Author: New Day Recovery

What Should a Person Consider When Choosing a Drug Treatment Program?

Written by New Day Recovery on January 20, 2020. Posted in Blog, Detox Program, Outpatient Treatment, Residential Treatment.

If you’ve made the challenging decision to begin a treatment program at rehab, you’ve taken the first step towards recovery. You should be proud and try your best to focus on the dreams and ambitions you can fulfill once you’re free from substance abuse.

There is also the immediate question of which rehabilitation center is going to be best for you. With so many considerations to make, it can feel overwhelming. Here are some of the essential elements to think about when researching rehab for drugs and alcohol addiction.

What Is the Environment Like?

When you read the websites of the facilities you’re interested in, you get a good feel for what type of environment you’ll be entering. Compassion and empathy are vital tenets of any effective treatment program. Addiction is a disease, and sufferers need to be cared for, just like anyone suffering from an illness does. Read through testimonials and blogs online to get a feel for the type of environment you’ll be entering.

Traditionally, people thought of rehab as fairly cold and clinical, but there are plenty of centers that buck that trend and focus on healing the individual with deep caring and without judgment. Most rehabs will also have a gallery of photographs so you can browse to see if you like the look of the place.

Continuity of Care

If you’ve been using drugs or alcohol for a prolonged amount of time or in large quantities, you may require detoxification. It’s better to go through this process in a residential setting where you have 24-hour access to medical care. Detox is the process the body goes through when it’s ridding itself of harmful chemicals and toxins. In some cases, the clinical staff will administer medication to ease withdrawal symptoms.

Once you’ve detoxed, we recommend attending rehab in a setting with the same values and treatment style as the facility you’ve detoxed in. Consistency is important when it comes to conditions related to mental health.

Should You Begin With Residential or Outpatient Treatment?

When choosing a drug treatment program, you’ll need to decide whether to go for inpatient or outpatient care. This choice depends on several factors, including which substance you’ve been using, how long you’ve been using it, how much you’ve been taking and your individual circumstances. No level of care is better, necessarily, but you must make the right choice for your situation.

Residential

During this type of treatment, you spend a set amount of time in a highly structured environment where you have access to care around the clock. We recommend inpatient rehab to people who have been struggling with a chronic addiction over a prolonged amount of time. It’s the ideal first step to rebuilding your life, with group and individual therapy, daily meetings, psychoeducation and a ready-made network of peer support.

It allows you to remove yourself from the triggers and temptations of daily life and hit the reset button, backed up by medical professionals and licensed counselors.

Outpatient

Some people may be in a position where they can’t attend residential rehab or are in the early stages of addiction. Outpatient therapy is also the next step down from residential treatment, allowing you to receive care while learning how to maintain recovery in your home environment. You still attend individual and group therapy sessions, but you can go to work or school and sleep at home.

More Than Just Clinical Therapy

While empirically supported therapy forms the basis of rehab, certain complementary activities contribute to your recovery. Learning healthy ways to relax, being creative and eating well can take the place of substance use. Not only are they indispensable coping mechanisms, but they provide opportunities for social interaction and expression, which builds your confidence. A rehab center worth putting your trust in should provide resources so you can regularly take part in these pursuits.

Yoga and Meditation

When practiced regularly, yoga and meditation promote calmness and mental clarity, increase bodily awareness, relieve chronic stress and focus attention. Being able to recognize thoughts and feelings through mindful practice is very helpful in the long-term recovery process. We strongly recommend choosing a rehab facility that incorporates these practices into their daily schedule.

Art and Music Therapy

When you experiment with being creative, it engages parts of your brain that don’t usually work together. The more you practice at music or art, the more focused you become. Plus, it’s lots of fun! An effective rehab program will break up the day by including calming, sociable activities.

Home-Cooked, Family-Style Nutritious Meals

Addiction tends to leave people in a vulnerable position where they’re not looking after their bodies and minds. When you’re healthy, you’re stronger and better able to resist temptation and stay focused on your goals. Rehab should encourage family-style meal times where you can get back into taking care of yourself from the inside out.

Gender-Specific Treatment

Men and women tend to turn to drugs for different reasons, so there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to rehabilitation. The medical and social consequences of drug use are unique for men and women, and gender-specific treatment means all group meetings are relevant to your needs. Additionally, with mixed-gender facilities, clients can be tempted to seek solace in relationships to escape emotional distress they may be experiencing, which can be a distraction from recovery.

Choose Accredited Drug and Alcohol Facilities

Regulatory bodies are third-party organizations that perform annual inspections to ensure a facility meets their standards. By checking whether a rehab center is licensed and accredited, you’re checking to see that they are held accountable to an impartial and independent body.

It’s also advisable to check if they have a full team of medical and support staff, including a medical doctor, licensed counselors, credentialed drug and alcohol counselors, licensed social workers and registered nurses.

New Day Recovery has helped countless people to overcome addiction and reclaim their lives. Speak to one of our advisers today at 330-886-4744 to find out how we can help you or your loved one.

Receiving mental health counseling in rehab Receiving mental health counseling in rehab

Mental Health and Substance Abuse: Why Are They Linked?

Written by New Day Recovery on January 10, 2020. Posted in Blog, Drug Addiction, Outpatient Treatment.

There is an unfortunate stigma attached to substance abuse disorders that stems from the fact that people who don’t understand the condition struggle to see why someone who’s addicted wouldn’t just stop. If it were that simple, the condition wouldn’t exist, and there would be no need for rehab! While the stigma surrounding mental health problems is almost a thing of the past, many people still don’t understand the intricate link between substance use and mental health.

According to reports in the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 50% of people with serious mental health problems abuse substances at some point. It also states that 53% of drug abusers and 37% of alcohol abusers are also suffering from at least one other form of mental illness. There are many reasons why people with mental health problems turn to substances, but ultimately, they only make the condition worse and more challenging to treat.

Is Addiction Itself a Mental Illness?

According to science, substance use disorders fall into the category of a mental health disorder. This is why the disease appears in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. That means that if you’re suffering from addiction, you have a mental health condition.

To complicate matters, many people with other preexisting mental health issues turn to drug or alcohol abuse as a way of numbing the pain. Some drugs can also cause you to develop a mental health condition that hadn’t presented itself previously.

The turmoil, angst and isolation that go hand in hand with mental health disorders can drive you to turn to the distracting, mind-numbing effects of psychoactive substances. While it may feel as if you’re self-medicating, you’re burying the preexisting condition deeper in your psyche. There may be times when you’re high that you can forget all about your problems. However, every substance abuser knows that when the effects wear off, you feel at least 10 times worse.

Young People, Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Both mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders can have a genetic component. Not everyone with these predispositions will go on to develop the conditions; it’s usually a series of events that happen in your life that trigger them. There isn’t one gene or environmental cause but a unique mix that occurs in each individual.

Young people’s minds are also more vulnerable to addiction because the parts of the brain that deal with planning and foresight haven’t fully developed. One of the most prevalent risk factors for someone developing an addiction is starting to use substances at an early age, usually during adolescence. This is also often the time when symptoms of mental health conditions begin presenting themselves, so it’s a critical time to seek treatment and avoid problems in the future.

If you’re a young person who is struggling with a mental health problem or you’re a parent or caregiver, understand that teenagers often find it difficult to express what they are going through or admit their insecurities in a clinical setting. It’s important to not think of a young person’s drug or alcohol use as a phase they’ll grow out of. Early substance abuse can signal the beginning of a pattern of using substances to cover up emotional issues.

Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health Feed Each Other

For a long time, it was difficult for doctors to fully understand whether drugs caused mental health issues or were a symptom of them.

Effects of Certain Drugs on Mental Health

Heroin

Heroin is extremely addictive. In the short term, it offers pain relief, euphoria and intense relaxation. If you become addicted to heroin, you won’t physically be able to function without it. You’ll feel anxious, have trouble sleeping and get sick. Long term, it affects the parts of your brain that are responsible for happiness and pleasure, including areas that produce dopamine and endorphins.

Alcohol

For some people, alcohol is incredibly addictive. It can make being around people feel easier and effectively blot out difficult emotions. Many people who are addicted to booze even feel as if they wouldn’t be able to sleep without it. In the short term, you can experience withdrawal symptoms when you can’t get a drink. Long term, it can change the brain’s chemistry, diminishing the availability of vital neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

Tranquilizers

Tranquilizers, such as sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety medication, such as benzodiazepines, can be helpful as short-term solutions to medical problems. When used for more than four weeks, they can cause physical and psychological addiction, as well as withdrawal symptoms when you stop. They directly impact your central nervous system, so long-term use can cause severe damage to your mental health.

Amphetamines

Amphetamine and methamphetamine have a direct effect on your dopamine centers, so long-term use can deplete the supply you naturally have available. These drugs can also bring on anxiety and depression and negatively affect areas of your life, which can trigger mental health issues, such as poor work performance or financial difficulty.

Cocaine

Although the specific mechanisms are quite different from amphetamines, cocaine also causes a rush of dopamine. This means your body uses up its stores of this motivating, feel-good chemical in your brain. Chronic cocaine use is also linked to depression and anxiety.

Ecstasy

Ecstasy causes a massive influx of the happy chemical in our brains, serotonin. People often experience a severe comedown after using this drug, which shares many similarities with depression.

LSD

This drug has an extreme mind-altering effect that can last for up to 16 hours. In many ways, the high itself mimics a psychotic state, with hallucinations and detachment from reality. While LSD isn’t addictive, long-term use is linked to mental health problems.

Get the Help You Need

When a mental health condition goes undiagnosed, treating addiction is much harder. Diagnosing and addressing mental health issues can be a significant factor in moving away from substance abuse and towards long-term recovery. New Day Recovery is the leading mental health rehab center in Ohio. To speak to one of our experts about how we can help you, call us today at 330-953-3300.

young people sitting together in group therapy young people sitting together in group therapy

What Are the Benefits of Group Therapy?

Written by New Day Recovery on December 18, 2019. Posted in Blog.

Research has shown that group therapy is a leading method of helping people to recover from addiction. The most highly regarded starting point when treating a substance use disorder is rehab, during which you’re introduced to group therapy, individual therapy, and holistic therapy. Many experts argue that the benefits of group therapy are incredibly significant because of the focus on autonomy and the self-esteem boost gained from sharing with your peers.

Once you’ve completed a rehabilitation program that lasts for at least 28 days, it’s recommended that you continue treatment on an outpatient basis indefinitely. At least one hour each of group therapy and individual therapy, plus regular practice of your favored style of holistic therapy, for at least two years guarantees the best chances of long-term recovery.

How Can Group Therapy Help Addiction Sufferers?

By sharing your experiences and feelings with others who have had similar experiences, you gain a clearer perspective of your problems. No two people share identical stories — some group members’ plights may be shocking, and others may seem somewhat unremarkable. It’s these precise contrasts that help to show you that addiction can happen to anyone and highlight the disease for the indiscriminate homewrecker it is.

Additionally, participants learn to speak confidently and freely about how they feel in front of other people. A common thread that runs through the past lives of people who suffer from substance use disorders is an inability to open up or a tendency to hide or cover up their true feelings. Often, those who regularly attend these sessions feel an enormous weight off their shoulders and a newfound sense of freedom.

Who Leads Group Therapy?

Each group therapy session is led by a trained counselor who sits back and allows the attendees to do most of the talking. Their role is to set the topics and help to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of contributing to the discussion. The group leader is always listening carefully to identify any common themes running through each individual’s discourse. If they pick up on a thought process or thinking pattern that may be problematic, they’ll sensitively offer their insight.

It’s integral that no one is left out, and the counselor is always careful to pay attention to each member of the group. For instance, if one client regularly uses negative language to describe themselves, the group leader will point this out and suggest why this is unhealthy. Another example would be explaining to clients who praise others while remaining quiet about themselves that they may be people-pleasing.

Substance Abuse Group Activities

Charades is an excellent game to play during these sessions. It allows participants to observe and act out and partake in communication that doesn’t involve words. It’s an icebreaker, as well as the perfect way to open a discussion about body language.
Role-playing is an excellent way of understanding the importance of empathy. Clients tend to roll their eyes when they hear that they’ll be taking part in this exercise but often find themselves emotionally touched by the results. One common scenario asks an individual to pose as a loved one such as their mother, father, partner or sibling. The rest of the group is then encouraged to ask them direct questions that they respond to in character.
Listing bad habits allows each attendee to address what they do that they consider harmful and share ideas about what they can do instead.
Musical instruments are excellent tools in support groups. Expressing yourself through creativity provides a buzz unlike anything else. In group therapy, you can gain the confidence to do it in front of other people.
Group stories are devised by sitting in a circle and taking turns in contributing one word to make up a story with your peers. The group leader acts as a scribe, and you’ll be surprised at how touching and insightful the practice can be.
Labels and stereotypes can be examined through a group exercise that involves each person having a sticky note attached to their back. The notes will say things such as criminal, poor, rich, stupid, addict or depressed, and everyone walks around the room treating each individual according to their label. You have to guess your label from the way everyone is treating you.

10 Group Therapy Discussion Topics

Discuss a poignant childhood memory. If you had children, would you raise them the way you were raised? What were the good and bad aspects of your formative years?
Introduce yourself to your peers by sharing two things about yourself that are unusual or funny.
Read your favorite quote, song lyric, poem or passage in a book and share why you treasure it. Listen to other people’s and try to understand why it means so much to them.
Self-affirmations are an integral part of recovery. Talk about what makes you unique and learn to focus on the positive things about yourself.
Discuss mindfulness and how to live in the moment. What are the benefits of taking everything at face value?
Who are your role models and why? Which traits do you want to mirror? If you formerly used to look up to someone and no longer do, what made you stop?
Talk openly about your genuine feelings towards 12-step meetings. Will you continue to attend them once you leave rehab? Why do you think they have been so successful?
Have you ever been bullied or bullied someone? What impact did it have on you, and how do you think your bully/the person you bullied feels?
Learn about and address the neuroscience of addiction. Do you think understanding it gives you the power to fight it?
Talk about how good sleep, keeping fit and eating well can change your life. How important is lifestyle in recovery?

Group therapy is a cornerstone of addiction treatment. It gives participants the insights of many different people with unique experiences and gives you a platform to share your story. If you’re ready to explore the options available at rehab, call New Day Recovery at 330-953-3300.

addiction treatment center addiction treatment center

What Is Residential Sober Living?

Written by New Day Recovery on December 5, 2019. Posted in Blog.

One of the critical factors in causing substance use disorders, and also sustaining sobriety once you’ve completed a rehab course, is the environment you’re in. Often, those who find themselves struggling with this disease have been exposed to situations where drug and alcohol use is normalized. Whether this started as a child or in your later years, the effect can be just as detrimental.

Destructive environments may not even involve substance use; they may be psychologically damaging or contain too many triggers to return to after treatment. It’s essential that you recognize if this applies to you, because even the most motivated individuals can be derailed by the lack of a stable or substance-free living space. In these cases, sober residential living may be the best option for you.

What’s the Difference Between Sober Living and Halfway Houses?

These two types of aftercare have a lot in common, as they both provide a safe and clean space for people to transition from inpatient care who aren’t ready to return home. They offer a sense of community and vital support required for people working towards lifelong sobriety.

Halfway Houses

A halfway house is often state-operated and dorm-like, with many beds instead of individual rooms. This type of living arrangement can be very cheap due to the fact they have fewer amenities and less supervision or staff with fewer qualifications. The days won’t be as structured, and privacy may be an issue for some residents.

Sober Living Houses

An addiction treatment center often runs sober living. When you’ve just finished rehab, consistency can be hugely beneficial. Choosing an affiliated sober residency gives you the option of continued care that links into the course you’ve completed. Dry living spaces are similar to apartment living or a shared house with the added benefit of supervision and structured days that focus on reintegrating into the outside world.

The History of Halfway and Sober Living Houses

Halfway houses date back to the 1700s in England. They were opened to house young people who had committed crimes. In the United States, halfway houses were used to house individuals who had just finished a stint in prison. Those who stay in a halfway house have still usually been court-ordered to stay there.

Residential sober living dates back to around 1830 and began as organizations with religious associations. They were initially sober hotels where the residents stayed to recover from alcohol dependence. Since then, they have evolved to be more structured and focus on getting residents back to work and continue learning coping skills to enhance their chance of long-term recovery.

When Should You Move into a Sober Living House?

We reserve transitional housing for those who have just finished a stay in inpatient rehab. For many people who are coming to the end of their residential treatment, the thought of going straight back to their old life can be scary. You’re aware that you’ll once again face the risk of exposure to many of the reasons you began to use drugs or alcohol in the first place. Sober living provides transitional care and continues the process of helping you to change your lifestyle to one that is conducive to sobriety.

What Happens in Residential Sober Living Homes?

Sober living aims to help alleviate your fears and concerns about going from a monitored, routine-focused rehab center to ordinary daily life. Early recovery is arguably the most challenging time, and these residential options provide a safe, trigger-free living scenario.

You’ll have much more independence than in inpatient rehab and are allowed to come and go as you please. There are still rules, group meetings and curfews, but you’re able to go about your day-to-day life normally. Staff help to emphasize the importance of a support network, and your fellow residents help you to stay sober as you support them.

The mixture of freedom and structure is the ideal way to prevent the shock and isolation that’s felt when you go from being supervised 24 hours a day and surrounded by like-minded individuals to your “old life.” Meetings and guidance are usually centered around:

Adjusting to being sober in a less structured living space
Finding employment
Locating suitable housing
Building bridges with friends and family members

What Is the Cost of Sober Living?

This type of arrangement is usually a similar price to mid-range apartment living. Rent usually covers utilities, and you have access to resources, support and professional care that have your best interests at heart.

How to Succeed in Transitional Housing

The most important contributing factors to success in transitional housing are sticking to the guidelines and maintaining a can-do attitude. Rules and routines are implemented to show you how important these aspects of life are for everyone. It’s not only people who are in recovery who need to have structure in their lives, but you’ll also notice that all healthy people have it in their daily existence.

Take advice from the support network you’re privileged to have in a sober living home, including housemates, counselors and meetings.

The Importance of Long-Term Treatment

Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of thinking that detox and rehab are a cure for substance use disorders. While it’s the perfect starting point, you need to continue learning to understand your triggers and strengthening your alternative coping mechanisms for years to come. If you’re worried the shock of going straight from inpatient rehab to your ordinary life is going to be too much, we advise you to inquire about the sober living arrangements available to you.

To find out more about residential sober living, get in touch with New Day Recovery at 330-886-4744 to speak to an addiction expert about whether it’s the best next step for you.

Girl on couch holding her stomach in pain Girl on couch holding her stomach in pain

What Is Withdrawal and How Can You Deal with It?

Written by New Day Recovery on November 25, 2019. Posted in Blog, Detox Program, Drug Addiction.

For those using drugs or alcohol, the discomfort of withdrawal is often what keeps them trapped in the cycle of addiction. But, what is withdrawal? Why does it happen? And, what’s the best way to deal with this challenge? We’re tackling all these questions and more.

Withdrawals are a symptom that occurs when your body starts to detox from a substance. These symptoms can be physical, mental and emotional. Withdrawals aren’t limited to situations that involve drugs or alcohol. For example, many people are familiar with caffeine withdrawals, which can cause migraine-like headaches, among other uncomfortable symptoms.

For those who are struggling with substance abuse, withdrawals can be one of the first hurdles to addiction recovery. Understanding how they work and the best way to face them can help you overcome this obstacle on your road to sobriety.

Why Does Withdrawal Occur?

In many cases, substances like drugs or alcohol interact with and make changes in your body. For example, opioids and opiates (like prescription painkillers and heroin) activate receptors in your brain. This interaction with your body is what causes the high or any other effects of the drug.

But as you continue to use drugs or alcohol, your body can become used to this altered state. It becomes the new normal. When you suddenly stop introducing more of the substance into your body, it has a physical reaction as it tried to adjust from the new norm created by the substance abuse to a healthier state. During this adjustment period, you may experience several symptoms.

What to Expect From Withdrawal Symptoms

Each type of drug has a unique set of symptoms. Some common ones are anxiety or agitation, stomach issues, sweating or shaking, changes in sleep patterns and mood swings. More dangerous effects can include an increased heart rate or changes in blood pressure.

How long you experience withdrawal symptoms and their severity depends on a variety of factors, including:

What type of substances you have been taking
How much you’re taking at a time
How often you’re using
Whether you’re combining substances
Your age, gender and overall health status

What Helps Ease Withdrawal

Many people who try to fight addiction by themselves think withdrawal is something they have to get through by sheer willpower. And while you do sometimes have to dig deep and bear some symptoms, going it alone is a top reason so many people relapse. The fact is that going through drug or alcohol withdrawal can be scary, painful and even dangerous.

Medication-assisted detox in a residential rehab environment is one of the best ways to deal safely with this process. During the first few days or weeks of your treatment, you can be monitored by doctors and nurses to help alleviate the worry and discomfort that may be experienced at this time. And in some cases, the patient can be treated with medication to help come off of drug use in a more proactive and positive way.

Getting help with getting drugs and alcohol out of your system lets you concentrate on other aspects of your recovery, such as discovering root causes for substance abuse and developing healthier coping mechanisms to manage your addiction in the future. If you want to quit drugs or alcohol but find yourself being driven back to use by withdrawal, call New Day Recovery today at 330-953-3300 to take the first step toward getting caring, professional intervention that can make recovery more comfortable and successful.

Hands holding a wrapped holiday gift Hands holding a wrapped holiday gift

Getting Sober? Do It Before the Holidays with New Day Recovery

Written by New Day Recovery on November 13, 2019. Posted in Blog, Drug Addiction, Sober Living.

You may have been struggling with dependency and addiction for a long time, but are putting off treatment until after the holidays. It’s easy to promise yourself that next year you’ll start fresh. The problem is that every day you delay treatment, your addiction gets a firmer grip, destroying a little bit more of who you really are. Stop waiting. reach out and get the help you need to take back your life.

At New Day Recovery, we’d thought of a few reasons why getting sober during the holidays may be the best decision you make. Here are five great reasons to start getting sober before New Year’s.

5 Great Reasons to Focus on Recovery During the Holidays

Why wait to sober up? Here are just a few simple reasons why the holidays are a great time to stop using and start healing.

1. You’ll Save Money During an Expensive Time of Year

One thing to consider is how much money you’ll save if you stop financing your addiction. Sound silly? It’s not unusual for severely addicted users to spend $100 a day or more to feed their habit; that adds up to a whopping $35,000 per year! Alcohol isn’t quite as expensive, but can still cost thousands per year in consumption, not to mention the cost of damage and emergency medical care that often come with it.

Whether you drink heavily or struggle with illegal drug use, not spending money on those addictions saves money for the things you really need and want, like a nicer car or home, with money left over to buy gifts for loved ones.

2. You Won’t Suffer From Hangovers

Imagine waking up Christmas morning feeling better than you have in ages! No more pounding head, aching body, depression or anxiety weighing you down. Hangovers can keep you from the joy of the holiday season, make you late for parties or other obligations and generally put you in a bad mood. Eliminate drinking and/or drug use and you’ll be more likely to be ready to truly celebrate with your friends and family, instead of hoping no one notices how miserable you feel.

3. You’ll Make Great Memories to Replace the Bad Ones

No more blackouts. It can be terrifying not remembering what you did or what may have been done to you, but many people who are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction are affected by significant memory loss. There might be embarrassing photos or video evidence recorded while they were out of control. Important relationships can be destroyed by words or actions that can’t be recalled. This is even more likely to happen during celebrations since alcohol is so readily available, making it easier than ever to lose control. Sober up and you’ll be in control of your actions, so you don’t have to endure the worried, disappointed or angry looks for the things that happened while you were high or drunk.

4. You’ll Feel In Control

The downward addiction spiral can leave its victims feeling helpless. Taking back control by starting your recovery treatment provides a great boost to your confidence. You also tend to look and feel your best when you’re taking positive action to put an end to the destruction that substance abuse causes. What better gift could there be for you and your family to enjoy this season?

5. You’ll Look Your Best for Family Photos

Yes, it’s what’s on the inside that matters, but looking your best is a nice perk! Substance abuse can greatly affect physical appearance. The good news is that when you choose sobriety, your body starts to heal the damage. Instead of looking puffy, tired or years older than you actually are, you can be clear-eyed and smiling with pride in all those group photos. Be sure to look back at your old photos to appreciate just how far you’ve come on your recovery journey.

Worried About Handling the Holidays and Recovery? Call Us for Help

If you define sobriety, it is simply the state of being unintoxicated. If you’re tired of putting off your addiction treatment and are fed up with drugs or alcohol taking over your life, come celebrate the holidays with us — rehab may be the best gift ever.

At New Day Recovery, we’re here to help you regardless of the kind of addiction you’re struggling with, and we want you to know you’re not alone. The holidays are approaching, so reach out to us at 330-953-3300 to speak with someone about our services and how we can help you get sober for the holiday season.

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What Is IOP? Learn About Intensive Outpatient Treatment With New Day Recovery

Written by New Day Recovery on November 4, 2019. Posted in Blog, Outpatient Treatment.

At New Day Recovery, we are focused on helping people who are struggling with addiction recover their autonomy. While residential inpatient treatment is a great way to give you the time and focus for recovery in a secure place, it’s not practical for everyone. That’s why we offer an intensive outpatient treatment program or “IOP.” But just what is it?

What Does IOP Mean?

If you have looked into substance abuse treatment, then you may have seen IOP quite a bit. The acronym stands for “intensive outpatient program.” This type of program provides treatment for substance abuse without requiring a client to remain in a residential facility.

Intensive outpatient rehab is a step-down opportunity as well as a possible first step in recovery. If you’ve tried residential services and didn’t like the program or don’t have the flexibility to stay in inpatient, then IOP therapy could be the right choice for you. Contact us to speak with a counselor who can help you decide.

What Is an IOP Program Like?

In an IOP program, a client who does not need medically-supervised detoxification will begin recovery. These outpatient programs also serve those who have completed residential programs or detoxification protocols on a part-time yet intensive schedule.

They are designed to accommodate your need to work, go to school or take care of other responsibilities. Generally speaking, you’ll take part in therapies such as:

Group therapy
Individual therapy

Some of the individual topics and areas addressed include:

The stages of change
Family education
Learning to manage cravings and urges
Becoming educated on relapse prevention skills
Understanding how the brain chemistry of addiction works
Becoming familiar with the 12 steps
Spirituality
Becoming familiar with the progression of addiction as a disease
Post-acute withdrawal syndrome support
And many other topics based on group and individual needs

At the start of an intensive program, you’ll normally have daily assignments to complete. These help us help you through the toughest time in your recovery, the initial withdrawal or detoxification period. As you move forward, you’ll become stronger and more independent, so you won’t need as much professional support.

Part of any intensive program is this sense of “declining intensity.” Essentially, as you move forward and need fewer supports, you’ll be asked to commit to fewer sessions of group or individual therapy. Many facilities also call this a “step down” system, because you are slowly stepping away from the program and moving on in control of your own body and life. Of course, if you need help at any point, our friendly staff will always be here to assist.

What Are the Benefits of an Intensive Outpatient Program?

A few major benefits of IOP include:

Lower costs, since there is no residency requirement
No required overnights, so you stay in a home, apartment or hotel of your choice throughout the program
Better flexibility, so you can spend time at work, school or caring for your family
A range of treatment options
The ability to continue seeking treatment following inpatient/residential treatment through an IOP

Best of all, the programs are tailored to each client, so you receive the exact kind of care you need.

Can You Go to an IOP If You Haven’t Detoxed?

If you haven’t yet stopped using drugs or drinking alcohol, you may need to go through medically supervised detox. If this is required, then we will discuss with you the available professional detoxification services that may be right for you. These will need to be completed before you can be part of an outpatient program.

Who Is Eligible to Join an Intensive Outpatient Program?

IOPs are made for those who are having a hard time with addictions but still have to take care of responsibilities in their own lives. Your eligibility to enroll relies on a number of factors such as your clinical and medical assessment. If you are not eligible for the program, we will speak with you about detoxification programs we offer, inpatient programs available to you and other treatments that may be better suited to your situation.

If you are sure that intensive outpatient treatment is right for you, we may discuss the use of medication to assist your treatment. Known as medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, this program is especially able to help you cope with alcohol or opioid addiction. By using FDA-approved medications, you’ll be able to manage symptoms of withdrawal and dependency so that you can stop taking illicit drugs or abusing other substances. These medications are tapered over time so that you avoid the painful and sometimes dangerous symptoms of withdrawal.

What Should You Expect at New Day Recovery?

At New Day Recovery, our intensive outpatient program is designed to fit around your life. Sessions take place two to three days per week, and each session lasts three hours. This makes it easier to schedule regardless of whatever else you have going on in your life. We also have, which offers additional flexibility by offering these programs in the evening and during daytime hours. Whether you’re looking for outpatient group counseling, individual counseling or mental health counseling, we can give you everything you’re searching for at our Ohio rehab center.

Contact New Day Recovery to Learn More about Intensive Outpatient Care

At New Day Recovery, we are ready to help you move forward toward a life of sobriety. Whether you’re interested in an intensive outpatient program or want to consider all the options we have available, we’re happy to talk to you about all we offer. Contact us at 330-953-3300 to speak with us and join us at one of our facilities in Columbiana County, Mahoning County or Trumbull County.