How to Pick the Best Opiate Rehab Center

Making the decision to get help isn’t easy, but neither is choosing how to get help. Here are a few tips to help you pick the best opiate rehab center.

Seeking treatment for drug abuse can be an intimidating experience.

Selecting an opioid rehab center can be overwhelming. However, it’s important to pick a facility carefully to ensure you’re receiving care tailored to your needs. For example, if you struggle with opiate abuse, you may need to look for a different treatment facility than one that focuses on alcoholism. To determine what may be the best fit, it’s important to know what opiates are, how they affect the body, and what’s the best way to treat opiate addiction.

What Are Opiates and Why Are They Such a Problem?

The term “opiates” covers a broad range of drugs, including legal medications like fentanyl, codeine and morphine (painkillers), as well as illegal substances like heroin. Opioid addiction is becoming a growing problem in the country and overdose deaths are increasing as a result. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, of the 55,403 fatal drug overdoses in 2015, 20,101 were caused by prescription pain relievers and 12,990 by heroin.

How to Choose an Opiate Treatment Facility

If you think you need opioid addiction treatment, there are numerous factors to take into consideration.

Determine if You Need Detox

Many people who are addicted to opiates will need to detox before entering treatment. The process of detoxing includes ridding the body of all drugs and can be very uncomfortable for some people because of opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Detoxing from opiates can be highly uncomfortable, so it is important to only do so under the supervision of medical professionals. Another benefit of detoxing in a medical setting is that certain medications are available to make the process less uncomfortable.

Compare Inpatient vs. Outpatient Treatment Options

For many who struggle with addiction, inpatient treatment seems like the obvious choice. With inpatient treatment, the patient stays in a facility with 24/7 help available. Inpatient facilities typically provide meals and places to sleep, as well as counseling and treatment. Inpatient treatment typically lasts 30 days, but long-term options are also available. When it comes to outpatient treatment, the patient is able to remain in their current living situation and go to school or work, while going to treatment a few times a week.

Consider the Aftercare a Treatment Program Offers

Often, treatment facilities will provide patients with aftercare. In other words, patients have the option to continue to follow up in a group setting even after being released from a program. Sometimes, treatment facilities may even have connections to certain sober living homes, so that a patient can move into a home and continue to focus on recovery while also adjusting to life after full-time treatment. It’s important to remember that aftercare can continue for as long as you are committed to recovery. People that maintain long-term sobriety often attribute their success to aftercare services such as 12-step programs or self-help groups.

As with anything related to addiction treatment and recovery, there are many factors to consider when it comes to opiate treatment. However, with the right tools and information, making an informed decision will be easier.

Editor – Megan Hull

Megan Hull is a content specialist who edits, writes and ideates content to help people find recovery. Read more

Medically Reviewed By – Dr. Jessica Pyhtila, PharmD

Dr. Jessica Pyhtila is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist based in Baltimore, Maryland with practice sites in inpatient palliative care and outpatient primary care at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Read more