13 Features to Consider When Deciding Treatment

Are you looking for an alcohol rehab center for you or your loved one? Much like buying a new car or starting a new job, this decision is significant; do not make it in haste! It’s wonderful you are doing the proper research before, but where do you start? You might just search “Alcohol Rehab Tampa,” but it is difficult sometimes to know what to look for exactly. It is sad and unfortunate to say, but in this industry - although few and far in between - there are treatment centers out there known as “scammers” whose sole intention is to take your insurance money without providing legitimate treatment. But apart from those bad apples, even the highest and most reputable center can sometimes be an unhealthy fit. Signing up for a treatment center that is not a good fit (what that can mean later) can cost a vast amount of money and time. This may sound a bit daunting, but don’t worry, you are already one step ahead by doing your research. After considering these features, you should feel confident in your choice! First of all, one of the best ways to get information about a treatment center and their program is to call them. They should be more than willing to answer any and all of the questions and concerns you might have. Stay away from hotlines as they are incentivized and therefore do not have your best intentions in mind. Sometimes it can be hard finding the right questions to ask, especially when you are not familiar with substance abuse treatment. As long as you involve these functions, you can rest assured you have your bases covered.

1. Reliable Website

---

The tell-tail sign to spot a scammer- find out if they have a website, and if the website looks professional. If a website directs you to a hotline and not the company itself, this is a weak sign. What these sites do is direct you to particular “companies,” book your treatment schedule and flight - all before you have the chance to research and scout the drug and alcohol rehab yourself. Don’t rush and take the bait. Keep calm and make informative decisions. There are, on the other hand, reputable sites that can direct you to quality addiction centers in Tampa or Florida. These sites include PsychologyToday, Rehabs (.com), Addicted (.org), and Recovery (.org). They will give you a list of quality substance abuse rehabs in your respected area with information and reviews on each one. Stay away from hotlines. Make sure you are speaking with the establishment itself.

2. Appropriate Treatment Length

---

Length of treatment all depends on the person. The recommended amount is three months. This is the necessary time to progress through the steps of treatment: Treatment Initiation, Early Abstinence, Maintaining Abstinence, and Advanced Recovery. The first month usually consists of Inpatient Care or PHP. Here the patient is fully emersed in treatment 24 hours a day, five days a week whereas the next two months consist of intensive outpatient care. During outpatient, the individual participates in treatment part-time - usually 3 hours a day three days a week. Now, obviously, not everyone has these means to commit three months of their life to treatment due to work and family obligations. Almost all outpatient Tampa addiction rehabilitation centers will offer at least a month, but it is crucial for a 90-day long-term treatment option to be available for the opportunity of long-term success. Most facilities will work with you and find a program that works best with your lifestyle. Generally, the longer a patient’s treatment, the better their chances of long-term recovery.

3. Medically Assisted Treatment Options

---

The most effective addiction rehab centers in Tampa, FL offer medications used to assist the recovery process. When dealing with alcohol and opioid addiction, medication is almost necessary to stabilize some of the withdrawal effects, even after detoxification. With the use of medications such as Vivitrol, Naltrexone, Buprenorphine and Methadone, the risk of relapse can be significantly reduced, leading to more consistent long-term recoveries. Medicine along with behavioral therapies has been proven to produce the best results. Psychological and clinical assessments while in treatment will assess the proper medication needed.

4. Quality After-Care

---

After-Care is the term after the client leaves a treatment center, and is one of the most important time frames in regards to long-term recovery. Too often, treatment centers fail to provide quality after-care initiatives, and the individual is left to fend for themselves, often re-entering the same environment and community that led them to substance abuse in the first place. Finding a Tampa alcohol addiction rehab center that provides a full-continuum aftercare service is few and far in between. Ask “what does your aftercare offer?” or “What does your case-management do?” to gain a better understanding of their aftercare programs. Coalition Recovery’s aftercare is full-service. We even motivate our clients to obtain higher education or follow their career ambitions. We believe an essential variable in creating long-term sobriety is establishing a more fulfilling life. Our case management and aftercare programs allow us to do precisely that, all while in treatment. Learn more about our aftercare programs here.

5. Continuously Monitoring for Drug Use

---

Monitoring patients for any drug or alcohol use is an essential part of the treatment process. While in treatment, you might be wondering why monitoring for drug use is necessary, but even prisons have significant drug problems, despite their strict supervision. Often addiction needs can be so intense that fixes are obtained by any means necessary, despite being regularly observed. Because of this possibility, it is essential to monitor drug use and test weekly. The goal is to prevent relapse at all cost. Relapse places the client at square one. Often times this monitoring is a deterrent enough to keep from using. Without necessary monitoring, there is no concrete way of knowing if drug use is occurring.

6. Specialized Treatment Plans

---

Treatment and therapies can be confusing and often used interchangeably, but in this article, this is not the case. Treatment refers to the clinical or psychological treatment a patient receives. This usually involves one-on-one psychiatric or therapeutic care with a therapist or psychiatrist. A medically licensed staff performs the treatment. Individualized treatment is essential! People have varying reasons for the cause of their addiction. Although they are similar, treating someone who has had early life trauma is different than managing someone with PTSD. A treatment plan must adjust to a particular person’s recovery needs, for their drug or alcohol addiction treatment to be successful. To adjust to unique recovery needs, an initial assessment should be required before treatment. Evaluations will continue to adapt throughout treatment.

7. Therapies that Work for You!

---

Treatment should be primarily individualized whereas therapy should be diverse and extensive. Addictions are as diverse as the people it effects. Even when dealing with one type of addiction such as alcohol use disorder, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. If you are religious and you believe a Christian-based approach would benefit you, then look for a facility that supports it. If you have been or are involved in AA or NA and you believe in the 12-step approach, then ask if they implement the 12-step strategy. Naturally, you may not know exactly what therapy is going to work for you. That is ok! Many facilities offer a variety of therapy techniques. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most widely used type of treatment but look for extra-curricular therapies like message, art, and acupuncture. Facilities providing a wide range of options means you have the best chance to find what therapy works for you! If you are struggling with the difference between treatment and therapies, let me try to help make things a little more clear. Treatment is the heart and soul of ….treatment. That makes sense right? Speaking in terms of our treatment here at Coalition Recovery, treatment is a one-on-one dialogue with our clinical director. This is where we dissect your addiction specifically and find out if there are underlying issues such as anxiety or depression. We do this by creating a dialogue. We map out the addiction from its inception to determine why this habit has come about, why it is still happening, and what can be done to decrease the chance of it occurring again. Therapy, on the other hand, is the additives that help this process. For instance, CBT helps patients healthily rewire their thinking. Group therapy builds emotional development and social connections. Holistic approaches such as Yoga and massage therapy help restore the spirit to a natural and peaceful state. In much simpler terms we heal the mind (treatment), body (medications/clinical treatment), and spirit (holistic approaches). Here at Coalition Recovery, we offer a wide range of individualized therapy options found HERE.

8. Incorporating Holistic Approaches

---

Physicians who practice holistic medicine utilize all forms of care at their disposal, including conventional medicine and treatments in addition to numerous alternative therapies. To holistic practitioners, whatever is necessary to treat a patient’s symptoms can be applied to holistic medicine. When it comes to the treatment of addiction, holistic-based substance abuse therapy has become exceptionally popular and is being offered more and more frequently at rehabilitation centers. The thought behind holistic substance abuse treatment is that it can provide more comprehensive treatment to individuals who suffer from chemical and behavioral dependency. Where conventional therapies (medicine and behavioral therapy) heal the mind, holistic approaches heal the spirit. They can also be an alternative to medically assisted treatment as well. These methods alone are not enough to heal addiction, but they create a more comprehensive treatment program. Click Here to learn about Coalition Recovery’s Holistic Approaches

9. Research-based Therapies

---

While holistic therapies are an excellent additive, they are not sufficient by themselves. Research-based therapies such as CBT and DBT are necessary to counteract a users way of thinking effectively. If a substance abuse treatment facility claims they have a new and “innovative” technique to treatment, you might want to be cautious. An enormous body of trusted research has led to NIDA’s Principles of Effective Treatment, which stresses that a high-quality treatment program will employ best-practices protocol and utilize therapies proven through research to be effective for treating addiction. Do the programs that are proven to work. Makes sense doesn’t it?

10. Licensed, Experienced Staff

---

It is absolutely necessary that a facility has a licensed and experienced staff. To know whether the clinical staff is certified, check out their “About Us” page and look at their licensing and certifications. Generally, credentials appear next to or below their names. Because of the licensing verifications required to be listed on PsychologyToday, seeing the company’s listing here is usually a good indication they are appropriately licensed as a company, but make sure the clinical and medical staff have appropriate licensing themselves.

11. Comfort and Amenities

---

You may come across housing and facilities with beautiful amenities providing you with chocolates on your pillow each morning. While this seems appealing at first glance, it does not necessarily correlate to adequate treatment. This is not to say you can’t have both. You should. But try not to be infatuated by the water fountain out front and fail to miss your primary objective. For residential treatment, look for housing that is clean and welcoming. You will be living here for at least a month; you want to be comfortable. Apart from the house, many treatment centers, especially in Florida, have weekend excursions with kayaking trips, beach days, nature hikes, etc. Successful treatment is the top priority, but a house with enjoyable amenities and environment is an excellent additive you are entitled. Quality housing, facilities, and amenities exemplify the fact that there are joy and tranquility in a sober life. Sober life needs to be seen as fun and enjoyable to be successful. Without proper comforts, this could be lost. Outdoor settings provide an escape from everyday life for self-reflection and tranquility. Before you finalize your decision, ask to take a tour and see the facilities first hand for yourself.

12. Changing Treatment Plans

---

First of all, treatment should start with an extensive assessment. The physical and psychological examination establish the best treatment strategy for the patient. However, as the process of recovery unfolds, the treatment plan should adjust to fit their changing needs better. Past events and experiences shared through clinical care, and group therapy can shine a light on underlying problems. For this reason, treatment should be tailored throughout treatment. The therapies and resources that work for one person will not be optimal for everyone. Each patient should receive a completely customized, individualized, and adapting curriculum. What’s more, the treatment regimen should address the multi-faceted needs of individuals suffering from substance abuse. For instance, finding the source of an individual’s substance-abuse is a focal part of recovery; whether it was exposure to drug use during one’s childhood, an undiagnosed mental or emotional disorder and need for dual-diagnosis treatment, early childhood trauma, or a plethora of other unresolved issues. Services, therapies, alternative treatments and medications should evolve throughout a patient’s recovery. Not only do diagnosis change over time, but one treatment does not work the same at different stages of recovery. Although the medical and clinical staff will work together to assess the best treatment correctly from the start, they may not be 100% on target every time. Thus exploring different treatment options is a great way to establish the most appropriate treatment options that provide the best results.

13. Dual-Diagnosis

---

The term dual diagnosis describes someone who suffers from both a substance abuse disorder and another type of psychiatric illness. This condition could include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, ADD or ADHD, or any of some other mental health or other behavioral issues. When dealing with substance abuse, it is extremely common to also deal with mental health issues. Substance abuse can be a coping mechanism for dealing with these illnesses. Psychological problems can also arise because of the chronic use of substances. In almost all cases there is some underlying cause of the addiction - meaning a mental illness or trauma. To address the root cause of addiction, a drug and alcohol addiction rehab needs to address both issues to ensure a prolonged recovery. At Coalition Recovery, this is the heart of our treatment. Instead of healing the addiction, we heal the person. We ask the question “why are you addicted” instead of solely learning to deal with addiction. This method creates a more enveloping treatment.

---

It is truly wonderful you are considering the step towards recovery! We know this is a big step and we want to ensure you are making the right choice. We hope this helps you find the best Alcohol Rehab Tampa has to offer or anywhere for that matter! Out of the hundreds of Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers in Florida, finding the right one can be a bit of a challenge. How do you tell if a Tampa Drug Rehab is the right fit for you, or more importantly how can you tell if it is legitimate? With Florida’s Substance Abuse Rehab industry recently plagued by countless bad apples with the sole intention of scamming clients for their insurance money, it is smart to be hesitant. Doing your research is smart, and I hope this article gives you some insight and guides you. We hope this helps you find a renewed and satisfied life. Last, but not least, call and tour the facility before you sign anything. If you are out-of-state, ask for a video tour.

---

---

Addiction is a disease, but there is help. If you or anyone you know needs help, don’t hesitate to reach out – that’s why we’re here. (888) 707-2873 | Coalition Recovery offers an incredible clinical program for drug and substance abuse and is innovating a new approach to aftercare through higher education increasing the chance of achieving long-term recovery. Don’t wait. A better tomorrow starts here. Because Tomorrow Matters.