Outpatient addiction treatment benefits people by helping them to keep their jobs while they work on their recovery goals.
Many successful professionals with opioid addiction fear getting help because it may ruin their careers or negatively impact their performance. To most people, the typical idea of treatment involves leaving everything behind for an inpatient program. It can make seeking help impossible for some, especially if they have a family dependent on their career.
Usually, these facilities are in a different state, and treatments can last anywhere from 30 to 90 days or more. It’s no surprise that professionals would shy away from the idea, considering they’d have to explain their hiatus from work. Even worse, months without income could run many families into financial trouble, increasing stress and worries.
Thankfully, treatment for opioid use disorder doesn’t always require such a drastic change. Not everyone with addiction requires an inpatient program that’s out of state. Outpatient programs offer effective, evidence-based treatment methods that are perfect for busy professionals who appreciate flexible scheduling and privacy.
The old-fashioned idea of “rehab” calls for someone with addiction to leave their family and friends to get help. Usually, these inpatient facilities are in places with a favorable climate that is conducive to healing and outdoor recreation. Patients are under 24-hour surveillance and care, with intensive therapies every day.
Medication-assisted Treatment (MAT) is outpatient and very different. When enrolled in office-based opioid treatment (OBOT), patients visit their medical providers in regular doctor’s offices. Their providers are specialized and trained to prescribe medications such as Suboxone, a highly effective, FDA-approved treatment. Patients receive scripts to fill at their choice of pharmacy and then can begin to self-dispense their medication at home.
Patients enrolled in office-based opioid treatment are required to attend monthly check-ins, as well as substance use counseling. This keeps them focused on their recovery journey and committed to their medication-assisted treatment in an independent way. Without daily visits to a clinic it also opens up more time for rebuilding their lives after addiction.
Outpatient-based opioid treatment programs provide structured medication-assisted treatment, including regular check-ins with a medical provider and substance use counselor. Patients receive prescriptions for medications they can self-dispense at home rather than visit a clinic daily. This treatment is suitable for busy professionals as they are free to travel and plan their own schedules.
This kind of format works for people who have a primarily stable home life. They may feel they are maintaining their use because withdrawal symptoms are too intrusive to deal with their busy lifestyles. Many call this a functional addiction. However, the adverse effects of continuous opioid misuse will take a toll regardless of whether they can uphold their job.
Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence proving that it is a chronic disease, addiction continues to carry a stigma in society. Working professionals who maintain their opioid misuse secret are often afraid to ruin their reputation by asking for help. They will avoid speaking about their struggles with colleagues or friends.
Additionally, workers are concerned that they could potentially be terminated due to their addiction if they seek treatment. Thankfully, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) prevent such discrimination.
Office-based opioid treatment offices keep all patient charts and information secure. The facilities look like average doctor’s offices, so no one would ever suspect a thing. Offices maintain a comfortable, judgment-free atmosphere where patients don’t feel like they’re being punished or treated like delinquents.
Instead, they receive the same level of respect and care that patients experience with any other chronic disease. This level of privacy is crucial for many working professionals who harbor a lot of shame regarding their opioid misuse.
Unlike other forms of MAT, there are no long wait times at clinics. Check-ins occur at a specific time and day instead of first-come-first-serve. This allows patients to work while in outpatient treatment, which is essential to their long-term recovery goals.
Going through the withdrawal process is an agonizing experience. People rarely endure prolonged withdrawal for more than a week before using again. Especially those who work regular jobs, most cannot afford to take time off of work to deal with the DIY detox process at home.
Medication-assisted detox helps ease withdrawal symptoms, making the transition from opioid misuse to maintenance as seamless as possible with minimal discomfort. This is why more and more working professionals are seeking out the help of outpatient programs to treat addiction.
As a plus, outpatient MAT programs are comprehensive. Medical providers oversee a patient’s total mental and physical health outside of prescribing MAT. Substance use counselors help patients deal with the psychological side of addiction. With short and long-term goal planning, many patients find counseling to be extremely helpful.
Busy professionals can schedule their sessions to work around their schedules, with meetings lasting as little as one hour. With this dynamic approach, patients are much more likely to achieve long-lasting recovery than attempting to discontinue opioid use alone.
To learn more about the practical and convenient outpatient treatment programs at Middlesex Recovery, locate the closest office and message or call today.
Treating your addiction while you maintain your professional responsibilities is entirely possible. Outpatient addiction treatment at Middlesex Recovery is designed precisely with people like you in mind.
Addiction is a private health matter that requires specialized medical attention. At Middlesex Recovery, we understand how much the stigma of addiction can negatively impact your reputation and daily life. We will handle your case privately with professionalism and discretion.
Middlesex patients looking to manage work while in recovery will find that our services are exceptionally accommodating to their schedules. Addiction treatment and recovery don’t have to take you away from your loved ones or your professional life. To learn more about our treatment programs and convenient locations, give us a call or message us today.
