Drug Dependence Recognized as a Chronic Medical Illness

• Opioid Addiction is Treatable •

Addiction Treatment as a Medical Illness

· ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) and the NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) acknowledge that addiction is a chronic medical illness. Effective opioid addiction treatment includes medications, psychosocial therapy and recovery support services.

Improved training of the medical workforce is a key component of effective treatment. In particular, ER personnel need training in screening and counseling for substance abuse.

Effective opioid addiction care can – literally – mean the difference between life and death for those struggling with substance use disorders.

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Critical Importance of Emergency Room Addiction Interventions

According to the NIH, the emergency department (ED) in hospitals provide a prime opportunity to screen patients for opioid addiction and provide screening, intervention, treatment referrals and assistance.

Studies have shown that patients who begin the process of addiction treatment in the ER (hospital emergency room) are more than twice as likely to remain engaged in treatment – compared to patients referred for treatment later.

The ER (Emergency Room) at UC Davis Sacramento is at the forefront of viewing opioid epidemic addiction treatment as treatment for a medical illness – not a moral failure.

UC Davis Sacramento Addiction Program Breaks Addiction Cycle by Changing Mindsets

The UC Davis Sacramento ER Counseling Program views addiction as treatable, rather than death sentence.

A typical process: A patient comes in with withdrawal, overdose, or an injection-related infection. The patient gets started on medication treatment,. And they are matched with an addiction intervention and integrated treatment provider for longer-term care.

At the core of all the ER work is a straightforward idea. Treating addiction like any other medical condition produces the best results. Building treatment for addiction into the rest of the health care system creates the best environment for addiction recovery.

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UC Davis Sacramento Typical Day

(SACRAMENTO) – A typical day for certified drug and alcohol abuse counselor Tommie Trevino begins at 7 a.m. in UC Davis Medical Center’s emergency department (ED) – as he reaches out to five to eight patients who have come in suffering from withdrawal, psychosis, overdose or other drug or alcohol-related conditions.

Trevino seizes the life-and-death moment to motivate and educate those in need of treatment on how they can break the cycle of addiction. “Alcohol and drug addiction is not really well understood,” Trevino said. “It has a stigma. There is a real need for patience and understanding, and people seeing addiction as a disease rather than someone with a problem.”

Trevino is an integral part of the emergency department’s approach to treating substance abuse, especially opioid addiction.

From Depression to Motivation

“When patients come to the ED for drugs or alcohol, it’s one of the worst times of their lives,” Trevino said. “They’re depressed, afraid and ashamed and say that they just want to die. I’m here to motivate them and provide a treatment plan with options and very clear next steps on where and how to access well-established resources in the community to further guide and support their efforts to change….I hear from patients who I’ve counseled. It feels good knowing that I helped them and their lives.”

The program is the brainchild of UC Davis physicians Aimee Moulin, an associate professor of emergency medicine, and Debra R. Kahn, associate clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

The program, which began as a two-year pilot in August 2015, has placed UC Davis Health as one of the leaders in California and across the nation in addressing the opiate crisis.

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Start Where You Are – Addiction Recovery Stages of Change Model

A Transtheoretical Model (TTM) for change was developed by Prochaska and DiClemente in the late 1970s. The TTM model is also called The Stages of Change Model. 

The Stages of Change Model is a helpful tool to understand the process of behavioral change. Most in addiction recovery move through the stages of change in a spiral pattern. Individuals in recovery can jump about between stages, go backward and forward; or even be in more than one stage at a time.

• Pre-Contemplation
• Serious Contemplation
• Preparation (Determination)
• Action
• Maintenance

To progress through the Stages of Change – individuals actively engage in cognitive and emotional work; as well as personal insight processes. Mindfulness meditation is very helpful in this process.

Importance of Effective Intervention and Entering Treatment

While every intervention is different, a typical intervention starts with a concerned loved one calling us here at New Start Recovery Solutions.

We care for clients with Screening, Addiction Assessment, Intervention – as well as access to personalized addiction treatment programs in the Bay Area; and most areas of the U.S.

Whatever level of care is chosen, the ultimate goal is to motivate each individual to achieve recovery and seek a better quality of life. Making the jump from active addiction to active recovery can seem impossible.

People who struggle with addiction are usually in denial about their situation and unwilling to seek treatment. Intervention helps the person make the connection between their use of alcohol and drugs and the problems in their life. The goal of interventions is to present the alcohol or drug user with a structured opportunity to accept help. Intervention is an opportunity for the addict to make changes before their life situation gets worse.

Interventions may be the only possibility to reach a high functioning addict or alcoholic – and get them into treatment.

• Individual Intervention
• Family Intervention
• Treatment Planning
• Guided Intervention
• Group Interventions
• Employee Assistance Programs

At New Start Recovery Solutions Northern California drug and alcohol rehab centers – we work very closely with families and their loved ones during interventions.

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Bay Area Whole Person Recovery: Intervention, Detox, Drug Rehab, Alcohol Recovery

New Start Recovery Solutions is located in San Jose in the heart of the Bay Area. We have affordable, confidential and effective addiction rehab.

We provide screening and addiction assessments, drug and alcohol interventions, medical detox, whole person drug addiction treatment and ongoing aftercare.

Serving Silicon Valley and the Bay Area – New Start Recovery Solutions provides professional intervention, medical detox and addiction recovery in the cities of Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Menlo Park and surrounding areas.

Need Help with Alcohol or Substance Abuse in Silicon Valley?

If you or your family are experiencing the effects of addiction – it is time to take the necessary steps to get help.

New Start Recovery Solutions can help you with alcoholism and drug rehab in most areas of the U.S.

For Professional Interventions in the Silicon Valley area – contact us.

If PTSD or any form of mental illness is also involved (depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and more) – it is critical to make certain the recovery center you choose has Dual Diagnosis treatment.

Dual Diagnosis is also known as ‘co-occurring disorders’ in substance use disorders (SUD) treatment.