What is your ideal drug treatment program? Electronic Treatment?

[j15marti]

As a treatment provider, I want to learn more about what your ideal treatment program would have. I am interested in developing a new form of treatment that is web-based.

What do you think about receiving electronically delivered treatment? That is, web-based information, learning tools and techniques to stay sober. Would you prefer treatment with or without a therapist or counselor by video chat? How much would you be willing to pay for your ideal services?

Thank you for your help!

-Jeremy

 

[Jabberwocky]

Honestly stuff like this, or at least everything I have encountered, have a very limited imlact on me. I am very involved in BL. but its focus is harm reduction as opposed to recovery. I am interested in what your understand of the meaning of recovery is. Abstinence? Meeting people where they are at is one of the foundational values of harm reduction. Abstinence is an end goal, but it recognizes the reality that abstinence does not work for everyone and how it may be appropriate at a certain point in one's journey and inappropriate at others as a priority.

But practically speaking, I know there was a program that studied what you are talking about UCLA did or is doing. I need to figure out what it is again because it would be an ideal resource for you. Hope I can find it!

As an adjunct to IRL work with a mentor/sponsor, therapist and doctor, it can be very valuable for some people, especially the younger generations/millenials, who great up on information technology. But as a stand in or replacement for any other form of treatment or IRL relationship, like with a sponsor, stuff like this is not nearly enough for most.

 

[manboychef]

As an adjunct to IRL work with a mentor/sponsor, therapist and doctor, it can be very valuable for some people, especially the younger generations/millenials, who great up on information technology. But as a stand in or replacement for any other form of treatment or IRL relationship, like with a sponsor, stuff like this is not nearly enough for most.

Any tool you can add to the toolbox is good.

The biggest thing for me is having the desire to stop. I think it would be a lot more helpful if the addict in question were to have to look for the information, however it must be readily available, and the seed has to be planted that it is there for the taking. Quite a lot of the time addicts have an insane amount of drive to get their feet out of the fire, so to speak, in early recovery. As time goes on that drive tends to fizzle a little as the memory of their feet burning fades. It may be helpful to get a little reminder of why they started the process to begin with.

I am with TPD on harm reduction v. abstinence based recovery. Abstinence is not right for everyone, and the biggest thing is changing addictive behaviors. I was turned off of NA and AA by the extremely overbearing old timers that want to cram recovery down your throat any opportunity that they can, and in doing so limit the amount of thinking that the one trying to recover does. Yes, it is true that the addict's best thinking got them there in the first place, but it is no reason to take the reigns away from them. I also feel strongly that having a therapist and having real life interaction is an integral part of recovery. That is why in my recovery protocol I have kept part of the first step (I don't like the idea of powerlessness), the fourth step, and most importantly the idea of the twelve step. The way I stay clean is by helping my fellow addict.

I am working on a new recovery protocol. I need to scan my notebooks and send you a copy TPD. I am hoping with your help we can knock out a decent working manuscript by the end of this year.

 

[j15marti]

Thanks, tpd! Great points. My goal is definitely to meet people where they are at. In fact, it is to help those who would never walk through the doors of a traditional drug treatment program or AA/NA meeting.

We have actually done some work with UCLA in the past. They have had some success with text-messaging apps and other technology that is comfortable to millennials. Very interesting stuff...

 

[j15marti]

MBC, thanks for the ideas! I agree that the first step is important, but also hard for some people to swallow. I would encourage you to use some of the tools from Motivational Interviewing, which are applicable to a harm reduction approach. Best of luck on your new protocol!

 

[Jabberwocky]

Jeremy, if you do not my asking, where do you work as a treatment provider? Or rather, what is your job title and, really what I want to know, what is your role at work?

 

[manboychef]

I would like to state that the best treatment for me (it is unique to the individual as to what will work for you) is CBT/therapy coupled with medication, and meditation.

One of the aspects of recovery that is not dealt with by traditional AA/NA, SMART..etc. is the mental health problems that are associated with using. While I was attending meetings for a year (sometimes two a day) I found that many people were giving me ineffectual advice as they are not licensed therapists. It was good to have a sponsor as someone to talk to that has been through a lot of the situations I have been in, but I found myself holding back on talking about my OCD and depression because I didn't feel he could offer me much in the way of support.

 

[Jabberwocky]

If you can find a therapist trained in the modalities, DBT (which is really just CBT + mindfulness) and motivational interviewing are the new gold standard when it comes to individual therapy. It can be hard to find therapists well versed in them, but they are by far the best therapies I have ever come across, for mental health concerns, addiction as well as trauma. Certain disorders, like PTSD and OCD require their own specific modalities, but for the majority of people DBT and motivational interviewing are where it is at!

 

[j15marti]

Wow, it?s been almost 2 years since this post, and I never responded. Shame on me. I was working as CEO at the Matrix Institute over the past 4 years. Now I am a self-employed Addiction Psychiatrist. I?m always thinking about new and nontraditional ways to provide treatment. For example, Vitamin supplementation is an area of interest for me and I created a supplement called ALCOVITE for those who consume alcohol regularly. I have other supplement ideas and ideas for technology-assisted treatment which I may develop in the future. Thanks!

 

[Beefy]

Also a website that has a chatroom for ppl in the program to keep in touch with each other. and then chat rooms for groups discussions.
personal therapist chatroom to meet your counselor 1-on-1

 

[herbavore]

Also a website that has a chatroom for ppl in the program to keep in touch with each other. and then chat rooms for groups discussions.
personal therapist chatroom to meet your counselor 1-on-1

I like that idea. Community is a powerful tool.

I just posted ideas about an ideal rehab over in TDS in this thread. Interested to hear people's thoughts.

 

[SoCal424]

I was taught this for pain control. What it meant to me was the continual attempts to distract myself from pain. Addiction withdrawal is even more painful in my humble opinion, so Mindfulness as the sole/primary drug withdrawal tool? If that's what you meant, that would not have helped me to be honest until maybe at the end stage of withdrawal. That's just me though.