People who have become alcoholic or addicted to drugs are familiar with using temporary solutions to fix their mounting and long-lasting problems. External remedies are sought to solve internal matters. “Take a pill”, “move”, “change partners”, “quit a job”, “celebrate”, “try more exercise” “listen to someone’s inspiration”- they work for a while until you catch up to where you left off.

Families with troubled youth often want to send them out for repair. A new changed person is expected after a couple of months in a residential treatment or rehab center.

People accustomed to taking a drink, a pill, a line, a bump, a hit, a snort, a shot to make things better attempt to fix the troubles with easy solutions. Problems which keep knocking on the door are changed by changing door. “Move to another city” … that will solve the trouble for a while until you find yourself there, again.

Recovering alcoholics and addicts label moving to avoid problems, “taking a geographic”. It is avoidance of responsibility and magical thinking. The problem remains through space.

Wherever you go, you eventually find yourself… you take your problems wherever you go. Treatment and rehab should not be another “geographic” escape from the problems and the consequences of a life that has become unmanageable. Facing the wreckage, triggers, and problem behavior at home is required if a solution is to be found.

Addiction, including alcoholism is characterized by many signs and symptoms. A distinguishing symptom is when the addict or alcoholic continues their use in the face of its negative consequences. (“Crazy” is when you take the same action but expect different results.)

Recovery starts with avoiding the first drink or drug… abstaining from addictive substances one day at a time. That beginning may be inside a safe and supportive rehab or treatment center, or the beginning could be at home with the direction, instruction and support of an intensive outpatient program. The practices of recovery must be established at home in the long term… postponing may feel comfortable but may be unnecessary.

Intensive outpatient treatment provides an “at home” process of learning, understanding, becoming increasingly aware, practicing new skills, and monitoring personal ideas, feelings and behaviors. In intensive outpatient treatment, people discover at home, with loved ones and at work, with coworker a new way of acting. An openness to learn and understand new ideas, and to practice new behaviors and skills is developed naturally, where it is needed the most. An outpatient support group and professional helps find new ways of facing triggers, people, places and things which were once part of the addictive lifestyle.

New friends and acquaintances who understand and support sobriety are gained, and can be maintained over the long-term in outpatient treatment. Leaving outpatient treatment or rehab doesn’t mean losing all the supportive relationships and practices that may be fragmented when leaving a residential program.

Intensive outpatient treatment can be as or more effective than residential treatment as demonstrated by research. It is also much more affordable and accessible, especially if insurance coverage is to cover the costs of treatment.

Twin Town Treatment Centers is immediately accessible to all Los Angeles and Orange County residents, is accredited by The Joint Commission, and is certified by the California DHCS. All network HMO/PPO/EPO insurance plans and Medi-Cal contract with Twin Town Treatment Centers to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Our phone is answered by real people. We can see people on the same day you call. (866) 594-8844

A: Rather than chasing the first high, twenty years later, becoming clean and sober provides something else to do. Change is next to impossible during the time that your time is occupied with “getting-by” and making it through until the next drink or hit or toke. When your priorities start with getting that feeling back or getting rid of the feelings that you have, little room is left for other activities.

Becoming bored, miserable, discouraged or afraid with the lifestyle of the alcohol and addict, many people decide that it’s time to clean up and sober up.

Q: How long does it take to clean up and sober up?

A: The change from alcoholic/ addict to clean and sober comes “one day at a time”. Don’t rush it. Enjoy the process like the experience of early spring to summer- each day presents new growth and new changes of weather. The rain nourishes the flowers and color enters a once gray world.

Q: What is the difference between abstinence and recovery?

A: Abstinence is NOT doing something. Recovery is doing MANY things.

Practice this exercise: Don’t think of white winged horses. What did you think about? Now, instead of thinking of white winged horsed, think about what is really in front of you right now. This is the difference between abstinence and recovery.

Q: Recovery is often described as a superior status for people with drug and alcohol problems. How is it different and what does it mean?

A: People with drug and alcohol problems often get stuck in a rut that they only make deeper. That rut is full of frustration, loneliness but is creating with ease: behaviors that are known and seem safe and require no thought are recited over and over. Addiction and alcoholism is easy and requires no thought.

Recovery requires waking up to reality, as unpleasant as it may be. Recovery requires new ideas, new behaviors and the honesty, humility and willingness to learn them. Recovery is not easy.

Q: What is so special about recovery anyway?

A: Remember the coldest winter you’ve encountered. The cold gray weather keeps you indoors and you can’t do anything except keep warm. One day you notice a warm spell. The next day the snow starts to melt. Eventually green sprigs of grass appear followed by buds on the trees. Eventually the world is a colorful garden full of flowers, birds and warmth!

Recovery connects and reconnects you with people who care for you and you care for them. Recovery allows you to awaken fresh with hope for a new day, each day. Recovery gives you new adventures which you enjoy.

Recovery restores your love of life and appreciation for things outside of yourself.

Recovery allows you to want what you have.

Q: How do people gain recovery?

A: Recovery can start today. There are many routes to recovery which include talking with your therapist or doctor, calling a mutual support organization such as AA, NA central office or SMART Recovery, or calling a trusted rehab program. Avoid internet searches and instead rely upon people who have gotten recovery or professionals who have directed people successfully to recovery.

Twin Town Treatment Centers is immediately accessible to all Los Angeles and Orange County residents, is accredited by The Joint Commission, and is certified by the California DHCS. All network HMO/PPO/EPO insurance plans and Medi-Cal contract with Twin Town Treatment Centers to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Our phone is answered by real people. We can see people on the same day you call. (866) 594-8844

A: Much has been said about the downside of drug and alcohol use when they no longer provide pleasure or relieve discomfort. People go to varying lengths of despair and degradation before it occurs to them that it’s time to clean up. The pain, boredom and shame encountered from an addiction needs to be accompanied by hope that becoming clean and sober will improve life. With this direction toward something better, addicts and alcoholics have nowhere to turn.

Q: Giving up your primary method of accessing pleasure, avoiding discomfort and pain, and coping with life’s difficulties must be terrifying. What helps people overcome that fear?

A: When someone who has been through addiction and alcoholism, who is now in recovery shares their personal story, it provides a real-life example for someone caught in the downward spiral of addiction. Addiction treatment programs often employ people who have been there who now have experience, strength and hope to give to those in need.

Q: Does drug treatment promise sobriety and recovery?

A: No. Recovery requires willingness and some level of commitment. Changing levels of “readiness” and motivation are typical of people with drug and alcohol problems. It is easier to avoid and deny than to make real change, especially when you have practiced the same solution year after year, even when it no longer works.

Quitting is easy. Staying quit requires a program of recovery.

Q: What can drug treatment provide toward gaining recovery?

A: Mutual support groups offer an essential route to recovery, which includes social support, recovery practices, and a sense of purpose and direction. Participants must be willing and motivated to attend since no one is going to call if you don’t show up.

Recovery from addiction and alcoholism is a life-long process that is taken one day at a time.

Q: Why can’t alcoholics and addicts choose to use less and simply moderate their drinking and drug use?

A: When the brain has been changed by the overuse of drugs and alcohol, there comes a point where the capacity for choice is lost. A single drink or drug creates such craving for the next, moderating use is impossible. Neuropsychologists and brain researchers have discovered the physiology explaining how compulsion to use overrides decision-making and personal control.

Q: Other than stopping the negative consequences of addiction and alcoholism, what benefits do recovery bring?

A: A new life begins with the initiation of sobriety. Though difficult, recovery brings back the capacity to choose, the capacity to change and the capacity to take actions which will result in longer term rewards.

Postponing gratification is difficult during addiction.

Recovery brings back a sense of color and variation, where addiction becomes somewhat black and white.

Recovery restores priorities for connecting with people, participating in enjoyable activities, and for gaining self-esteem by practicing estimable acts.

Twin Town Treatment Centers is immediately accessible to all Los Angeles and Orange County residents, is accredited by The Joint Commission, and is certified by the California DHCS. All network HMO/PPO/EPO insurance plans and Medi-Cal contract with Twin Town Treatment Centers to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Our phone is answered by real people. We can see people on the same day you call. (866) 594-8844

Q: Is there a right way and a wrong way to seek help for an alcohol or drug problem?

 

A: It is best to avoid mistakes and problems down the road when deciding upon a course of action to find substance abuse treatment. Treatment should be there to resolve problems causing and caused by alcohol and drug misuse, not to care for the treatment provider’s needs.

 

Q: What should I avoid when seeking help for substance abuse?

 

A: Unfortunately, there exist many unnecessarily expensive and burdensome programs and services which are designed to create a profit for the provider. Some services confuse luxury accommodations, prestigious locations and charismatic personalities with quality, effective treatment. There are also unproven and ineffective services being sold as solutions for drug and alcohol problems. Finally, some solutions cause further problems once the initial substance use of choice has been arrested.

 

Q: Who can I trust to give me advise on finding a program which provides effective, affordable and trustworthy treatment for alcohol and drug abuse?

 

A: Healthcare professionals and counselors you have learned to trust are some of the best resource people who can recommend treatment providers. People you may know who themselves or who have a loved one find their way through drug and alcohol abuse and addiction are some of the best resources. Since they have been there, they can help guide your search and support you through the process during and after treatment.

 

Q: How do I know if the treatment program provides services which are effective:

 

A: Ask the treatment provider if they are “accredited”? Accreditation agencies such as The Joint Commission conduct audits and reviews to determine that treatment services meet the standards of quality care. Ask the provider what evidence indicates that they are providing effective services. Go online to https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ to find a government licensed or certified program near you.

 

Q: Can I find a good treatment provider doing an internet search.

 

A: Since the internet does not provide and objective review of quality and effectiveness, be careful using the internet. Providers who make large profits from their charges can afford advertisement and publicize their treatment services, even when their services may be very distant, inaccessible, demanding or expensive. If you do use the internet, always ask where the treatment program is located, whether it is accredited and contracted with your insurance company, and how much time away from home it requires.

 

Q: How do people pay for treatment and how do I know if the charges are fair and legitimate?

 

A: Most people use their health insurance coverage to pay for much of their treatment. Your insurance policy can act as you guide to selecting an ethical and economical treatment provider since insurance plans are highly regulated and oversee the financial affairs of treatment.

 

Q: How can I find out is my insurance plan will pay a substance abuse treatment provider and at what rate?

 

A: Many treatment providers who are not contracted with your insurance will state that they “take” your insurance plan. What they may leave out is that they are not contracted and will therefore receive a much lower percentage of the charges, leaving much of the charge to your self-payment. Ask your insurance plan or the provider if the treatment program is “in-network” or “contracted” with your insurance company.

 

Twin Town Treatment Centers is immediately accessible to all Los Angeles and Orange County residents, is accredited by The Joint Commission, and is certified by the California DHCS. All network HMO/PPO/EPO insurance plans and Medi-Cal contract with Twin Town Treatment Centers to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Our phone is answered by real people. We can see people on the same day you call. (866) 594-8844

Most people can’t afford the well published treatment and rehabilitation programs for drug and alcohol problems without the help of health insurance. Soon that problem may face more of us. Following are some solutions to a reemerging problem:

To get help for drug and alcohol problems, is insurance necessary?

No. Some people get sober by attending community based support groups such as Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous. Counties also offer publicly funded programs, though there are often wait lists to access help for people with low or no incomes. Non-profit and charity programs may also be available in your area for those who qualify due to the lack of financial resources. Call or find on the internet contacts for the Los Angeles County Substance Abuse and Control Department or the Orange County Department of Behavioral Health.

Are there affordable treatment options for people who need to pay for alcohol and/or drug treatment/ rehab out of their own pocket?

Yes. Usually treatment programs which contract with insurance companies, particularly HMO’s have reduced rates for people needing to pay for treatment out of pocket. Rehab programs do NOT have to be expensive to be effective. (A view of the ocean or a horseback ride are not essential features of recovery.)

Programs located close to North Hollywood, West Hollywood, Torrance, Los Alamitos, Orange and Mission Viejo provide no-interest payment planning for self-pay rates as low as $4200.00 for five (5) months of treatment. www.twintowntreatmentcenters.com

Do HMO’s and MediCal cover alcohol and drug rehab?

Yes. Currently under “parity” and the “Affordable Care Act” HMO’s and MediCal are required to provide treatment for alcohol and drug problems. Treatment programs which are contracted with HMO’s and MediCal can verify your level of coverage and let you know if and how much you have a co-payment obligation.

Most HMO’s have a behavioral health department which performs authorization and do not require a referral from your primary care physician.

How do I find an effective and accessible drug and/or alcohol treatment program/ rehab which I can afford?

Avoid internet searches without verifying the integrity of the program. Many “free treatment” postings lead to less than honorable practices. The best way to find a provider is to call the County, your insurance company or a trusted professional for a reliable and trustworthy treatment program/ rehab.

Twin Town Treatment Centers is immediately accessible to all Los Angeles and Orange County residents, is accredited by The Joint Commission, and is certified by the California DHCS. All network HMO/PPO/EPO insurance plans and Medi-Cal contract with Twin Town Treatment Centers to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Our phone is answered by real people. We can see people on the same day you call. (866) 594-8844