Intensive outpatient treatment programs are developed for individuals with addictions to substances such as opiates/narcotic and are available for affected individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The programs provide a supportive, structural, and educational setting for those who need assistance with the recovery process.
The benefits of an outpatient addiction treatment facility include:
- Reinforcing helpful and healthy ways of interacting with a safe and supportive environment.
- Assisting with the development of communication and socialization skills.
- Guiding, where necessary, patients in structuring their new lifestyles.
- Helping patients to get assistance from other group members during their recovery process.
The following are specialized outpatient programs that have been shown to be effective and beneficial in those patients affected by substance abuse disorders:
Aquatic therapy
- Performing exercises in water help with relaxation and have a physically therapeutic benefit.
- Warm water is used to help facilitate muscle relaxation and increase peripheral circulation.
- Can help to detoxify the patient faster from the drug they used.
Counseling
- This service offers a forum for patients to receive support with their life stressors, as well as school, work, and any family-related issues.
- Traditional counseling allows addiction specialists to help addicts resolve anxiety, stress, emotional concerns, and interpersonal conflicts.
- Counseling also includes group therapy sessions that focus on improving strategies to remain sober, develop a supportive environment needed for recovery, and avoiding relapses.
Hypnotherapy
- Regarded as a relaxation technique in terms of helping to reduce addictive behaviors in affected individuals.
- Used to put the patient in between a sleep state in order to induce suggestions into the unconscious mind.
- Studies have shown that this therapy is more effective than placebos or simple therapies when dealing with substance abuse disorders.
Physical restorative therapy
- Exercise and physical practices such as yoga are incorporated to help improve the strength of the body.
- This is especially effective in those patients who have experienced physical complications such as muscle loss, arthritis, balance disorders, and generalized weakness due to their addictive behaviors.
- This therapy helps to recondition the body to its optimal state.
Psychoeducation
- Here, education and information regarding substance abuse, addictive behaviors, mental health disorders, and what to expect on the journey to recovery are discussed and given to the patient.
- The goal of this therapy is to help the patients and their family members understand how addictive behaviors develop, what events may trigger these issues, and what can be done to overcome the pathology.
- A better understanding of the addictive process allows for a better understanding of the causes of the problem which in turn means a better understanding of what situations to try and avoid from the patient’s side and what family members and friends can do to support them.
Spiritual Therapy
- This involves the process of helping to relieve physical and emotional problems through meditation and prayer.
- Spiritual therapy may involve the transference of spiritual energy from the person administering the therapy by touching or laying hands on the patient.
- Even in those who are not spiritual, the act itself is one of grace and compassion that some benefit may be derived from this therapy.
