Detox
Many people addicted to alcohol or drugs want help but don’t want to subject themselves to an expensive, prolonged stay at a rehab facility or hospital where they will be thrown into a group therapy setting, largely supervised by addiction counselors rather than physicians. Many don’t want to go to 12-Step programs because of the embarrassing group dynamic of confessing one’s behavior to strangers and, what may be worse for some, to know people from their addict’s community.
There is a better and less costly solution: in-home detoxification. Within hours of receiving a patient’s call, the doctors will visit the patient’s home and pharmacologically manage the withdrawal stages from alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines and other drugs. The doctors will then lead the patient’s treatment team, making all arrangements for home health care, assuring that the initial steps of recovery are comfortable. The doctors will counsel the family in what will most certainly be trying times. The doctors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, nurturing trust and a therapeutic partnership that continues in subsequent therapy and recovery.
Beyond treating the patient for addiction, the doctors can identify other underlying mental disorders that are so often missed in typical rehab programs, such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit disorder, social phobia, depression and insomnia, which may be contributing to the addiction cycle. Drs. DeLuca and Tendler are well-versed in diagnosing and dealing with all of these disorders.
Whatever the multiple problems, the doctors will develop an individualized program for the patient. The stresses and triggers that are addressed by the doctors are unique to the patient, and, by being at home, the patient is seen in his natural setting as opposed to an artificial hospital or rehab environment. Treatment is completely confidential and will not be exposed to employers or insurers. There are no uninvited visitors from other patients who will know the patient is receiving treatment. Financially, the patient is only paying for services required by the patient and is not subsidizing other patients in rehab. This results in a markedly less expensive course of treatment than any inpatient center. After the initial detoxification process, the doctors will continue therapy with the patient and his family as frequently and for as long as is needed. If suitable for the particular patient, participation in a 12-Step program may be recommended.
Contrast this in-home program with a typical rehab or in-patient detoxification program. With in-patient, the patient is usually admitted and evaluated by a nurse; routine admission and medication orders are delivered. A physician evaluates the patient for safety, but addiction counselors supervise treatment. The main focus is group therapy, where during the initial weeks of treatment, group members are confronted by the counselor and by each other. While this may be an optimal setting for patients with antisocial personality disorder, it is a very poor setting for patients with social anxiety who are not comfortable in groups. This method is also risky for naïve addicts, such as those who become addicted to prescription medications after an operation, as they meet and are educated by hardcore street addicts on how to procure drugs instead of getting treatment.
