How to Choose the Right Drug Treatment Center in New Jersey

Drug treatment centers usually vary by philosophy, treatment type, and treatment duration.

Taking the time to do some research before choosing a treatment facility will help you find a facility that matches the patient’s needs, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of success.

When trying to identify the right treatment facility in New Jersey, the first thing to determine if inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment best fits the patient’s needs.

Residential or inpatient treatment and rehabs offer immersive treatment for alcohol and drug abuse where the patient stays at the facility 24×7.

Isolation from one’s living environment is needed when the home environment is unstable and not conducive to staying sober.

Going inpatient removes this unstable factor and helps the patient to focus on their recovery while they’re receiving care.

Going to an inpatient facility also makes sense when the patient suffers from a co-occurring medical condition that requires 24-hour medical monitoring.

Inpatient facilities usually have physicians or nurses available through the night, which makes monitoring medical conditions easier.

Usually, the length of stay in an inpatient facility is shorter, because it is much more expensive than outpatient treatment.

Addiction is a chronic disease, the longer the length of treatment, the better.

Also, all therapeutic treatment takes place in a bubble and when the patient returns home after completion of treatment, he or she has to apply all the learned concepts to daily life with no support from treatment providers.

Chances of succeeding are lower as compared to a situation where the patient has the opportunity to put learned concepts into practice while still in treatment (which can occur with outpatient treatment.)

Outpatient or ambulatory detoxification and addiction treatment are usually more suitable, as the home environment is relatively stable for most people and they suffer from no acute medical conditions that require 24-hour medical attention. Outpatient treatment offers multiple advantages:

Firstly, in an outpatient setting, treatment is integrated with the patient’s living environment making it more effective.

Therapy to treat addiction involves teaching coping and relapse prevention skills in order to help the patient stay sober in their home environment.

In outpatient treatment, the patient is able to go back home at the end of each day and practice the skills learned in treatment.

While some techniques may work, they will likely struggle with others.

The beauty of the outpatient treatment is that the patient can come back to treatment the next day and get help in areas of weakness.

Second, the length of stay is usually longer, which allows for better outcomes.

In the detoxification phase of treatment longer length of stay allows medication titration to be gentler and more individualized so that patients are physically at a much more comfortable spot relative to shorter inpatient detox.

Also, patients have longer access to their treatment providers as he or she apply concepts and skills learned in treatment in daily life.

If something is not working they can get counsel from their therapist and make adjustments when they go back to treatment the next day.

Effective addiction treatment centers offer outpatient drug treatment in NJ up to 90 days.

Third, family involvement in treatment is as easy as the treatment is provided locally.

Addiction is a disease that affects families. Oftentimes a person turns to drugs or alcohol because the family is dysfunctional or the addiction in a loved one has made the family dysfunctional. Either way, rapprochement or healing is needed to bring the family back together again. This elevates the level of support the patient receives at home.

Philosophical Differences

There are basically 2 philosophies in treatment. There is a small group of treatment facilities that believe in harm reduction. This means that they do not teach the patient to stay abstinent but to reduce drug or alcohol abuse to a minimum that will allow the patient to remain functional at their workplace and socially.

Most treatment providers, however, believe in total abstinence. This means that they strive to stop the use of any drugs or alcohol.

Levels of Care

Addiction treatment essentially has 4 levels of an acre; Detoxification, Partial Care, Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Outpatient. Treatment facilities offer different levels of care or different combination of care. Facilities that offer the most continuum of care can provide a seamless treatment experience.

Detoxification is the most acute level of care, where negative physical consequences are possible and it is important to choose a nationally acclaimed addiction treatment expert.

 

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