Medication Assisted Treatment Center in Salt Lake City, UT – Substance Abuse & Mental Health Disorders
If you’re actively struggling with substance abuse or managing other mental illnesses, you may be hesitant to seek treatment despite wanting to improve your life and stop your addiction. Recovering from substance abuse often evokes thoughts of agonizing withdrawal symptoms and long durations away from work or loved ones while you essentially put your life on hold, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Repairing and managing your life and health after drug or alcohol addiction is no easy task. It is a continuous process that can include relapsing or discouraging attempts at rehabilitation. Whether you’ve been resistant or adverse to other approaches of substance abuse therapy or are simply interested in an alternative recovery program, consider medically assisted detoxification programs as a viable option for yourself or a family member who struggles with addiction.
At Pomarri Substance Abuse Recovery Center, we offer a variety of evidence-based treatment programs to choose from, so there’s a way to build an effective, long-term therapy and management plan for each patient’s unique needs and life circumstances. Some treatment modalities for drug and alcohol addiction that we utilize include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), positive psychology, neuroplasticity, meditation, and exercise therapy, in addition to medical detox.
What Is Medical Detoxing?
Long-term alcohol and drug abuse are particularly draining on the body and brain. Typically, one of the first steps on a former user’s road to a healthier, more stable mental and physical state is detoxing. Detoxification, or detox, is a medical intervention process used by professionals who specialize in treating patients recovering from substance abuse.
There are a few approaches to tapering someone off the substance they’re abusing, including the controlled use of medication. Medical detoxification is an approach to recovery in which the harmful substances are expelled from your body, while medication simultaneously helps your body and mind return to normal levels and begin healing.
There will still be a period of withdrawal, likely with some uncomfortable symptoms, depending on your circumstances and degree of substance abuse. However, the ultimate goal of medically assisted detox is to ensure you can make it through withdrawal while approaching a level of stability. After an extended period of active addiction, the end goal isn’t simply to detox but to utilize detox as a means of beginning a longer recovery journey.
Medically assisted treatment is an important option to have during substance abuse recovery because it can improve your chances of staying on track and avoiding relapse. Although withdrawal is inevitable, medication can help the individual transition into a state free of the dependence that they’ve become accustomed to.
Detox and withdrawal are extremely difficult and physically demanding. It’s important that medically assisted treatment isn’t stigmatized, as it’s been proven to be successful and is recognized by doctors as a valid method of jumpstarting rehabilitation.
There are several circumstances where outpatient medical detox is helpful, such as when the person must or wishes to continue working, stay with loved ones, or cannot afford to be removed from their life for an extended stay. Medically assisted detox may be deemed necessary once a person has become dependent on a substance and/or has built up a high tolerance.
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Mental Health Conditions
Those who suffer from mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety can also benefit from medication-assisted treatment. When combined with therapy, medication can be effective in treating these debilitating illnesses. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants are often used to treat depression and anxiety, while mood stabilizers and antipsychotics (along with antidepressants) can combat bipolar disorder.
The Many Benefits of Medically Assisted Treatment for Detox
There are numerous benefits of medically assisted detoxification. As mentioned, this approach frequently reduces the risk of early relapse and allows for a more stable, incremental path toward recovery and sobriety. Also, trying to detox at home by quitting cold turkey can be extremely dangerous, even fatal, for some substance users. Thus, seeking professional care for detoxing is a more advisable and safer option.
Another way that medical detox may benefit the patient is if they have concurrent or underlying conditions, such as mental health issues, which are often comorbid with addiction. In this case, they can receive treatment for those conditions at the same time. This can also greatly increase their chances of undergoing recovery with a strong foundation and avoiding relapse.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Medically Assisted Detox Safe?
A: Medically assisted detox is completely safe when conducted by a qualified physician and a medical team that’s experienced in addiction medicine and recovery. Patients are administered medication by clinical staff in a safe medical facility where they can be monitored at the beginning and throughout the detox process, ensuring their vitals are in range and their progress is logged. The individual will simultaneously have access to support and other resources to help them along the adjustment period.
Q: What Will Withdrawal During Detox Be Like?
A: Detox will be different for each person, depending on which substances they were taking and how (e.g., smoking, snorting, ingesting, injecting), the amount and for how long the drug was abused, and the person’s genetic makeup and health conditions. The length and severity of withdrawal will depend on these factors, but it can take anywhere from several days to several months to get past the symptoms.
Most rehab clinics will have various medication options to use for detoxification, utilizing what will help the individual be most comfortable while the substances are purged from their system. Exact withdrawal symptoms will also vary from person to person but may include heart palpitations, insomnia, chills, sweating, headaches, anxiety, irritability, cramping, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and muscle or joint pain.
Q: What Are Comorbidities?
A: Comorbidities, or comorbid conditions, are health conditions or factors that occur at the same time. For example, you could have acquired an illness that’s comorbid with a disorder you were born with. It’s important to consider comorbidities in a medical setting since symptoms may overlap, or an unknown underlying condition could make an affliction initially appear as something else.
Substance users often have one or more mental illnesses that are comorbid with their addiction issues. Many substance abuse recovery clinics aim to address these comorbid conditions at the same time.
Q: What Happens After Detox?
A: Detox is meant to target the physical complications of addiction, but it is not the end of recovery. Each patient’s larger treatment program will vary according to their needs, but it would ideally address their underlying psychological and emotional state, along with their behavioral responses to distress and adversity.
Pomarri for Substance Abuse Rehabilitation and Therapy
Pomarri Recovery Center has a team of medical and mental health professionals who are dedicated to assisting patients with overcoming addiction and other mental illnesses. At Pomarri, each person who seeks treatment will be provided with a specific, comprehensive recovery plan created by a physician—one that’s based on their unique needs and circumstances.
The substance abuse recovery center offers medical detox programs as well as programs for day treatment and intensive outpatient rehabilitation. At Pomarri, our detoxification process typically ranges between eight to 12 weeks.
Based on our findings and recent clinical research, allowing longer durations for detox yielded lower rates of patients relapsing. Other evidence-based treatments we utilize include moral reconation therapy (MRT), experiential therapy, addressing topics of self-reliance, building life skills, and creating healthy boundaries.
Our experienced team is equipped to help individuals dealing with addiction to and dependence on a variety of different substances, including alcohol, opiates/opioids (prescribed, over-the-counter, and illicit), cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, painkillers, inhalants, stimulants, and sedatives/tranquilizers. Pomarri also encourages clients to engage with the local community, the Utah landscape, and ongoing treatment programs.
By connecting patients with activities outside the clinic, they have the opportunity to foster new passions and personal relationships to further ground them after detox and into their sobriety. If you live in Utah and are seeking professional, qualified help in treating your substance abuse or mental illness, consider Pomarri as your place to recover from addiction.
About Salt Lake City
Our state capital is nestled against the stunning backdrop of the Wasatch Mountain Range.
The city’s downtown area is always bustling. Locals and visitors alike flock to historic buildings, shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions. The Salt Lake Temple reflects the city’s rich religious history. Nearby, the Wasatch Mountains offer skiing and snowboarding options in the winter and unsurpassed hiking options in the summer.
Salt Lake City was founded in 1847 by a group of pioneers led by Brigham Young. Before the city’s founding, Ute and Shoshone native americans inhabited the region.
Salt Lake City’s population is around 200,000 people, but Salt Lake County’s population is much higher, at over 1 million. At 4,330 feet, the city is located at a much higher elevation than most places in the country, and visitors often find it difficult to get accustomed to. Higher elevation can cause hikers, runners, and bikers to lose their breath more easily, and it can also impact intoxication levels.
In the winter, Salt Lake City’s climate is cold and snowy, while summers tend to be hot and dry. The weather can change quickly, so locals know that wearing layers is crucial.
The sublime beauty of Utah can offer comfort and solace for those struggling with addiction. Time outdoors in and around Salt Lake City offers a wonderful opportunity for our clients to reflect on their current state as well as their future.