Medical Assistance

Here at Addiction Treatment Strategies, we use a five-point program to address needs related to addiction. First and foremost, we will assure you’re medically okay. Most patients do come needing some level of detoxification from alcohol, opiates, or benzos. First, the therapist will evaluate news history and mental health background for the patient. We must know if you’re being treated by another physician or treating conditions. We do have patients with outside physicians getting treated for other conditions such as depression, anxiety or anorexia, so they must coordinate a treatment plan. If the primary problem is an opiate condition or alcohol condition physicians are aware those patients need to be detoxed safely so a path is determined.

Detoxification Process

Physicians will work with what is available to them and use the current effective medication to address an opiate condition, either Suboxone or any other available medications. Patients who are on an opiate or have an opiate addiction problem will be on some type of medication to decrease the cravings of the compulsion to use. We will get them off that opiate and onto a medication, and if possible, slowly detox or decrease dependence on that opiate. This does take a length of time and will be managed by a physician.

This process also occurs for people who are dependent on alcohol and physicians have medications available to use for detoxification from alcohol. The two most dangerous substances that we deal with in regard to withdrawal are not opiates, but alcohol or benzodiazepines. Medications for those two can cause seizures so physicians must monitor closely and have medications ready to help these patients.

Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment

Therapists will then get involved with the other underlying causes by having weekly visits with our patients. They plan to care and address other conditions which may be anxiety, depression, bipolar, or some mental health condition that led to substance abuse. One of the problems that we have dealt with in the past related to medical intervention for patients is holding an intervention specifically for the drug of choice and not facing the underlying issues. Therapists will address the co-occurring disorder; the underlying disorder that led to substance use. All patients are treated for co-occurring disorders if symptoms are shown because it’s one particular symptom decreases the other one that’s on the surface. Treating the two simultaneously is ideal.

Contact us at (618) 692-6880 or email [email protected]