Addiction Management Program
Addiction is a complex disease. To be effective, treatment not only addresses drug
use, but also the emotional, mental, physical, and social needs of each individual.
AU Health's comprehensive Addiction Management Program utilizes medication-assisted treatment, in combination with an intensive outpatient
program, for adults 18-years and older who are struggling with an alcohol or substance
use disorder.
Addiction Management Program
Addiction is a complex disease. To be effective, treatment not only addresses drug
use, but also the emotional, mental, physical, and social needs of each individual.
AU Health's comprehensive Addiction Management Program utilizes medication-assisted treatment, in combination with an intensive outpatient
program, for adults 18-years and older who are struggling with an alcohol or substance
use disorder.
Our Approach
Recovery from a substance use disorder is a long-term process. Research shows that
most individuals require at least 3 months of treatment as a foundation for sustained
recovery; this allows time to establish a support network, learn coping skills to
address negative emotions, maintain a new routine, and make lifestyle changes such
as proper nutrition, exercise, adequate sleep, and structured schedules.
Medication can be effective in maintaining abstinence by reducing withdrawal symptoms,
decreasing cravings, and blocking the desired effects of substances. Our Intensive Outpatient Program provides comprehensive support to individuals in early recovery with 9 hours of group
treatment each week for 12 weeks in addition to family support and individual counseling.
Augusta University Health's treatment model incorporates many different components
of addiction treatment, focusing on relapse prevention through:
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Addiction education
- Peer support
Our services are delivered through structured programming with a combination of didactic
formats and group processing with a strong emphasis on relapse prevention. Our services
are primarily offered during the evenings so that individuals can continue to maintain
employment and residence in their community.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medications, in combination with counseling
and behavior therapies, to provide a "whole-patient" approach to the treatment of
substance use disorders.
Research shows that a combination of medication and therapy can successfully treat
these disorders and help sustain long term recovery. This approach has been shown
to:
- Improve patient survival.
- Increase retention in treatment.
- Decrease illicit opiate use and other criminal activity among people with substance
use disorders.
- Improve patients’ ability to gain and maintain employment.
- Improve functionality and increase self-reported quality of life.
Intensive Outpatient Program
The essential elements of the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) are structured, open-ended groups that focus on specific topics related to early recovery
and relapse prevention skills. Each group is 3 hours in length and meets every Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday from 6 pm to 9 pm for 12 weeks, including a weekly Family Education Group session.
IOP utilizes evidence-based treatments to prevent relapse by providing individuals
with healthy coping skills and the development of a strong support network. The treatment
model incorporates many different components of addiction treatment, including:
- Relapse prevention skills
- Stress management
- Introduction to 12-steps
- The neurobiology of addiction
- Cognitive and behavioral strategies to manage emotions
Family involvement is strongly encouraged as their participation increases the likelihood
of successful treatment and helps them through their own recovery process. Family
members will learn about the recovery process, setting healthy boundaries, ways to
rebuild trust, and the disease process of addiction.
The primary components of IOP are:
- Group counseling and therapy
- Individual treatment planning and review
- Individual counseling
- Psychoeducational programming
- Weekly random drug screens
- Pharmacotherapy and medication management
- Family involvement and counseling
- Transition management and discharge planning
What to Expect
Taking the First Step
Your first appointment will consist of a comprehensive substance abuse evaluation.
This evaluation is a tool used to determine the extent of your substance use so treatment
professionals can create an individualized care plan well suited to your needs and
situation. Through written assessments and interviews, staff will inquire about your
health history, past and present drug and/or alcohol use, the manner and behaviors
by which it's affected your life, co-occurring psychiatric and medical issues, and
history of treatment.
The coordination of treatment is facilitated by a multidisciplinary team offering
medical, therapeutic, and recovery support. In accordance with our Patient-and-Family Centered Care philosophy, Augusta University Health desires to establish a healthy environment
by giving you the tools to help your loved one while addressing the issues that have
negatively impacted your own life.
Family in Recovery
Family involvement is strongly encouraged as their participation increases the likelihood
of successful treatment and helps them through their own recovery process. Family
members will learn about:
- The recovery process
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Methods to rebuild trust
- The disease process of addiction
Family Education Group
Each Wednesday there will be a 90 minute Family Education component presented to patients
and their families that will include group discussions and program topics such as
the neurobiology of addiction, physical effects of drugs and alcohol, family roles,
behavioral conditioning, enabling, and codependency.
Treatment Process
There are many definitions for recovery, but it can most aptly be defined as "not having to put anything in your body to change the way you feel." A popular 12-step slogan is "to live life on life's terms." Although sobriety is considered a necessary condition for recovery, it is not sufficient.
There are many causes for relapse but the inability to control stress often leads
to a strong craving for an individuals drug of choice. The many facets of treatment
are designed to effectively cope with the inevitability of stressful events with specific
skills and social support.
Early Recovery Skills
These skills are specific and behavioral, with a focus on the core components of actively
engaging in a recovery program. The purpose of the skills group is to:
- Teach patients how to schedule time.
- Identify internal and external triggers.
- Utilize relapse prevention strategies.
- Learn cognitive tools to reduce cravings.
- target the behavioral and neurological components of the reward pathway.
Patients will also be introduced the 12-step program and will be asked to attend meetings
to begin developing a community support network in conjunction with IOP treatment.
Relapse Prevention
Relapse prevention is a primary component of the program that provides the underlying
basis for how patients learn to maintain sobriety. The groups are highly structured
with a specific format for each session. The evidence-based therapies incorporated
throughout IOP provide integration of:
- Neurobehavioral Concepts
- Motivational Interviewing
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Contingency Management
- Family Therapy
Mindfulness Training
Difficulty in coping with negative thoughts and feelings is a pervasive factor in
the development of substance abuse issues and the ability to maintain sobriety. Mindfulness
training teaches acceptance of uncomfortable sensations, memories, or urges by bringing
awareness to the present moment. Mindfulness practice has also been shown to reduce
emotional reactivity by learning how to simply acknowledge and then disengage from
distracting thoughts and emotions.
Research shows that addiction compromises the function of the prefrontal cortex -
the region of the brain that enables us to think and plan for the future - while the
reward system in the midbrain exerts control over behavior as the craving for higher
levels of dopamine overrides the ability to think rationally. Essentially, the prefrontal
cortex goes offline along with the ability to think about the consequences of drug
and alcohol abuse.
A component of the brain, the Default Mode Network (DMN), becomes activated when the
brain becomes stressed, whether ruminating about the past, worrying about the future,
or when craving occurs. Meditation has been shown to make this network quiet down
which, in turn, allows the thinking brain to come back online. This has important
implications for recovery since negative emotional states such as stress are strong
predictors of relapse.