When most people think of addiction treatment, they think of residential treatment, colloquially referred to as “rehab.” In the popular imagination, addiction is a problem with only one solution. You’ll hear things like “she needs to go to rehab,” “I’m trying to get him into rehab,” and “they’re trying to make me go to rehab.”
“Rehab” is a monolithic, all-in-one addiction treatment solution where you or your loved one spends 28 days away from their life getting completely “fixed.” They leave rehab totally healed and then they remain sober for life.
The reality looks a lot different.
Traditional “Rehab” Inpatient Treatment Programs in Portland Aren’t for Everyone
The reality is a lot of people:
- Can’t afford to “get away from it all” for a week, let alone months
- Don’t want to sleep in a strange place with strange people
- Have jobs, houses, children, spouses and/or elderly parents to tend to
- Have special diets or other medical needs that can’t be accommodated at an inpatient facility
- Have pets that aren’t welcomed at traditional rehabs
- Don’t enjoy being surrounded by people 24/7
- Prefer to stay connected to their existing support network during treatment
- Have concerns about COVID exposure or other infectious diseases
Good news: inpatient treatment is far from the only option for those with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). In Portland, outpatient addiction treatment is more popular than ever before! Today, we’ll talk about what outpatient treatment is and examine some of the top reasons patients have for choosing outpatient addiction treatment programs.
What Is Outpatient Treatment for Addiction?
Whether you’re dealing with an opioid addiction, alcohol use disorder, stimulant dependence or any other type of behavioral health issue, it can be difficult to discern what type of program will be the best fit once you’re ready to make a change. Getting sober can feel downright daunting and it doesn’t help that navigating the medical help available is far from user-friendly. One of the main questions people seeking help have is “what is outpatient treatment?”
The answer is, outpatient treatment varies from program to program, based on the needs of the patient.
In an outpatient program, engagement can be as little as a couple hours a week all the way up to 6 or 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. The difference is the level of care you and your medical team opt for. There are typically three different levels of outpatient care: standard outpatient, intensive outpatient (also known as IOP) and partial hospitalization (also known as PHP).
What Does Outpatient Addiction Treatment Look Like at Shanti Recovery and Wellness in Portland?
At Shanti Recovery and Wellness, our patients are typically involved in a standard, outpatient, medication assisted treatment model. This means that they initially come into the office for weekly medical check ups with our doctor and weekly counseling sessions with our mental health team. Appointments with our in-house nutritionist are also available on an as needed basis. Telehealth appointments are available for each of these types of appointments when appropriate.
Because we offer the gold standard of addiction treatment at our office, we use evidence-based medicines to support our patients’ recovery when it is indicated. These medications include Suboxone, Vivitrol, buprenorphine, Naltrexone and others. We also offer TMS therapy for mental health conditions.
Why Are More People in Portland Choosing Outpatient Addiction Treatment Programs?
In a word: flexibility. Outpatient programs allow patients like you to live their lives and get help at the same time. You stay connected to family and friends, you attend work, school and family life as before, and you get to practice the recovery life skills you’re learning in treatment right away in the real world.
Why Do Portland Residents Choose Shanti Recovery and Wellness for Outpatient Addiction Treatment?
Portland residents tend to gravitate towards our programs because we offer a warm, family-style environment with knowledgeable clinicians in a comfortable setting. Our building is a converted craftsman that looks and feels more like a chiropractor’s office or a naturopathic family medicine clinic than it does an addiction treatment center. We tailor our patient-centered treatment plans around your preferences and goals, taking the whole patient into consideration, rather than treating addiction in isolation.
Interested to learn more about how we can help? Give us a call today to begin your journey to freedom from addiction!