If you cannot manage or control your life because of an addiction or compulsive behavior, you need rehab or treatment. Inability to manage or control your life could take a number of different forms, but often typically shows up in the following forms: legal issues/arrests, problems with family and loved ones, missing work or being fired or inability to keep a job due to drugs and alcohol, using drugs and alcohol to cope with overwhelming emotional issues like depression, anxiety, loneliness or insecurity. Problem behaviors persist even when addicts are aware of the negative effects of their addiction on their jobs, relationships, and health. When a person starts to show signs of addiction, it is best to contact a professional counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist or addiction specialist who can better assess the situation.

When you undergo treatment for drugs and alcohol, it’s important to stay for the duration of the treatment. A detox may be included if you are physically addicted to substances or if you display compulsive behaviors. The typical stay in rehab depends on what level of care you are receiving. An inpatient stay usually lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 days in the facility. Outpatient length of stay in treatment typically is determined on a client by client basis based on a client’s current level of need, evaluations and clinical team’s recommendations.

Intensive Outpatient (IOP) treatment in an outpatient setting differs from inpatient treatment because the patient is not confined to a hospital-like or institution setting. Inpatient treatment can often be beneficial in some situations, but many patients just do not have the means to afford inpatient treatment or take the time away from their family or off of work for 30-90 days. An outpatient setting allows the patient the same clinical care, just in an environment that allows the patient to learn to live in society rather than taking them away from everyday life for a period of time. Here at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, we believe in intensive clinical treatment but that allows for a patient to get free of drugs and alcohol and learn to live clean and sober while slowly stepping down through phases of treatment. Outpatient treatment also allows for the treatment center to work regularly and for an extended period of time with the family and any other entities that may need to be involved in a patients treatment, including primary doctors and medical professionals, other therapists or lawyers, and legal professionals. These supporting relationships are helpful in a patient’s long-term recovery goals.

Yes, we treat both adults and adolescents for substance abuse and chemical dependency in separate clinical settings. Here at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, we pride ourselves on our adolescent treatment program and feel we are offering help to a much underserved population affected by drugs and alcohol: teens and their families. In our “Recovery After 3” program, adolescents who have encountered issues with drugs and alcohol have access to the same clinical treatment needed by adults, but without having to miss school or go away to a longterm facility or wilderness program. We work with the teen in a clinical setting as well as their family to establish to best roadmap to recovery. We also attempt to establish relationships with the school and other groups (such as athletic coaches, religious leaders or community entities) that may be able to support your teen in their recovery.

The following are some common signs and symptoms of addiction:

• The need to continue or increase the use of the substance in order to achieve the desired effect.
• Experiencing withdrawal when you don’t get the substance often enough.
• Focusing your social life or work life around drugs and alcohol.
• Extreme mood changes: finding yourself experiencing extreme happiness, sadness or anxiety.
• Sleeping noticeably more or less than usual – usually at abnormal times of the day or night. Often needing drugs and/or alcohol to wake up and/or go to sleep.
• Experiencing changes in your energy level. Needing substances to increase or decrease energy.
• Extreme weight loss or gain.
• You find yourself lying to cover up your substance use or the amount of alcohol intake
• Committing crimes in order to continue using. Examples: You find yourself stealing the substance to use, or robbing or stealing money to buy the substance.
• General demeanor of secretiveness, being careful about what you say to friends or family in order to protect your drinking or using.

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Family involvement is crucial for the recovery process for both patient and family. Many treatment facilities have a set period of time for the family to come to visit and take part in workshops or lectures. Here at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, we go above and beyond that approach. Many times, addiction stems from issues within the family, so it’s essential to understand family dynamics and provide a space for the family to communicate and heal. Not only does this heal the patient, but it brings freedom and peace for the rest of the family. At Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, family involvement is stressed from the beginning of treatment and throughout the entire continuum of care. Every level of treatment has a family component as family involvement is one of the principles our clinical philosophy is based on.

Maryland Addiction Recovery Center accepts many private insurances and third-party payers, however, as with any medical facility it depends on your specific insurance carrier and insurance plan. You should call your insurance provider to find out more information. If your plan doesn’t cover the cost of our program, we will be happy to help arrange financing options. Please call our facility to speak to someone to discuss these options.

The new Affordable Care Act will now include mandatory mental health benefits. The following excerpt from an article in the September 17, 2013 edition of the Washington Post by Michelle Singletary gives a good understanding of the new benefits that Obamacare will have on those seeking drug and alcohol treatment:

“Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans offered in the new marketplaces will have to cover a core set of services called “essential health benefits.” Included on the list of 10 benefits are mental-health and substance-use disorder services, which include behavioral health treatment, counseling and psychotherapy. Specifically, as part of what’s considered preventive services, plans will also cover alcohol-misuse screening and counseling, depression screening for adults and adolescents, domestic and interpersonal violence screening for women, and behavioral assessments for children. Here are two important points about mental-health coverage under Obamacare. First, the coverage for behavioral health services must be generally comparable with coverage for medical and surgical care. Second, plans offered in the marketplace have to cover preventive services without charging customers a co-payment or coinsurance even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible. But the services have to be delivered by a network provider.” (Singletary, Michelle. Washington Post. Sept 17, 2013)

Here is an additional link that will give you some additional information and understanding of the new Affordable Care Act: http://obamacarefacts.com