A commitment to stay clean.

Understanding After Treatment .

Naltrexone therapy – We believe that the cravings for narcotics are so intense and the length of time it takes the brain to heal is so long that most narcotic addicts will relapse back to drugs very quickly if they do not have Naltrexone therapy for additional support.

We recommend Naltrexone therapy for at least six months. This prevents patients from relapsing back to narcotic use and gives patients a chance to start making changes in their lives and building up a support system. We prefer use of oral Naltrexone. It is best if the Naltrexone is crushed, mixed with water and then swallowed.

Twelve step groups – We cannot over emphasize the importance of 12-step groups. These programs provide support, philosophical material, and education to learn about and deal with all aspects of recovery. The groups take patients away from the usual using friends and usual using situations and put them into contact with people who are serious about their recovery. It may be that in your local area Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a stronger group than Narcotics Anonymous (NA). It may also be necessary to experiment with different groups to find a good group for you. Most locations have many, many groups and, with only a small amount of experimentation, you can easily find 12-step groups that are very supportive.

Substance abuse therapy – Patients have a lot to learn about living and staying drug-free. While support groups are helpful, it is our experience that professional therapists can add significantly, by being a little bit more educational and confrontive. They can also help patients to understand relapse and understand deeper psychological issues that may start becoming apparent during early recovery. Usually we recommend intensive outpatient programs, which meet in a group session three times a week. Depending on the circumstances, individual therapy may be appropriate. If more intensive therapy is needed, then an inpatient stay can be helpful. Sometimes an extended care, halfway house is the best fit, depending on how dysfunctional the patient’s life has become.

Medical care – All patients need to follow up with physicians who are experienced in both substance abuse and mental health. This physician may be a psychiatrist, family practitioner or internist, provided that he/she is familiar with substance abuse, mental health, narcotic addiction and Naltrexone therapy. We can help provide lists of physicians who may be available in your area. This is particularly important since it is more and more apparent that after a patient gets drug-free, a variety of mental health issues arise. It is very common that patients have periods of depression or anxiety. Sometimes there is underlying bipolar illness, or other serious mental health problems that may require medications. As mentioned earlier if emotions are not kept on an even keel, then relapse is extremely common.