Choosing Addiction Recovery Services in Denver
Every year, tens of millions of Americans are affected by a serious substance problem. Some of these people have problems related to alcohol use. Others use illegal street drugs or abuse a prescription medication. Many Americans affected by addiction also have additional mental health issues.
Residents of the Denver area are not immune to these problems. In fact, thousands of people in greater Denver need the specialized help provided by a drug or alcohol rehab center. The right rehab services can help you overcome any form of addiction. They can also help you recover from any overlapping symptoms of mental illness. Knowing where to find these services in the metro region is essential for your recovery.
Do I Need an Alcohol Rehab in Denver or Drug Rehab in Denver
How can you tell if you need an alcohol rehab or drug rehab in Denver? Rehab is designed to help people affected by substance use disorders, or SUDs. These disorders include all forms of drug and alcohol addiction. They also include all forms of life-disrupting, non-addicted substance abuse.
Doctors look for 11 types of symptoms when diagnosing all substance use disorders. Some of these symptoms are related to loss of control over your behavior, including:
- Using drugs or alcohol more often or in greater amounts than you intended
- Not being able to quit despite multiple, sincere attempts to do so
- Experiencing powerful substance cravings when not actively drinking or taking drugs
There are also SUD symptoms related to the social effects of addiction and abuse. Symptoms of this type include:
- Abandoning other activities so you have more time to drink or take drugs
- Failing to meet any major responsibilities as a result of your substance use
- Spending much of your day acquiring substances, using them or recovering from them
- Continuing your substance use despite the damage it inflicts on your relationships
People affected by an SUD may also drink or take drugs in obviously risky ways. That includes such things as:
- Repeatedly using drugs or alcohol in dangerous situations
- Not changing a pattern of substance use that you know is harming you
In addition, the substance use disorder definition covers two key effects of addiction on your body:
- Developing greater and greater tolerance to the effects of drugs or alcohol
- Going through withdrawal if you stop your substance use or rapidly decrease it
If you experience two or more of these symptoms within a year’s time, you meet the criteria for an SUD. The more symptoms you have, the more severely you are affected.
The Levels of Care in Substance Abuse Facilities
Not everyone with an SUD is equally affected. In addition, not everyone needs the same amount of help to get sober and maintain their sobriety. For these reasons, there are multiple levels of care in substance abuse facilities, including:
- Substance detox services
- Standard outpatient programs
- Intensive outpatient programs, or IOPs
- Partial hospitalization programs, or PHPs
- Residential/inpatient programs
The main factor in determining how much help you need is the seriousness of your SUD. All people affected by addiction need some form of detox. After detox, mild SUD symptoms are typically treated in standard outpatient care. If you have moderate-to-severe symptoms, your doctor may recommend an IOP or PHP. Severe cases of SUD are usually treated in residential/inpatient programs.
Who Benefits From Inpatient Rehab in Denver, Colorado
How can you tell if you would benefit from inpatient rehab in Denver, Colorado? As a rule, the main criterion for inpatient care is severe SUD. However, you may also need this level of rehab for other reasons. Examples of those reasons include:
- Not making enough progress in an outpatient program
- Being affected by other mental health issues in addition to addiction
- Lacking a home life stable enough to make outpatient care a suitable choice
- Having unclear symptoms that require further observation
Other factors may also qualify you for an inpatient program. For instance, you may have certain physical health issues that make outpatient care too risky. In addition, you may be affected by certain behaviors that require regular monitoring. One example of this kind of behavior is self-harm.
Features of Detox: Denver Edition
Detox is the stage of recovery where you stop drinking or taking drugs and complete the withdrawal process. Attempts to do these things on your own are often ineffective. They can also potentially endanger your health. Formal detox services are strongly recommended to help you avoid these kinds of issues.
In Denver and elsewhere, quality detox programs meet modern standards for effective care. They do so by:
- Using detox methods appropriate to each form of addiction
- Easing the symptoms or drug or alcohol withdrawal
- Providing medical support that helps you stay safe at all times
- Taking steps to protect you from any withdrawal complications
- Helping you complete withdrawal and reach initial sobriety
Effective Denver detox programs also emphasize the importance of continuing your recovery in primary substance treatment.
Features of Primary Substance Treatment
Primary treatment programs are designed to help you turn initial sobriety into a durable, substance-free lifestyle. They do so by providing forms of care that:
- Educate you about the physical and mental effects of addiction
- Lower your short- and long-term relapse risks
- Show you how to identify thoughts, emotions and behaviors that support addiction
- Give you the tools needed to change these thoughts, emotions and behaviors
- Offer practical advice on how to avoid substance use in everyday life
- Help you make effective use of support from your family and recovery peers
The main treatment option for most forms of SUD is psychotherapy. Alcohol and opioid problems are typically treated with both therapy and medication.
Do I Need a Long-Term Denver Rehab
The amount of time you spend in substance rehab has a major impact on your recovery odds. If you leave treatment too soon, you may find it difficult or impossible to maintain your sobriety. Experts recommend that most people stay in rehab for a minimum of 90 days. However, for some people, even this amount of treatment is not enough.
Instead, you may need a long-term Denver rehab program. This is a general term for treatment that lasts for six months, a year or even longer. Why would you require long-term care? One potential reason is having a severe SUD that does not improve sufficiently within the typical recovery timeframe.
You may also be affected by dual diagnosis. In other words, you may have overlapping symptoms of addiction and another mental health problem. To recover from dual diagnosis, you need treatment for your particular form of addiction. You also need specialized help for your specific symptoms of mental illness. It takes time to provide such extensive care. In such a situation, long-term rehab may be the best option.
There is also a third possible reason for entering this form of extended rehab. After completing their primary program, people in recovery typically benefit from access to additional treatment resources. You can gain this access by participating in a rehab aftercare or continuing care program. Programs of this type help you maintain contact with trained addiction professionals. They also provide follow-up treatment when needed.
Why Choose a Denver Rehab Center
The main consideration in finding effective rehab is the quality of care you receive. However, convenience may also play an important role in your search. The more convenient it is for you to get help, the greater the odds that you will seek that help. If you live anywhere in the greater Denver area, a high-quality Denver rehab center simply makes sense. Not only will it provide you with the treatment you need. It will also provide that treatment in a nearby, easy-to-reach location.
Finding Denver Addiction Treatment Services
In the greater Denver area, you will find a range of addiction treatment providers. These providers may seem more or less the same at first glance. However, in reality, not all of them meet the highest standards for effective care.
How can you find Denver addiction treatment services that truly meet your needs? The best way to achieve this crucial goal is to look for the telltale features of a reputable, effective rehab provider. These features include:
- Modern detox and addiction treatment options backed by scientific research
- Specialized care for dual diagnosis
- Recovery programs that cover all levels of care
- A staff filled with addiction specialists and other experienced professionals
A comfortable treatment environment is also an essential form of support for your recovery.
Turn to Pathfinders, a Clear Choice for Rehab in Denver
Diagnosable drug and alcohol problems are relatively common in the greater Denver area. The source of these problems is often addiction. However, non-addicted substance abuse can also lead to serious personal harm. Addiction and serious abuse are both examples of substance use disorder. You can be diagnosed with such a disorder if you have as few as two of the 11 possible symptoms.
Rehab programs offer two main tools for SUD treatment: detox and primary treatment. Detox helps anyone going through withdrawal reach an initial sober state. Primary treatment gives you the tools you need to maintain that state over time. There are levels of rehab that support recovery from mild, moderate and severe SUDs. The seriousness of your symptoms helps determine which level fits your needs. Other factors like dual diagnosis may also play a role in this decision.
Looking for rehab services in Denver? Pathfinders is your clear choice for high-quality treatment. With our help, you can recover from any form of addiction. You can also recover from any combination of addiction and mental illness. Pathfinders features a full range of treatment settings. From outpatient programs to long-term care, we have customizable options for every situation. To learn more about Denver rehab at Pathfinders, just call us today.
