by Jeffrey Lowry, BrightView Zanesville Addiction Treatment Center
Social media is full of posts about celebrities going to luxurious spas where beautiful surroundings, delicious food, and adventure therapy help them recover from addiction. If this is what it takes to recover, what about those of us who can’t afford to leave town for a month and pay tens of thousands of dollars? Anyone who takes the brave step of starting recovery deserves support. But where can those of us in Zanesville turn if we can’t afford luxury rehab?
One solution that fits into everyday life and is usually covered by insurance (including Medicaid) is outpatient addiction treatment. It’s available in Zanesville, it’s affordable, and decades of scientific research from organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) prove that it’s effective.
What is Outpatient Treatment?
Some people who are sick stay in a hospital. But most people can be treated in outpatient settings and get better at home. Substance use disorder is similar: Data from the American Society of Addiction Medicine indicates that most people can be treated as outpatients at a local center.
Quality outpatient addiction treatment should be comprehensive, treating all aspects of this complex chronic disease. That includes medication to manage physical cravings, individual and group therapy to address triggers like mental illness or trauma, regular medical care, and help with challenges such as food and housing security, reliable transportation, and job readiness.
After an initial medical evaluation and clinical assessment, professionals work with patients to develop an individual treatment plan. Recovery often starts with an intensive program of 10 or more hours a week. The level of care decreases as patients heal and stay sober.
Accessible and Flexible
All residential rehab programs have a limited number of beds, so waitlists are often long and unpredictable. Yet, like any life-threatening disease, people who are ready to seek medical care for addiction need treatment now — not in four weeks.
Outpatient addiction centers have space for hundreds of patients, so getting same-day or next-day appointments is easier. At BrightView, a local outpatient treatment provider in Zanesville, new patients can schedule appointments through a 24/7 call center or online. Many centers also accept walk-ins on weekdays, so someone can get medication, counseling, and social services support immediately.
Affordable
Outpatient addiction treatment is always less expensive than residential, and not just because a larger percentage of care is covered by insurance. There’s no need to pay for meals, housing, 24/7 care, or recreational activities.
Many providers accept all insurance, including Medicaid and military insurance. Some programs actively help patients obtain coverage, and even partner with foundations to cover treatment for uninsured people who don’t qualify for Medicaid.
Effective
Residential addiction treatment may be a good choice for people who can afford it. It may also be the best option for people with severe conditions or who need 24/7 access to medical care during withdrawal. But research from NIH, SAMHSA, and others shows that evidence-based outpatient addiction treatment is as effective as residential treatment in most cases.
The research also shows that medication-assisted treatment is an important part of recovery for many patients, and that comprehensive treatment addressing the full range of physical, social, and emotional factors that lead to addiction has the best long-term outcomes.
Compassion and Respect
Addiction has been classified as a disease since 1987, yet people who seek treatment often find judgment and disapproval. No matter where people work toward recovery, they deserve to be treated with the respect and compassion routinely offered to any patient with a potentially fatal disease. At BrightView, we know that judgment-free treatment is an important part of recovery. Millions of people in the U.S. struggle with addiction, but only 10% of them have access to treatment. In a state like Ohio, where the opioid epidemic has hurt so many people and communities, the choice shouldn’t be inpatient or outpatient treatment. Both are essential and neither is accessible enough to meet the need.
Muskingum County needs more high-quality addiction treatment. Luxury rehab has its place, but it’s important to know that there are a growing number of accessible, affordable, effective outpatient addiction programs for the rest of us.
Jeff Lowry is the Outreach Manager at BrightView’s Zanesville Addiction Treatment Center. Area residents can call 833-510-HELP 24/7, receive immediate attention at the Zanesville Center at 2572 Maple Ave in Zanesville until 3 pm weekdays, and get more information at brightviewhealth.com.
