how you are as an individual. The information gathered during this initial step lets your care providers how they can best guide your recovery and get the best results for you. All of the information shared during your intake is handled with the utmost in confidentiality and respect for you.
Once the intake process happens, you can start the detox, which is undoubtedly challenging, but also necessary.
Once you make it through detox, you’ll begin your actual treatment program to handle your addiction to prescription painkillers. Residential rehab is very structured, and it provides an environment that feels safe and supportive.
How Long Does Treatment Last?
Another common question people have is how long does treatment last. The typical inpatient residential rehab program can range anywhere from 28 days to 90 days, with an average amount of time most people stay being somewhere around 60 days. The length of your stay will depend on your needs, as well as factors such as your insurance coverage.
Many people also wonder if they should seek treatment near their home versus traveling to another city or state. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when making this decision.
First, what are your options regarding insurance coverage? If you have insurance, you will have to check with your provider to determine what your options are for a rehab facility, and what they will cover.
You’ll also have to think about the benefits of being out of your typical environment that triggered you to use painkillers, versus how you would feel about being away from friends and family if you were to travel.
Related Topic:How long is inpatient rehab?
Painkiller Addiction Outpatient Rehab
One of the decisions people addicted to prescription painkillers have to make is whether they should choose inpatient or outpatient rehab. It’s important to understand the difference between inpatient/outpatient rehab, and how each type of program deals with addiction treatment.
The biggest difference is of course that an inpatient program is residential, meaning it requires you to live at the facility for a period of time. Outpatient programs usually allow for patients to live at home, and attend treatment programs throughout the day at set times.
An outpatient program is generally less expensive than inpatient care, but an inpatient rehab facility is going to provide a more comprehensive, immersive experience that can lead to better outcomes.
What’s unique and can often be one of the most useful elements of inpatient care versus outpatient care I the fact that patients can focus entirely on their recovery in a residential setting, free of distractions or potential triggers that could lead them to use again.
Individualized Group Therapy
The Recovery Village takes a unique approach to treatment planning and drug education. It’s our distinctive approach that allows us to help patients achieve optimal outcomes when they’re struggling with an addiction to painkillers.
All programs are tailored to the individual and their unique needs. Each week, patients participate in one-on-one therapy as part of their treatment planning. Individualized therapy approaches treatment as a collaborative process that involves the therapist and the client.
To begin individualized and group therapy treatment planning, clients go through evaluations which are used to guide personal treatment. The Director of Clinical Services then evaluates this information and pairs the client to the therapist that’s best-suited to them. That therapist serves as the client’s case coordinator throughout the entirety of their treatment. This allows for a strong bond and relationship to be formed, which is such an essential component of drug abuse treatment.
The therapist becomes intimately aware of the situation and needs of the client, and can also work to integrate medical concerns, family concerns, social interactions and aftercare needs into their full treatment plan.
During individualized therapy sessions, the client may identify problems that led to their addiction, as well as working through their personal challenges and setting goals and objectives for their recovery and their life. The focus of individualized therapy at The Recovery Village is on building personal strength for the individual and also on building a healthy interpersonal relationship between the therapist and the person in recovery.
Paired with intensive individualized therapy at The Recovery Village are group therapies as well. A group therapy session might include one or several therapists working with a small group of individuals.
The group is an essential element in the recovery process utilized at The Recovery Village. Group therapy is designed to help patients build relationships and support one another through their shared experiences and feelings. During group sessions, therapists facilitate conversations that encourage clients to explore their deeper issues and make more progress in their healing. Some of the topics that can be dealt with during group sessions include not only addiction but also the healthy management of emotions, coping skills, grief and loss, dealing with traumatic experiences, codependency, dual diagnosis and more.
In addition to individualized and group therapy, programs at The Recovery Village also include drug education, psychoeducation, discharge planning and continuing care planning. The objective is to make sure people who seek treatment are well-equipped to cope with life after their inpatient rehabilitation program ends. There are also complementary therapies that might be part of recovery including dietary counseling, self-help, family education, art therapy, meditation, acupuncture and therapeutic gardening.
Paired Dual Diagnosis & Co-Occurring Diagnosis Treatment
Very frequently there is a connection between mental illnesses and abuse of painkillers and other drugs. It doesn’t mean that one causes the other, but there tends to be a link between the two nevertheless. One theory is that people who have existing or underlying mental illnesses may start using drugs as a way to cope with symptoms such as anxiety or depression. The use of painkillers and other drugs can become like self-medicating for some addicts.
There are also theories that with some people who are addicted to painkillers, there could be underlying mental illnesses that are triggered by the use of drugs.
Also relevant is the fact that there could be genetic vulnerabilities between mental illness and drug abuse. For example, people could have genes that predispose them to addiction to painkillers or other drugs and also to experiencing mental illnesses or disorders.
Regardless of the causal effect or the link between mental illnesses/disorders common with painkiller treatment, integrated treatment is essential.
At The Recovery Village, integrated treatment refers to treatment plans that don’t just address the addiction, but also mental illnesses or disorders that occur alongside the addiction. This leads to better outcomes for clients because treatment focuses on underlying factors that might contribute to addiction.
Paying For Painkiller Addiction Rehab
Once people have realized they have a problem with prescription painkiller abuse and they’ve started exploring the opportunities that can come about by attending inpatient residential substance abuse treatment, they then start to wonder do you have to pay to go to rehab and if so, how much does it cost?
Inpatient residential rehab does cost money, and the price can range very significant, from around $2,000 for a 30-day program to up to $25,000 or more. Some of the factors that can contribute to how much rehab costs include where the facility is located, the length of time the person will be staying, the services and therapy they’ll have access to, and the needs of the individual.
Does Insurance Cover Painkiller Addiction Treatment?
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, most insurance companies started offering fairly comprehensive mental and behavioral health coverage to members, and this often includes at least some level of coverage for rehab. For people wondering how much is drug rehab without insurance, the costs can be somewhat high because of the constant medical attention, supportive services, immersive therapy and residential environment.
However, many insurance coverage plans will cover inpatient substance abuse treatment, at least up to a certain percentage. One common scenario with insurance coverage for rehab is that the insurance company will pay around 80% of costs, leaving the patient responsible for the remaining 20%, although this amount can be even lower for patients in some cases and depending on their policy and insurance company.
Alternative Payment Options
If you or someone you love is suffering from an addiction to painkillers, you may be wondering a few things, such as:
- How can I afford treatment if I can’t afford drug rehab?
- Is there help to pay for addiction treatment?
- What are my financing options?
First and foremost, it’s important to check with your insurance provider, if you’re insured and see your coverage options since so many companies do cover at least a portion of the cost of rehab.
If you use Medicare Medicaid or have coverage through the Veterans Administration, you may also have financing options to help you deal with your painkiller addiction.
Other options include personal financing from friends or family, or personal loans or credit cards.
Some people might opt for a state substance abuse agency, or explore attending state-funded treatment centers, although these state and local government assistance programs might not provide the comprehensive treatment of a private inpatient residential rehab center.
Ultimately, when you’re considering rehab to help you recover from addiction to painkillers, it’s important to view it as the most important investment you’re going to make in your life and approach the financial aspect from that perspective as well.
