Finding Help

How to find the right addiction professional?

If this is a new problem, finding the right professional to conduct an evaluation of your addiction is not easy. There are three main routes to find help; the therapist/counselor route, the doctor route, and the treatment program route.

Therapist/Counselor

If you have seen a mental health professional in the past, that may be a good place to start. You can ask them if they have experience or training in addiction to assess if you have a problem, or if they can refer you to someone with training in addiction.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/addiction

Doctor

When seeking competent professionals to evaluate and treat addiction, you should know that not every doctor or psychiatrist can diagnose or treat addiction. However, they can often be a good starting point. A trusted doctor can help refer you to an addiction specialist such as an addiction medicine physician or addiction psychiatrist who can help evaluate and provide treatment solutions.

Websites that can help you find an addiction medicine specialist in your area:

https://certification.theabpm.org/physician-lookup

Addiction Treatment Programs

These programs have qualified professionals who can provide an evaluation. You can usually get an evaluation without committing to the actual treatment program. Many people will go through their insurance to find what nearby treatment programs are covered under their insurance. You can often find a substance use or mental health phone number on your insurance card that you can call to help you find your options.

How do you know if an addiction treatment program is good?

Most people will make the decision of what program to go to based on insurance, location, and availability. Treatment can be expensive, so many will start by calling a representative from their insurance provider to find what programs are available to them. After making a list of options that are financially feasible, the next consideration is availability. Getting into a good treatment program immediately is much better than getting into the best treatment program days or weeks from now. When the decision to get into treatment occurs, the window of opportunity might not stay open for long given the nature of addiction. If you do have options to choose from, researching the program’s website or calling their intake team can help you understand what type of program to enter. A good program has evidence-based interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational techniques, professionally-led and peer support groups, and medication management for those that need it. If you have co-occurring mental health conditions, you may consider looking at a dual diagnosis program.

What should I do if I can’t go to a 30-day program?

Addiction treatment exists in many different intensity levels ranging from residential programs (e.g. checking into and living at a 30-day rehab program) to outpatient programs (e.g. live at home but show up at the treatment center for classes and groups). Many people who are trying to break the cycle of active addiction will need a lot of support, structure, and accountability, in order to get traction. This can be achieved through something referred to as an intensive outpatient program (i.e. usually 3-5 days a week) that offers intensive training and support. This might be a starting point for some people if they have a stable home environment that is supportive towards their recovery from addiction (at a bare minimum it should be substance-free). If you are still struggling at this level of care, you should escalate to a higher level of care (i.e. residential rehab program). Many might decide to go directly into a residential program as a starting point because their instinct tells them an outpatient program won’t get the job done. All of these short-term treatment programs are designed to get you started off on your path and should be followed up by a good aftercare plan and program to help you maintain all your gains.