The Role Of Medical Care In Addiction Treatment

When it comes to addiction recovery, it is important that treatment providers be able to evaluate and address every aspect of a client’s condition, including their physical health, their behavioral health, their psychological state and mental health, and their social environment and stability. And because people with SUDs often have a variety of other physical and mental health conditions, providers also need to be able to provide medical care in addiction treatment, helping clients to face a wide variety of challenges as they work towards a healthy, stable future. 

Medical Care In Addiction Treatment

Medical care can be considered to be any healthcare provided by a health professional, including care provided by the trained and licensed professionals serving the public in addiction treatment programs. 

Medical addiction treatment can take a variety of different forms and is personalized in order to meet a client’s unique needs. Specific forms of medical care in addiction treatment settings can include the following.

Crisis Stabilization Services

Sometimes, a person who has an acute substance use disorder (SUD) may be brought into a healthcare setting in the midst of a crisis. For instance, they may be struggling with various aspects of psychosis, losing touch with reality and experiencing delusions, hallucinations, and intense paranoia. Or they may have recently overdosed on opioids or experienced alcohol poisoning. Or they may have attempted to quit a substance “cold turkey,” only to encounter serious withdrawal effects like delirium tremens (DT), seizures, uncontrollable vomiting, and dehydration. 

In these situations, inpatient crisis stabilization services can provide intensive medical care to ensure the safety and, sometimes, the survival of the client. Once the critical stage is over, these services can also help introduce clients to the treatment system and refer them to rehab programs and social services that can meet their particular needs. 

Evaluation And Diagnosis

In both inpatient and residential treatment settings, incoming clients are provided with a comprehensive intake assessment, like this example from ASAM, and screening process to determine the person’s:

• history with alcohol and drugs of abuse
• previous drug and/or alcohol treatment experience
• relevant medical history and medications
• mental health history and current psychological condition
• psychosocial history (e.g., domestic violence, family history of SUD, financial struggles, housing situation, and other social problems)
• education, employment history, and criminal history
• SUD diagnosis and severity
• potential for physical or psychological withdrawal symptoms

This process can help paint a complete picture for treatment professionals to use as they design and develop the client’s personalized treatment plan and the various elements that will contribute to it throughout their recovery pathway. 

Medical Detoxification

When a person is physically dependent on a particular substance or substances, quitting those substances too quickly may produce temporary side effects and rebound effects known as withdrawal symptoms. These uncomfortable symptoms can vary depending on the substance being used, the dosage and length of time a person misuses them, and individual factors. But they are always unpleasant to go through. 

Unfortunately, all forms of withdrawal syndrome also have the potential to be dangerous in one way or another. While alcohol and benzodiazepines sometimes produce serious or even life-threatening symptoms like delirium tremens (DT) and seizures, many others can produce nausea, vomiting, and potentially harmful levels of dehydration. And all withdrawal symptoms may cause a person to go back to drugs or alcohol, oftentimes with an elevated risk of overdose. 

Medical detoxification programs, which can be offered in a variety of different settings including inpatient, residential, and even outpatient treatment centers, provide close medical supervision and guidance through the acute phase of withdrawal. Clients will be closely monitored, provided with counseling and creature comforts, and may be given medications, hydration, and nutritional support as needed to help them cruise through the worst of their symptoms before graduating to other treatment services.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Options

While no drug or treatment can simply cure SUD, several different medications have been approved by the FDA to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) specifically.

These medications include:

• naltrexone, an opioid antagonist approved to treat both AUD and OUD
• methadone, a long-acting opioid approved to treat OUD
• buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist approved to treat OUD
• acamprosate, a GABA analogue approved to treat AUD
• disulfiram, an alcohol deterrent approved to treat AUD

Each of these substances works differently and has different pros, cons, limitations, and costs associated with it. They must all also be prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider. 

However, these substances are all also considered highly effective when used as directed and combined with other forms of treatment like counseling or behavioral therapy. They can also be used for long periods of time, helping people to gain ground and build up good, stable patterns of behavior as they continue in recovery. In fact, in one study referenced by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), participants with OUD who took naltrexone at one point reported 90% abstinence from opioid drugs, compared to only 35% of those receiving a placebo. 

Dual Diagnosis Care

NIDA also reports that approximately half of those who have an SUD also have some form of co-occurring mental health condition, and vice-versa.

Accordingly, many addiction treatment centers offer dual diagnosis treatment that combines SUD treatment with treatment for mental illnesses like:

• anxiety and panic disorders
• clinical depression
• schizophrenia
• bipolar disorder
• borderline personality disorder
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• obsessive-compulsive disorder

Dual diagnosis treatment is entirely personalized to fit a client’s unique needs, often blending a combination of behavioral therapy with the careful prescribing and use of proven medications like antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and others. 

Benefits Of Medical Care In Addiction Treatment

Have you ever noticed that joy can make you feel lighter? That stress can physically weigh you down? Or that grief and remorse are tangibly painful? This is all because the body and mind are deeply connected and intertwined, in ways that are still poorly understood. 

What we do understand is that our psychological state has a direct effect on our body’s physical condition, and our physical condition has a direct effect on our mental state in turn. This means that the doctors, psychologists, nurses, therapists, and other treatment professionals serving in addiction treatment centers need to be able to provide treatment that takes into account the physical, mental, and even social aspects of a client’s condition when providing care, as any single aspect could interfere with recovery if left unaddressed. 

This is also crucial due to the physical and psychological effects of different substances of abuse. Not only do people with substance use disorder (SUD) often become increasingly physically dependent on drugs and alcohol over time, but these substances can directly damage the body in a large number of ways and dramatically increase one’s risk of developing mental health disorders.

For instance:

• alcohol addiction is notorious for causing liver damage/cirrhosis, cancer, and cardiovascular damage as well as depression, anxiety, and sleep problems
• opioid abuse impacts pain tolerance, may cause constipation, produces severe skin and organ damage if injected or sorted, and may exacerbate existing mental illnesses and cognitive problems
• stimulant drugs are well known for damaging the heart, lungs, teeth, and skin, and may produce psychosis or even trigger the emergence of schizophrenia

Medical addiction treatment services can identify and treat these specific issues, supporting a person’s mental health, physical health, and behavioral health and increasing the likelihood that they are able to stabilize and continue in recovery for a long period of time. 

Medical Care Vs. Other Treatment Options

Many people benefit from medical care in addiction treatment programs. However, there are other options to consider, especially if a person has already completed a formal inpatient or residential treatment program or does not yet have a severe form of SUD. 

These options include:

• counseling/therapy sessions
• in-person peer support groups/12-step programs
• online peer support groups
• self-help courses

However, if you or someone you love has been struggling with a moderate or severe form of SUD or you have tried to recover on your own in the past but been unable to, it is important that you get the professional care and support you need to meet your recovery goals. 

Treatment Options At Ohio Recovery Center

Drug and alcohol addiction are pervasive health issues, impacting every area of a person’s life, from their physical health to their relationships, behavior, emotional stability, mental health, and more. But treatment is available that can help you achieve a long-lasting, stable, and sustainable recovery. 

At Ohio Recovery Center (ORC), we understand that this is a challenging process.

That’s why we offer a calm, private residential treatment center staffed by supportive and compassionate treatment professionals providing leading treatment services including:

• medical detox
• cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of psychotherapy
• medication-assisted treatment options
• dual diagnosis treatment options
• peer support groups
• psychoeducation
• aftercare coordination and support
• and more

To learn more about ORC, our treatment facility, and our medical addiction treatment services, please contact us today.