Substance abuse treatment Austin facilities are intended to help addicted individuals stop compulsive drug seeking and use. Treatment can occur in a variety of settings, take many different forms, and last for different lengths of time. Because drug addiction is typically a chronic disorder characterized by occasional relapses, a short-term, one-time treatment is usually not sufficient. For many, treatment is a long-term process that involves multiple interventions and regular monitoring. Because they work on different aspects of addiction, combinations of behavioral therapies and medications (when available) generally appear to be more effective than either approach used alone.
Treatment Modalities Used For Substance Abuse
A substance abuse treatment Austin centers’ staff should be trained in a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities. These interventions/strategies are practiced in individual and group therapy sessions and daily psychoeducational/didactic groups. To better understand these different types of treatment modalities, they are outlined and explained below.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: CBT is a treatment modality and a major aspect of substance abuse treatment Austin programs. It is very common for individuals struggling with addiction to experience destructive and negative thinking or maladaptive thought patterns. Since our cognition affects our wellbeing, changing harmful thought patterns, which help clients, recognize their ability to practice alternative ways of thinking, and regulates distressing emotions and harmful behavior. As an evidence-based treatment modality, CBT is a proven effective treatment for substance use disorders, behavioral addictions (gambling, food, internet, sex), eating disorders, and specific
Motivational Interviewing: MI is a collaborative, therapeutic conversation between licensed clinicians and clients that addresses the common problem of ambivalence for change. As defined by William Miller, the creator of MI, its purpose is to strengthen the client’s own motivation for and commitment to change in a manner that is consistent with said client’s values. Therefore, rather than imposing or forcing particular changes, we “meet the client where the client is” and help him/her move toward his/her goals by drawing out and building his/her readiness to change.
Historically, many addiction professionals used a confrontational approach to try to “talk sense” into individuals with substance problems. Unfortunately, some still use this approach today. Research demonstrates this approach is highly unsuccessful because it is likely to cause resentment and distress, harming self-worth as well as willingness to change. Conversely, Motivational Interviewing can be a major part of substance abuse treatment Austin programs. And that’s because of the ties into a facility’s philosophies of caring staff, collaborative processes, and individualized treatment. Such treatment can be found at Omega Recovery in Austin, for example.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: Similar to CBT, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy helps clients identify, challenge, and replace their destructive thoughts and convictions with healthier, adaptive thoughts. Empirical studies demonstrate that this process incites emotional well-being and goal achievement.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: BDT teaches clients how to regulate their emotions to reduce the self-destructive behaviors that derive from extreme, intense emotions. Primarily a skill-building approach, DBT focuses on the development of four key skill sets: Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, Mindfulness (to live in the moment and fully experience emotions) and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR): Developed by Dr. Jon Cabot-Zinn, MSBR is a sequential method that teaches the addict who is struggling with racing and impulsive thoughts on how to be in the “here and now”. By focusing on the breath or on an object in the room, the client slowly becomes able to collapse their awareness into the present moment. For many addicts who suffer from racing and impulsive thoughts, this ability to tame such thinking can be literally life-saving.
Seeking Safety (And Other Trauma Focused Therapies): Developed under a grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) by Lisa M. Najavits, Ph.D., Seeking Safety is a present-focused therapy that helps clients attain safety from trauma (including PTSD) and substance abuse by emphasizing coping skills, grounding techniques and education. This highly effective, research-based therapy has seven key principles such as helping clients attain safety in their thinking, emotions, behaviors, and relationships, by integrated treatment of substance conditions and trauma and focusing on ideals to counteract the loss of ideals that is experienced in both trauma and substance abuse.
EMDR: an evidence-based modality that has proven to be very effective in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, which are oftentimes the underlying issues that an addict is self-medicating. Thus clinical staff trained in EMDR use this method to address and assist persons who have experienced trauma which is significantly, negatively impacting their recovery. EMDR incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements; this form of stimulation is thought to “unfreeze” the brain’s information processing system in the amygdala and hippocampus that was frozen during or after the extreme stress of the traumatic event.
Recovery-Oriented Challenge Therapy: Sometimes also called Adventure Therapy or Outdoor Behavioral Health (OBH), this evidence-based technique is centered on an activity or “adventure” in which a clinical professional can actively engage with clients. Examples include; group challenges, outdoor activities, ropes courses, equine therapy, games, or other skill-building healing activities. Designed to help clients identify strengths and skills, build social support, strengthen their sense of focus of control, and address basic recovery issues, these groups assist with the development of self-care, boundaries, accountability, and trust. In addition, just being outdoors and immersed in nature has itself been proven to be therapeutic for a person stuck in a sedentary and addictive indoor lifestyle. Usually, only “upscale” substance abuse treatment Austin facilities can offer this type of therapy, such as Omega Recovery.
Experiential Therapies, i.e. Psychodrama: Many clients, especially younger clients, trapped in addictive and dysfunctional lifestyles, often benefit greatly from action-based and potentially transformative experiences. In psychodrama, the client can relive scenes from earlier in their lives that may have been turning points or “stuck” points in their addictive slide. The client is able to relive – and through the help of the clinician – change the toxic scene into one of breakthrough and empowerment.
Alcoholics Anonymous: Omega Recovery is a 12-Step immersion program and, as such, teaches and incorporates 12-Step tools or work within our program. Our clinical team will actively work with individuals in the 12-Step process in order to harmonize clinical and 12-Step perspectives. As part of recovery planning our advanced clinicians and continuing care team will explore recovery support options that are appropriate and appeal to the client.
Note: In addition to these clinical modalities, Omega Recovery will also offer certain alternatives/holistic services that can help alleviate stress, anxiety, cravings, and promote overall wellness, all of which have been proven to help the distressed addict maintain a healthy mind-body-spirit balance which then aids in maintaining recovery. They include; Meditation Groups, Restricted Environmental Stimulus Therapy (R.E.S.T.) AKA “Flotation Therapy”, Biofeedback, Reiki, Acupuncture and Acupressure, Hypnotherapy, Art Therapy/Creative Expression, and Yoga.
Therapy Services Presented: Individual Therapy Depending on client needs, length of treatment, and level of care, sessions with the primary therapist may be initially scheduled once or twice per week. It is during these sessions that the treatment plan is developed with input from the client and multidisciplinary staff.
Family Therapy: These sessions may include participation from anyone significant in the client’s life such as a spouse, significant other, parent, sibling, etc. With the client’s permission, these sessions may occur in person or through the use of HIPAA-compliant technology for online or telephone sessions.
Group Therapy: Consists of therapeutic groups led by a licensed professional and provides clients the opportunity to explore issues and process their recoveries in a safe, peer-supported atmosphere.
Medical and Psychiatric Sessions: Research by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute of Mental Health (NMH) shows that comprehensive, integrated care significantly increases long-term recovery and quality of life success rates. Therefore, clients are screened for medical and psychiatrist co-morbidity at admissions and during treatment. As needed or requested, medical and psychiatric referrals are offered using our network of physician and ancillary service providers.
Psycho-educational and Didactic Groups: These groups consist of interactive instruction and group discussion. Examples of topics include:
- Substance Conditions: What causes addiction (etiology of addiction)?
- An Alcoholic Anonymous Perspective.
- A Social Learning Theory Perspective.
- A Medical Perspective.
- An Attachment Theory Perspective.
- I might be an addict, so now what do I do?
- Stages of Change.
- Motivated participation in treatment.
- Aftercare and Recovery Support.
- The Nuts and Bolts of Addiction and Recovery.
- The Physiological Effects of Substances.
- Co-Occurring Conditions – What are they and what does it mean for my recovery?
- Medication – Do I need it?
- Relapse Prevention and Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptom.
- Cross Addictions and Relapse Prevention.
- Cognitive Restructuring.
- Asking for Help.
- Social Pressures & Unhealthy Behaviors.
- Family Roles.
- Boundaries.
- Coping Strategies.
- Nutrition/Wellness & Impact on Recovery.
- Life Skills Education.
Alumni and Recovery Support Services:
Omega Recovery provides recovery support services following successful discharge from its outpatient treatment programs, as well as for persons referred from national residential programs. We also offer our services for self-referred members of our community who have stabilized in their recovery. Intended to maintain the recovery-sustaining sense of community so vital in recovering addicts’ lives, these services integrate the principles and practices of Alcoholics Anonymous and build on the foundations developed in their treatment programs.
The overarching goal is the development and building on the person’s recovery capital. Recovery capital (the internal and external resources available to assist the person in navigating daily life), is essential for recovery and improved quality of life. The philosophy of our alumni and recovery support services is to provide support and assistance navigating post-treatment challenges and needs. This substance abuse treatment Austin program ensures that clients discharged from residential and/or outpatient treatment programs have a successful transition and ongoing preparation for living a healthy and productive life after leaving supportive care.
Ongoing support services also allow the program to monitor the client for a period of time following treatment to ensure the successful utilization of newly acquired skills.
Recovery Support Services: are provided by certified peer recovery specialist (PRSS), and recovery support specialists (RSS) and include:
Life Skills: To assist the alumni with achieving self-sufficiency. Life skills work is often presented in a group format by a peer facilitator. It seeks to help a person in all stages of change meet their personal recovery goals and manage daily life.
Relapse Prevention: Held weekly to monitor participants’ ongoing recovery by a licensed person and a peer facilitator. Relapse prevention groups can help the participant transition from treatment and support their recovery efforts.
Individual and Family Therapy: Provided by a Licensed Counselor to address self-defeating behaviors and family dynamics that impact the client and his family on their journey towards healing and recovery.
Accountability Monitoring: Random telephone check-in and coaching paired with urine drug screens are helpful for those individuals who have a history of post-treatment relapse.
What Omega Recovery Has To Offer For Substance Abuse Treatment Austin
At Omega Recovery, we embrace the belief that addiction is a complex amalgam of oftentimes psychological, emotional, spiritual and/or physical distress. With that in mind, each client requires a very comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment in order to best understand the exact nature of their addictive distress in order to then individualize the best combination and layers of therapeutic modalities to help ease said addictive distress. Only the best substance abuse treatment Austin center will offer these types of therapeutic modalities. Intensive and comprehensive outpatient treatment is viewed as the foundation for the life changes necessary to achieve recovery from addiction. Providing intensive, individualized and goal-directed evidence-based interventions is the primary goal of our addiction treatment program. Beyond that, we then prepare the client for appropriate follow-up care by connecting them to recovery support services.
Omega Recovery’s goals are understanding and identifying the underlying issues impacting the addiction, breaking through feelings of isolation and denial. Then identifying and addressing those attitudes and behaviors which are not conducive to ongoing recovery, and replacing them with new attitudes and behaviors needed to obtain and maintain a lifestyle free from active addiction. The client is taught the skills necessary to live a healthy and independent life free from the enslavement of active addiction. It is an understanding that any substance abuse treatment Austin center should have.
Why Choose Omega Recovery
Omega Recovery is a holistically-oriented counseling and wellness center that will offer comprehensive services and treatment to clients and their families that are struggling with addiction, depression, anxiety, and PTSD that oftentimes come together to create the perfect storm of active addiction. Omega Recovery’s treatment philosophy embraces the notion that all people have the capacity to grow, flourish, and self-actualize once they break free from the grip of active addiction and/or the psychological and/or emotional challenges that have been negatively impacting their lives. We honor the concept of the Omega Point, a term coined by the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, which he used to describe the pinnacle of human consciousness and evolution. Thus, in order to help our clients reach their full potential, the licensed clinicians and certified counselors at Omega Recovery will use a variety of therapeutic techniques and evidence-based modalities to assist our clients in overcoming their challenges to feel “more comfortable in their own skin” so that they can meaningfully move forward in their lives, find their purpose and discover their true, authentic selves.
Substance abuse treatment Austin services begin the day you decide to take your life back! Begin that change by contact Omega Recovery, we can be reached by phone at (512) 601-5407 or feel free to send an e-mail at: intake@omegarecovery.org
