Effective addiction recovery consists of much more than a single visit to a dedicated treatment facility. Rather, overcoming the chronic use of drugs or alcohol is lifelong. Committing to the full continuum of addiction care is crucial for effectively challenging the use of addictive substances and managing one’s sobriety throughout each stage of recovery. Understanding the full continuum of addiction care is essential in helping each individual begin their journey to sobriety with the right mindset, goals, and expectations and to set them up for success.
What Is the Continuum of Addiction Care?
Taking the first step into a dedicated medical detox program is an amazing act of courage and change. Although detox programs are crucial first steps for long-term sobriety, graduating from a detox program does not mark the end of an individual’s recovery journey. The continuum of addiction care is a set of various programs and steps designed to help an individual navigate the complex recovery journey, from detox to ongoing outpatient care and beyond.
The continuum of care is a comprehensive set of treatment levels that uniquely address an individual’s changing needs and goals, creating a healthy and effective approach to sustaining a healthy, sober life. New stresses and challenges can manifest at any point throughout recovery. Establishing sobriety requires constant effort and maintenance, especially as an individual challenges the wide-ranging effects of addiction on their lives and the lives of those around them. The continuum of addiction care is a valuable approach to recovery that assists with this maintenance.
Understanding Each Step
The continuum of addiction care consists of many different levels of care. Each individual will have the opportunity to personalize their own treatment programs, strategies, and goals at each level. While there are guidelines on how long each individual can expect to spend at each level, these times can always be adjusted to fit one’s needs.
The common steps involved in the continuum of addiction care include:
- Detox
- Residential
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- Aftercare
Each step of the recovery process is designed to support an individual through the challenges they face daily, all while instilling the essential skills to continue movings towards a sustained, sober lifestyle. By building on previous skills and scaffolding new strategies, each person can be empowered to face the challenges while avoiding being exposed to unnecessary stresses that one may not yet be prepared for.
Understanding Each Step of the Continuum of Addiction Care
Each program has its own goals. Understanding the goals of each step throughout the continuum of addiction care can help those preparing for their sober journey enter recovery with reasonable expectations.
Detox
Medical detox is the first step in overcoming the use of drugs or alcohol. By expelling the remnants of drugs and alcohol in an individual’s system and navigating any withdrawal symptoms that may manifest, a person can begin to embrace new strategies and education in a sober mind. Medical detox is often necessary to overcome intense withdrawal symptoms. Utilizing detox helps an individual establish their sobriety in a dedicated environment away from stresses that may otherwise negatively impact this first crucial step. This program lasts between two to 10 days, depending on factors such as:
- The substance(s) that were used
- The severity of an individual’s withdrawal symptoms
- The presence of co-occurring mental health disorders and symptoms
Residential Treatment
This phase of treatment involves an individual living on-site at a dedicated treatment facility. There, they will engage in a structured set of individual and group therapies and activities. Residential treatment provides a time to explore new therapeutic outlets and create social connections while managing feelings of anxiety, depression, and more. This includes personalized treatments that focus on the underlying factors that influence the use of drugs or alcohol and working alongside peers and professionals to create a comprehensive, transformational approach to recovery. These programs can last anywhere from seven to 28 days, depending on an individual’s needs and goals for recovery.
Intensive Outpatient Programs
These programs are designed to continue to provide support to those navigating their sobriety while balancing their personal lives. Those who have successfully adapted personalized coping strategies and self-care routines for their daily lives can benefit from this continued support.
Outpatient meetings take place at a treatment facility while an individual lives on their own or with family. They are designed to help balance an individual’s continued needs and goals in sobriety while managing their personal and professional life. This often includes practical strategies for use outside of the treatment facility’s walls and provides a regular outlet to challenge new stresses, urges, or cravings that may arise. Meetings take place multiple times a week and last for a few hours each session, to ensure that each individual can continue navigating their own best practices and overcome the challenges of their unique sober journey.
Aftercare
Lastly, aftercare is a malleable phase that continues to support an individual in their sobriety. It includes any additional strategies or ideas, as well as resources to help an individual remain focused on their long-term recovery. Access to 12-Step programs, directions to local or online support, and weekly individual or group sessions can all support an individual’s continued efforts for healing.
Sobriety is never something that is “completed.” Rather, recovery is a constant state of evolution that requires an individual to adapt to new stresses while prioritizing sobriety. It is common to still experience urges and cravings, even long after initial treatment programs are completed. Committing to the full continuum of addiction care can help an individual personalize, adapt to, and overcome the unique challenges of recovery to create a healthy, sustained sober lifestyle.
Each step of your recovery journey will be filled with new experiences and challenges. We at Buena Vista Recovery are committed to helping you understand and navigate each profound step of your unique journey. We offer an array of programs to address your needs and goals at any stage of recovery, from detox and inpatient care to intensive outpatient programs and ongoing support. We champion the opportunity to address all of your needs, from addressing the use of addictive substances to the underlying factors of addiction, all while managing your personal, social, and spiritual needs. For more information on how we can personalize your recovery journey, call us today at (480) 741-9414.
