Selecting the right treatment center and level of care for you or a loved one’s substance abuse problems can be a very daunting task. Here are the various levels in the addiction treatment continuum of care:
Detox programs allow patients to deal with residual cravings and withdrawal symptoms under the care of medical professionals. The medical staff will be looking for signs of distress related to the withdrawal process. Depending on the type of addiction, withdrawal symptoms might include:
- Breathing and blood pressure problems
- Sleep disruption
- Hallucinations, nightmare, convulsions, and tremors
- Severe muscle cramping
- Motor control issues
After a successful stint in drug and alcohol detox, the patient moves onto inpatient treatment and/or outpatient treatment.
Inpatient treatment involves a more intensive form of rehabilitation in a hospital like of setting. It offers extensive access to medical services and supervision from health care professionals on a 24/7 basis to ensure that you have quick access to anything you need during your rehab. It may also involve a facility that is situated outside of a hospital type of setting. In some cases, there may not be 24/7 access to health care professionals, but there is staff on hand all hours of the day and hospital services are available whenever necessary.
There are 270 outpatient substance abuse treatment centers in Georgia. Of these outpatient Georgia alcohol rehab facilities, 245 offer regular care, 108 offer intensive outpatient programs and 52 Georgia treatment centers offer partial hospitalization (day long) outpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment facilities offer programs that are accessible to individuals who are not interested in living at a treatment center or for those who are unable to commit to inpatient alcohol treatment due to work and financial obligations.
While outpatient rehab is similar to inpatient, it is less expensive and allows people to return home each night to tend to their personal, work and family matters. New clients generally start off in a PHP (partial hospitalization program) level of care. This typically means attending groups at the rehab center from 9am until 4pm from Monday through Friday.
Once stabilized at this level of care (typically 4-6 weeks), the next tier of care is IOP (intensive outpatient program). Clients in IOP typically attend groups from 9am until noon or 1pm until 4pm anywhere from 3 days a week to 5 days a week. The final tier is the outpatient program in which individuals come to the treatment center once a week for group and an individual counseling session.
