Improving The Counseling Process

3 Treatment Approaches Used For Outpatient Opioid Addiction

20 July 2018 by Martin Franklin

Outpatient treatment for opioid addiction is an invaluable resource, especially for people who are currently maintaining a job or family life and cannot spend time doing inpatient treatments. Different approaches used during outpatient treatment can help people fight back against addiction and maintain their work and family life.

Medications

Medications are often used for people who are exclusively in outpatient treatment or those who have made the transition from inpatient to outpatient care. The goal of medications is to transition from abusing prescription opioids or illegal opioids to more controlled dependence. When taken as prescribed, these medications can prevent withdrawals from opioids and reduce cravings for drugs. Another benefit of these medications is they are not associated with the euphoric feeling or "high" that is seen in some prescription opioids and illicit drugs, like heroin. People who manage their addiction with the help of medications may be more likely to stick with their treatment plan and maintain or lead productive lives than those who try and quit with abstinence.

Counseling

Counseling is an important part of recovery, regardless of whether you feel like it is beneficial. Even if you only want medication to help with addiction, your outpatient treatment center will likely require you to participant in counseling in order to receive medication. At a minimum, you should be active in individual counseling, which can be instrumental in helping you sort out problems that may have led to addiction and can contribute to ongoing issues related to addiction. In many cases, people with an opioid addiction may have concurrent mental and physical health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or chronic pain, which can make recovery more difficult if they are not addressed. Your counselor might make recommendations to seek other healthcare services, such as more extensive treatment by a psychiatrist or visiting pain management for a safer way to manage chronic pain.

Long-Term Planning

Developing short and long-term goals with your outpatient care team can also help increase your chances of recovery. For some people, their goals might involve education or training to help them secure a steady job or making the transition to a housing environment like Evergreen Recovery Centers to help them get back on their feet. Other parts of your plan might include changing environmental factors that enable addiction. This might include avoidance of friends or family who currently use drugs to reduce your chances of going back to drugs. Additionally, your outpatient care team may want to talk with the people closest to you who might have inadvertently enabled your drug use. Regardless of whether you are inpatient or outpatient, it is important to have everyone involved in your recovery, especially those who might be most affected by your addiction, such as family members.

Outpatient treatment for opioid addiction can give you another chance at maintaining your work and family life while recovering from addiction. By using all the tools available, you increase your chances of staying clean indefinitely.

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