The reality is that there is no one way to recover. Many people try many different roads before they go down the right one for them and their lasting recovery. This includes the use of partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) and intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), both of which can be highly beneficial. The key is to find the right path that works for you and stick to it.
Lasting Recovery: Better Understanding Treatment Program Options
Just as no addiction is the same, no recovery is the same. Some people enter recovery with “high bottoms,” which simply means that their addiction had gotten out of hand, but they chose to do something about it before it got too severe.
Then there are those individuals who hit “rock bottom,” which often means that they have lost everything due to their addiction. This may include relationships, financial stability, physical health, and spiritual foundations.
The good news is that whether a bottom is “high” or “low,” recovery is always an option. Getting well is always possible. The key is to reach out for help as soon as a window of willingness opens up. This help should lead to addiction and recovery specialists who are going to determine the best path for a lasting recovery. This may include an IOP or PHP.
Lasting Recovery With a PHP
Many people confuse PHPs and IOPs. This is easy to do as they both look very different than “traditional” residential rehab. Perhaps the biggest difference between a PHP and an IOP is the intensity.
A PHP focuses more on intensive care and often includes up to eight hours a day, five days a week, in a treatment facility. However, the individual will go home after the day’s treatment is done. However, a PHP often includes the aid of a recovery manager and requires regular alcohol and drug testing. They also generally include connecting to a recovery program outside of treatment, such as a 12-Step program for recovery.
The Benefits of PHPs
There are many benefits that one can acquire from a PHP. Of course, these benefits are going to vary depending on the facility and the individual.
PHPs offer an essential sense of structure, which many people struggling from active addiction greatly benefit from. These types of programs also offer a greater connection to more intensive modalities, such as psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). They also tend to have a greater focus on group therapy.
Group therapy can be highly beneficial for addiction recovery. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Group therapy and addiction treatment are natural allies. One reason is that people who abuse substances often are more likely to remain abstinent and committed to recovery when treatment is provided in groups, apparently because of rewarding and therapeutic forces such as affiliation, confrontation, support, gratification, and identification. This capacity of group therapy to bond patients to treatment is an important asset because the greater the amount, quality, and duration of treatment, the better the client’s prognosis.”
Lasting Recovery With an IOP
Like a PHP, one of the reasons many people choose an IOP is that it allows them to stay better connected to their everyday lives. Also, while it may be less intensive than a PHP, an IOP is a very focused and effective form of treatment.
Many people end up utilizing an IOP after they have already gone through residential addiction care or a PHP. One of the similarities between a PHP and an IOP is that they both either require or certainly advise connecting to an external recovery program like 12-Step recovery.
The Benefits of IOPs
One of the biggest benefits of an IOP is that it reduces the chance of a relapse. Part of the reason for this is that it helps people connect with others. This includes connecting others with 12-Step recovery.
12-Step recovery can greatly reduce the chances of a relapse. In fact, it has been said that it is the best way to avoid a relapse. According to the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book), “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail… You can help when no one else can.”
A Focus on Long-Term Success at Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why we offer a variety of recovery paths that all utilize a multi-angled approach.
It is critical to remember that recovery is about the journey, never the destination. That journey may include a PHP or an IOP. The key is to reach out, ask for help, and do the work. You can do it! We can help.
One must find the program of recovery that works best for them. This may be a PHP or an IOP program. These programs offer a connection to a variety of modalities that are going to help one recover at the cellular level. This includes psychotherapies, experiential therapies, and holistic healing methods. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about PHPs and IOPs, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
