Addiction is a medical condition that many struggle with on a daily basis. Deciding to seek treatment is an important step, but it’s often the most difficult. Understanding the different treatment options available for addiction can make that step a little easier. Knowing what to expect from a San Diego addiction treatment program can alleviate some of the anxiety and worry. With the stigma surrounding addiction and addiction treatment, it can be easy to assume that treatment has to disrupt your life or take you away from your obligations. But that isn’t always the case.
San Diego Addiction Treatment Options
When seeking addiction treatment in San Diego, there are two main options available. Each will help you maintain your normal life, helping you stay sober in your regular living environments. What you decide on will depend on your level of comfort with your own addiction and the struggles you’re facing in staying clean. When you first approach an addiction treatment center in San Diego, your initial assessment meeting can help you decide which treatment option is best for your needs.
Intensive Outpatient
In an intensive outpatient program, individuals attend sessions lasting three hours for six to eight weeks. Each session is designed around helping individuals understand their addiction and find healthy coping mechanisms and tools for sober living. Sessions are a mix of group education lessons and individual counseling.
Intensive outpatient programs are designed to be flexible, helping individuals maintain their work, school, and family obligations. Sessions run Monday through Friday, either during the day (10 A.M. – 1 P.M.) or during the evening (6 P.M. – 9 P.M.). When you have your initial assessment meeting, you’ll determine the schedule and frequency of your program. Most individuals attend three to five sessions a week. You can easily switch between morning and evening classes as needed to help keep your life going as you seek treatment.
Partial Hospitalization
For many individuals, an intensive outpatient program is enough to help them overcome their initial addiction and maintain sober living. However, many still require additional supervision and treatment to help them find the right path forward. Individuals who suffer from chronic relapse (most often caused by other medical conditions) can greatly benefit from a partial hospitalization program.
In a partial hospitalization program, individuals stay in the treatment center five days a week from 10 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Their day is divided into two segments of three hours each with breaks in between. Sessions are a mix of group education lessons and individual counseling. After a full day of learning the coping tools needed to maintain a sober lifestyle, individuals return to their homes or sober living environments to continue living their lives.
Understanding Co-Occurring Addiction Treatment
Regardless of which addiction program you are a part of, individuals will find the same science based education and counseling needed to move forward in their lives. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to overcoming an addiction. Understanding the root causes of addiction and learning healthy coping mechanisms is key to creating a sober lifestyle. When you seek addiction treatment, you set off on a journey to explore yourself and your body.
For many individuals, their addiction comes from an undiagnosed and untreated medical condition. Many mental health issues such as Schizoaffective Disorder, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Trauma can lead to self medication in many individuals. These conditions upset the chemical balance of your brain. Most individuals find that alcohol and drugs fix that chemical imbalance. However, this is an ultimately unhealthy coping mechanism. Through your addiction treatment, you may discover an underlying medical issue that is contributing to your addiction and find healthy ways to manage both conditions.
Addiction Treatment Support for Families
When someone has an addiction, they aren’t always the only ones who suffer. Many who seek addiction treatment do so at the urging of their loved ones. It’s common for family members of clients to experience a wide range of emotions, including anger, guilt, and shame. When one member of the family seeks addiction treatment, it’s often beneficial for others to seek counseling as well.
With both individual and group counseling sessions, family members can learn to better understand their loved one’s addictions and the ways they can help them move forward. Watching someone you love suffer through addiction is extremely taxing, and it can be difficult to know how to help. With addiction treatment support for family members, everyone can gain a better understanding of what causes addiction and can develop healthy coping skills to maintain their own emotional wellbeing.
Find the Right San Diego Addiction Treatment Option for You
When you recognize that you have an addiction and decide to seek treatment, you’ve already taken the most important step forward. However, this realization does not always lead to effective addiction treatment. Many struggle to understand their treatment options and find the program that works best for them. But knowing the differences between each and seeking the help of friends and family can help everyone find a fresh start in their life.
At The Bridges of San Diego, we’re dedicated to providing high quality addiction treatment options to each individual struggling with their addiction. We offer both intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs to help you maintain your regular life while seeking treatment. We also offer family counseling sessions for those with loved ones suffering from an addiction. If you need help understanding your San Diego addiction treatment options or are ready to get started living a sober and healthy life, give us a call at 619-639-1458.