Treatment for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in Florida

Programs for drug and alcohol rehab and intervention in Florida are based on the knowledge that drug addiction is a brain disease that affects individuals physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Moreover, treatment professionals understand the negative repercussions of addiction on loved ones.

At a treatment facility, you will learn to manage addictive and destructive behaviors through: 

• education, 
• skill-building, 
• ongoing 12-step programs, 
• individual and group therapy, 
• family therapy, and 
• a wide range of additional therapies that vary by location.

Intervention in Florida: The First Step

It’s challenging to try to help a loved one who is struggling with an addiction. Occasionally a direct, heartfelt talk can start them on the way to recovery. However, when it comes to addiction, the person with the addiction often has a hard time seeing and acknowledging their SUD. You may need to enlist the help of a certified mental health professional and take action through a formal intervention in Florida.

An intervention presents your loved one with an opportunity to make changes before things get worse. You will let them know how their behavior negatively affects you and others. This gives the loved one the chance to make changes before things get worse. Hopefully, it will motivate them to get help. In the end, you can’t force someone who doesn’t want help to get it.

But with advanced planning and sticking to your plan, you can improve your chances of success.

Addiction and Treatment Resources in Florida

People who are looking for intervention or rehab in Florida can find help at a treatment center. Treatment facilities in Florida help individuals with a range of issues from detox facilities to long-term rehab and even sober living. Treatment centers typically offer 30-day recovery programs or longer-term 60 and 90-day programs. 

Drugs and the Sunshine State 

Florida has over 16 million residents and is the fourth most populated state in the country. Approximately 63% of Florida’s population lives in the counties that include the 12 largest metropolitan centers. And these metropolitan centers are ethnically diverse. 

The ethnic diversity, along with high population density, allows members of Columbian, Dominican, Jamaican, and other drug trafficking organizations to blend in easily with other members of the community. Besides the metropolitan areas, large parts of the state are rural and agricultural. These are ideal sites for the production of methamphetamine and growing or cannabis.

A Gateway

Florida’s closeness to drug-producing and shipping countries and its well-developed transportation foundation makes it an ideal gateway for both legal and illegal products into and through the U.S. Also, there are hundreds of small, unregulated airstrips on ranches and in fly-in communities that are well within the range of drug shipment countries in the Caribbean.

It has been estimated that about 363,000 people use hard drugs like cocaine and heroin and another 1,009,000 abuse alcohol in Florida every year.  In addition, over 20% of admissions into state-funded treatment programs in 2015 were due to opiates. That’s more than twice as high as the national average.    

As a result, 12% of all deaths in Florida in the last 10 years were because of drugs and alcohol. There were also over 35,000 DUI arrests in 2016 alone. Federal statistics show that marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, and methamphetamine are frequently seized in Florida. Further, the percentage of drug-related federal sentences in FL is higher than the percentage nationwide.

Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Florida

Detox Facilities in Florida

The first step is generally a supervised medical detox. Detoxification is the process of stopping your substance use and allowing your body to clear itself of the toxins you’ve been using. The body can gradually return to a normal state. However, you will experience some very distressing symptoms, emotionally, physically, and psychologically. 

Some mental and emotional withdrawal symptoms are:

• Anxiety–anxiety, panic attacks, irritability
• Depression–social isolation, fatigue, poor appetite
• Sleep–insomnia, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Cognitive–poor concentration, poor memory

Physical withdrawal symptoms common with alcohol, opiates, and tranquilizers:

• Head–headaches, dizziness
• Chest–trouble breathing, chest tightness, 
• Heart–racing heart, skipped beats
• Skin–sweating, tingling
• Muscles–muscle tension, tremors, shakes, muscle aches

Due to the symptoms of withdrawal during detox, many people relapse and never make it through. This is why it is so important to have medical supervision to help ease your symptoms.

Residential Treatment in Florida

After completing detox, you will enter a treatment program. Depending on your needs and the severity of your addiction, you may want a residential program. In this type of program, you live at the treatment facility, with 24-hour monitoring should you need it. 

One of the benefits of being in a residential program is that you are removed from environments and situations that might trigger cravings for your preferred substance. You will be able to concentrate on your recovery without distractions also have the opportunity to meet people who are also going through recovery. 

Outpatient Treatment Programs in Florida

There are generally two types of outpatient treatment programs–Intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient (OP).  If you still need skilled support after completing residential treatment, outpatient treatment may be used as a step down from residential treatment. You will be able to live at home and attend treatment sessions during the day. 

Outpatient programs are good as an entry program for people who have a network of supportive family and friends at home. Likewise, if you absolutely can not live away from home for an extended period, an outpatient program may work for you. However, the duration of your treatment may be considerably longer.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment

In an IOP you will attend sessions most of the day, 4 or 5 days per week. These programs are designed to provide behavioral, psychological, and social support therapies while you live at home.

Outpatient Treatment

This program can also be used as a step-down from residential treatment. You will still receive the same skilled services, fewer hours per day, and fewer days per week. 

Therapy Services Available at Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Florida

Therapy services are the cornerstone of rehabilitation treatment. And there are many therapy approaches used in treating substance use disorder. SUD is a complicated disease that takes a toll on your whole being. Your body mind and spirit. 

Successful detox and withdrawal help heal your body, but what about your mind and spirit? Here are some typical therapy approaches used in treatment and beyond:

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is a confidential collaboration between you and your therapist. A trained therapist can help you discover the underlying causes of your thoughts and behaviors.

Group Therapy

During group therapy, the members challenge and, at the same time, offer support for each other. You will find that group therapy helps put your problems into perspective.

Family Therapy

Addiction in the family is a serious problem. Everyone suffers. Family therapy helps improve communication and resolve conflicts among the members. This is an important part of lasting recovery.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapies explore how your negative thoughts and behaviors are connected. You will learn skills to manage your emotions and reduce conflicts.

Holistic Therapy

Holistic methods aim to bring healthy thoughts and habits to replace old, unhealthy ones. Many recovery centers are now offerings holistic therapy to help restore your mind, body, and spirit. 

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers

Very often, individuals with drug or alcohol problems will have a co-occurring mental health disorder. When you suffer from both at the same time, it is called a dual diagnosis. And it doesn’t matter which condition happened first, they both need to be treated at the same time.

Why Do SUDs and Mental Disorders Often Co-Occur?

Research suggests this happens for two basic reasons:

1. Overlapping genetic susceptibilities

Genetic factors may make a person more likely to suffer from both addiction and other mental disorders. Or to have a greater risk of having a second disorder after the first one appears.

2. Overlapping environmental triggers

Stress, trauma (such as physical or sexual abuse), and early exposure to drugs are common environmental factors that can have an effect on the development of addiction and other mental illnesses.

It has been proven that the best approach to treating a dual diagnosis is to treat them at the same time, with the same treatment provider or team. This is the best chance for long-term recovery. Your treatment should include learning healthy coping skills and strategies and ways to strengthen your personal relationships.

Relapse Prevention

The chronic nature of addiction means that for some people, a relapse (return to substance use), can be a part of the process. It is not a failure or a shortcoming on your part or the treatment center. Relapse rates for drug and alcohol abuse are similar to relapse rates for other chronic medical illnesses such as hypertension or diabetes. When people stop following their medical treatment plan, a relapse is likely. 

When a person recovering from addiction relapses, it means that the treatment plan needs to be revised and adjusted, or try a different plan. If the relapse was severe enough, the individual might need to go back to the treatment center, possibly in a new program. 

Although relapse is a normal part of recovery, it can be very dangerous depending on the drug used. If a person uses as much of the drug as before treatment, they can easily overdose because their bodies aren’t used to that level of drug use.

Learning Prevention Skills

Although it might sound like you are doomed to relapse, that’s not the case. While you are in treatment, you will learn relapse prevention skills during therapy. Behavioral therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) are particularly effective for learning strategies for preventing relapse.

Twelve-step facilitation is an individual therapy that prepares you to enter a 12-step program after leaving treatment. These programs are mutual support programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous (AA and NA). Peer groups hold you accountable for your actions and offer guidance and tips on relapse prevention.

It’s All Right Here In Florida

If you or a loved one has an issue with substance abuse, there are many centers for drug and alcohol rehab in Florida. There is also plenty of Florida Intervention Specialists to help you get started. No matter what you need, you can find it here. From professional interventionists to sober living and aftercare programs, you can find a treatment program to suit you and your needs here. There are luxury rehabs and basic facilities, all of which offer professional medical and mental health treatment. It’s up to you now. Waiting and denying it doesn’t make it better. Contact us now.