Outpatient Substance Abuse Counseling In Sacramento
Articles - Lifestyle
By going into a residential detox or rehab facility, many people are savings their lives. With most Sacramento area programs based on the social model form of recovery, the addict or alcoholic is supervised 24 hours per day and 7 days per week and closely monitored during the first 24 hour period of treatment. If there isn't government funding available for the residential program, then most organizations accept cash, credit or check.
by MichaelGraham


By going into a residential detox or rehab facility, many people are savings their lives. With most Sacramento area programs based on the social model form of recovery, the addict or alcoholic is supervised 24 hours per day and 7 days per week and closely monitored during the first 24 hour period of treatment. If there isn't government funding available for the residential program, then most organizations accept cash, credit or check.

When taking the first step of recovery by entering a residential detox program, most clients are prescribed detox medications to get them through the first steps on their path to sobriety. After a physical and an analysis of a person's drug or alcohol usage, a contracted physician will prescribe medications that can prevent or reduce the painful side effects of withdrawal. These can include vomiting, the shakes, night sweats, body aches, and a depressed mental state. When trying to quit in an isolated environment on their own, many addicts will go back to their drug of choice rather than face the struggle of getting clean and sober. This is why it can be critical for an addict or alcoholic wishing to get sober the enter into a residential detox program where they can be closely monitored during the first 24 hours to allow them a better chance of success on their path to sobriety.

After the initial detox phase of someone's journey to sobriety, many people will choose to continue their treatment in a longer term program. Treatment for addiction and substance abuse in an inpatient setting is much more structured than most social model detox programs. There are scheduled activities like one-on-one counseling, group therapy, exercise, journaling, and recovery planning. Inpatient treatment can last 30, 60, 90 days or even longer.

Another option for some people is to go into an intensive outpatient program after their stay in a residential detox. In outpatient drug and alcohol counseling, the client will work with a certified counselor on things such as recovery planning, sobriety maintenance, and possibly anger management. In the social model form of outpatient counseling, everything will be done based on the 12 steps and a good portion of the treatment will be to get people aware of and interested in the 12 step fellowship.

Not jumping back into normal everyday life without a safety net can be critical to an addict or alcoholic's success in their road to recovery, and outpatient substance abuse counseling can be their safety net. For many the stress of normal everyday life is what got them into trouble in the first place. So working with a substance abuse counselor in an outpatient setting after treatment can be key to maintaining someone's sobriety. The frequency of treatment can be as much as 5 days per week or as little as one day per week, but staying in touch with a treatment provider and continuing the progress made in treatment can increase an addict or alcoholic's chances of success.

To appease loved ones, the courts, or employers many addicts or alcoholics will turn to an outpatient addiction counseling program. For some, the guidance provided by the outpatient counselor will be sufficient to get them headed in the right direction and get their substance abuse under control. For many others, however, the outpatient program will not be enough for them to effectively deal with their substance abuse or addiction problems. In the end, their substance abuse issues are only handled when they check themselves into an inpatient addiction treatment program,

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Pathways Recovery provides several options for people seeking addiction or substance abuse treatment or counseling in the Sacramento region of Northern California. For many people they will need to check themselves into our Sacramento Rehab program, but for others they may choose to seek help through our Outpatient Drug Counseling In Sacramento.