Addiction Treatment Options

When facing your addiction, seeking treatment is your first step toward renewed health and freedom. You may feel overwhelmed, but take heart: you’ve got choices on the road to recovery, including 12-step groups, residential programs, counseling and more.

“Explore some options and talk with your primary care doctor about what might be best for you or your loved one,” advises Nani Kanen, M.D., an internal medicine doctor with Mills-Peninsula Medical Center. “Whatever path you choose, look for people and facilities that have a lot of experience working with addiction. Not all do.”

Detox

Sobriety starts with getting all drugs and alcohol out of your system. Detox gets you ready for treatment and helps to clear your mind so you can learn about addiction and recovery.

If you attend an inpatient treatment program you will likely detox there. Or you may choose a short-term detox facility; you can check in for a few days and be monitored by medical professionals. In either case, you may receive medication to ease withdrawal symptoms. Some people choose to detox at home, but talk with your doctor about this option first; detoxing from some drugs, particularly alcohol, can be dangerous.

Outpatient Treatment by a Doctor

A physician can supervise your detox, stabilize your physical health, and prescribe meds to help with withdrawal and early sobriety. Some also offer counseling, while others will encourage you to join a 12-step group or see a therapist. Look for a physician who is board-certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

Outpatient Counseling with a Therapist

Addiction counselors, psychologists and other therapists who specialize in addiction offer counseling for individuals as well as groups. Most cannot prescribe drugs to help with withdrawal symptoms, but may refer you to a physician. Ask about licenses and certifications; requirements vary from state to state.

Outpatient Treatment by a Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are medical doctors and can prescribe medication. This can be a good option if you also suffer from serious psychiatric issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or unresolved trauma. Many psychiatrists are members of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Intensive Outpatient Programs

Typically, you’ll be required to attend classes or therapy sessions for several hours a day, returning home each night. Some are all-day programs, while others require evening attendance, which allows you to continue working during treatment.

Inpatient Treatment

A month or more can be helpful if you need an intensive, round-the-clock focus on sobriety and early recovery, without the distractions and temptations of everyday life. Treatment facilities vary quite a bit in their staff training levels and approach to addiction. Ask your doctor and others for recommendations. This option is usually expensive, but many insurance policies now cover addiction treatment.

Twelve-Step Groups

Members of Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery groups focus on abstaining from alcohol and drugs “one day at a time,” with the support of fellow group members. You’ll work through the Twelve Steps with a sponsor’s help, addressing issues such as accepting sobriety, making amends to those you’ve hurt and helping others.

Contrary to what you may have heard, Alcoholics Anonymous is not religious. People interpret relying on strength from a “Higher Power” differently; it can mean the God of your understanding, the strength you find in your support group, family love or something else. You may achieve sobriety and recovery with only a 12-step group’s support; others combine it with other treatments.

Sober Living Homes

These usually don’t offer addiction treatment but provide a safe, supportive group home where people in early recovery can solidify their sobriety, learn more about sober living, and ease back into work or school. Some homes offer counseling, and many focus on 12-step meetings.

Sober Companions and Coaches

Most peer support specialists do not offer treatment but help you with day-to-day matters such as meeting attendance, avoiding temptation at home or when traveling, and escorting you to a treatment facility. Some have addiction counseling training, but many are just kind-hearted people in recovery themselves who volunteer to help others.