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Written by Amethyst Recovery

Amethyst Recovery is a foremost authority on addiction and a trusted online source of substance abuse information. Their expert team of addiction professionals provide well researched content for people in the grip of addiction. All posts are fact checked and sourced.

How Is Dilaudid Addiction Diagnosed?

People often struggle with Dilaudid abuse and addiction for a period of time before they notice it, or their loved ones notice. When someone is addicted to Dilaudid, it can be diagnosed just like any other medical condition—by looking at a set of symptoms and determining which of those a person has.

The criteria used for addiction diagnoses are outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or the DSM. This is published by the American Psychiatric Association. A primary healthcare provider, a mental healthcare professional, or an addiction specialist or counselor can diagnose a Dilaudid addiction.

The following are some of the criteria that are used in the diagnosis of an addiction to opioids like Dilaudid:

  • Does the person have a tolerance to Dilaudid? With a drug tolerance, someone has been using the substance for a period of time and they need increasing amounts to get the same effects.
  • Has the person tried to cut down, or stop using Dilaudid and been unsuccessful in these efforts?
  • Are there symptoms of physical or psychological withdrawal when the individual stops using Dilaudid?
  • Is there a significant amount of time and energy put into obtaining more Dilaudid or recovering from the effects?
  • Is the person giving up other interests or activities to instead use Dilaudid?

The number of symptoms that a person displays, such as the ones above, indicate whether their substance use disorder is mild, moderate or severe.

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Dilaudid Rehab Options

If someone is addicted to Dilaudid or other opioids, they have many treatment options available to them. Choosing the right one for their needs is essential. Dilaudid treatment options include:

  • Medical detox
  • Short-term residential rehab
  • Long-term residential rehab
  • Partial hospitalization or day treatment
  • Outpatient rehab
  • 12-step programs or support groups
  • Sober living houses

For most people, the starting point in treatment for a Dilaudid addiction is a medical detox. Medical detox can occur at a standalone or outpatient facility, but more often it’s part of residential rehab. During detox, patients are monitored and supervised as the drugs leave their system. A medical detox isn’t a treatment for addiction. Instead, it’s a necessary first step to addiction treatment.

Following a medical detox, most people who have an opioid addiction will go into some type of inpatient or residential rehab program. Residential rehab has many advantages for people who are addicted to opioids, particularly in the earliest days of their treatment.

Residential rehab provides a safe, supervised, structured and supportive environment. It’s a place where patients can’t come and go as they choose, and this reduces the risk of a relapse. It’s also a calm environment, which is beneficial when someone is coming out of the chaotic environment that usually surrounds addiction.

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What Is Inpatient Treatment?

Inpatient treatment, also called residential rehab, is a program that offers the highest level of care in terms of addiction treatment. When someone participates in an inpatient rehab program, they check into a facility where they spend days and nights.

Inpatient treatment creates an environment that’s solely focused on treatment and recovery, and also one that’s supportive and supervised.

There is structure, and there isn’t much freedom initially. This can be beneficial for someone struggling with a Dilaudid addiction because addiction is often surrounded by elements of chaos and uncertainty. Most inpatient treatment programs will also include a medical detox. This is the first step of the treatment process, and it’s where patients are supervised as Dilaudid and other substances leave their system.

Who Should Go to Inpatient Rehab for Dilaudid?

While an inpatient rehab can be beneficial for anyone struggling with an addiction problem, there are certain people who may require an inpatient treatment program rather than other forms of treatment.

Inpatient opioid rehab may be the right setting for someone who:

  • Is diagnosed as having a severe addiction
  • Is addicted to multiple substances at the same time
  • Has a co-occurring mental disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder
  • Has physical health concerns
  • Has previously tried other forms of detox or treatment and has relapsed
  • Hasn’t been compliant in less structured treatment programs

Elements of Inpatient Rehab

Dilaudid-Residential-Detox-FacilityThere are numerous inpatient rehab programs around the country, and each one is going to have a unique treatment approach and philosophy.

In general, however, most inpatient Dilaudid rehabs have some similarities.

For example, there is usually a combination of different types of therapy. There will usually be both group counseling sessions and individual therapy sessions that a patient is expected to participate in each day. If possible, an inpatient rehab may include family therapy or couples counseling. There are usually components of 12-step programs or support groups introduced during inpatient rehab.

When necessary, medication-assisted treatment may be part of inpatient rehab. Medication-assisted treatment or MAT is an approach to treating addiction that combines certain medications with behavioral therapy. Not all treatment centers utilize MAT.

Using a PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) for Dilaudid Recovery

A partial hospitalization program or PHP is a step that’s between inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab. If someone is addicted to Dilaudid, they can also begin their treatment process with a partial hospitalization program, if that’s the right fit for them.

Participants in partial hospitalization programs spend most of the day in treatment, five or six days a week. The schedule, intensity, and focus of treatment are similar to inpatient rehab.

The primary difference between a partial hospitalization program and inpatient Dilaudid rehab is the fact that at the end of the day, PHP patients can return home. If returning home isn’t an option for any reason, patients might return to a sober living facility.

Features of a PHP for Dilaudid, other opioids or any substance include:

  • A Dilaudid PHP might be right for someone who doesn’t need 24-hour around-the-clock care, but still needs some level of supervision and structure
  • People who participate in a Dilaudid PHP should be capable of traveling to the program every day to receive treatment
  • It’s important that someone participating in a Dilaudid PHP be able to care for themselves and manage their substance use disorder when they’re on their own in the evenings
  • People who have co-occurring mental health disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder often participate in partial hospitalization programs
  • The core element of treatment in a PHP is usually group therapy, but there can be other forms of therapy utilized as well
  • A partial hospitalization program may last for 10 or 14 days, although some may be longer
  • Typically, there is a collaborative team approach in a PHP, and the treatment professionals may include psychiatrists and psychologists, registered nurses, family therapists, and addiction professionals
  • Family involvement is often part of a PHP

Someone who is going to participate in a PHP should have completed the detox phase. They should be able to fully participate and meet the expectations of the program. Someone in a Dilaudid PHP should be expected to improve with continued treatment and should have a strong support system outside of treatment.

What Are the Benefits of a PHP?

Regardless of the specific elements of a person’s treatment plan, there are some benefits of a PHP. First, it gives participants the opportunity to be responsible and accountable for their own actions outside of treatment. They have some level of freedom, and that lets them see how well their treatment is working, but they still have the benefit of a daily controlled environment.

A PHP lets patients gradually get a feel for what the real world will be like without the use of Dilaudid.

What Happens After a PHP?

The next step for a person after a PHP will depend on their individual needs and their treatment plan. Many patients will begin a more flexible and less time-consuming outpatient rehab after they complete a PHP. At that point, they may return to school, work or other responsibilities and only participate in treatment for a few hours a week.

Some patients might also start participating in a 12-step or recovery and support group after their time in a PHP.

PHP vs. Intensive Outpatient Rehab

Dilaudid-PHP-Recovery-Program-MessageAnother form of treatment for addiction is called intensive outpatient rehab. An intensive outpatient program is one that has some similarities to a PHP, but differences as well.

An intensive outpatient program or IOP may require someone to participate in treatment several hours a day, for several days a week. However, the individual can continue working or going to school as normal in most cases. This isn’t true of a Dilaudid PHP.

An intensive outpatient program may include group and individual counseling, education, family therapy, and medication management.

Some might participate in an intensive outpatient program as the first step of treatment if they have a mild addiction, don’t require a medical detox, or they need to continue going to school or work as normal.

In an IOP, while the majority of the focus is on group therapy, there is also an individual therapist assigned to patients in most cases. Family or couples counseling may also be integrated into an IOP.

The major difference between a PHP and an IOP for addiction treatment is the time commitment required with each.

What is Dilaudid Outpatient Treatment?

Outpatient rehab for Dilaudid addiction doesn’t require a patient to check into an overnight facility. Instead, the person will attend different treatment and therapy sessions as scheduled.

Features of outpatient rehab include:

  • Unlike inpatient rehab, patients don’t have to stay overnight
  • Outpatient rehab can vary significantly in the required time commitment and the intensity of treatment
  • Someone shouldn’t start with outpatient rehab unless they have a very mild addiction or a short-term Dilaudid addiction
  • Patients are expected to be able to remain accountable for themselves and avoid drugs during the time they’re not in treatment
  • Some outpatient rehab programs will include treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders and medication management, but not all do
  • Outpatient rehab can work well for someone who can’t leave their job, their family or their school for treatment.
  • Outpatient rehab can be very flexible. In addition to the ability to come and go, it can often be scheduled around the patient’s needs.

Outpatient rehab can occur at a treatment center. It can also occur at a mental health clinic, a mental health services providers’ office, or a hospital.

What Is Outpatient Rehab Like?

Dilaudid-Outpatient-Rehab-Clinic-SignOutpatient rehab can vary quite a bit in the intensity of treatment and the programs. On the lowest end of the intensity, there are drug education classes. Drug education may be something that’s court-ordered, and it’s very informal with little to no personalized treatment.

Then, there are more personal outpatient rehabs which may include a combination of individual and group therapy.

Finally, there are also intensive outpatient programs or IOPs. These are the outpatient rehab options most often offered by residential rehab centers. With an intensive outpatient program, patients are expected to participate in treatment sessions that are several hours a day, at least a few days a week.

Theoretically, you might also consider a partial hospitalization program or PHP as outpatient rehab, since patients return home or to a sober living facility at night. However, a PHP is more similar to an inpatient rehab program than outpatient treatment.

What Are the Benefits of Outpatient Rehab?

Some of the pros of participating in an outpatient rehab program include:

  • Participants don’t have to stop working for a period of time or think about the loss of income or how to pay their bills.
  • Outpatient rehab allows people to continue living in their home environment, with their family or loved ones.
  • Outpatient rehab is less expensive than inpatient treatment.

While there are benefits, there are also downsides of outpatient rehab that a patient has to consider. If someone chooses outpatient rehab instead of inpatient rehab, the treatment might not be comprehensive or thorough enough. Outpatient rehab also provides more opportunities for a person to relapse, especially early in their recovery.

If someone has a chaotic, stressful or difficult home life, outpatient rehab can be problematic as well, since they are spending most of their time in that environment.

Rather than starting with outpatient Dilaudid rehab, the better option is typically for a person to start with the higher levels of intensity, such as inpatient rehab. Then, as they learn and grow in their recovery, they can gradually work their way into a lower-intensity outpatient rehab.

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Residential Rehab Options

When someone is thinking about seeking treatment for Dilaudid dependence and addiction, one of the first questions they typically have is how long residential rehab would last.

In short, it depends.

There are shorter-term inpatient rehab programs, as well as long-term residential rehabs.

A typical short-term inpatient rehab stay would typically be around 30 days and then following that initial month, the patient would move into a lower level of care. Anything less than 30 days spent in inpatient rehab isn’t likely to be as successful as a treatment that lasts for longer.

While that might be the average time someone spends in inpatient rehab, it depends significantly on an individual’s treatment plan. If there are multiple drugs someone is addicted to, or they have a severe, long-term addiction, their treatment plan may indicate a stay longer than 30 days. Once someone moves past the first month of treatment, it can be considered more of a long-term residential rehab.

Regardless of how long someone is supposed to stay in inpatient rehab, they do have to spend the night there, and they can’t leave the facility anytime they want.

Therapeutic Communities

Detox-Treatment-Inpatient-Residential-Facility-Overview-RehabilitationTherapeutic communities are another type of residential rehab that can be used to treat an addiction to Dilaudid. A therapeutic community is very holistic in approach. This form of treatment is about helping someone make lifestyle changes, in addition to treating the actual addiction.

There is a significant focus on the chronic and relapsing elements of Dilaudid addiction in a therapeutic community.

Residential treatment in a therapeutic community differs from a shorter-term inpatient program in a few ways. Along with the length of the treatment, the focus of inpatient short-term rehab is on stopping drug use and helping someone stay abstinent from the drug they’re being treated for.

In a therapeutic community, it’s more about helping someone make a complete lifestyle change. There are concepts that are emphasized in a therapeutic community such as the importance of taking responsibility and working hard.

The goal when someone participates in treatment at a therapeutic community is that they leave treatment drug-free, and ready to go to work or school and be very productive. There is more of a focus on self-help in therapeutic communities as well as social support, as compared to shorter-term treatment facilities.

Sober Living Homes

Sober living homes are also a type of residential addiction treatment. A sober living home is one where people live together for a period of time as they develop a healthy lifestyle, including healthy attitudes and coping skills.

Someone might move into a sober living home after acute inpatient care if they aren’t ready to fully return home and to society without a more supportive environment. Someone who’s participating in day treatment or a partial hospitalization program might also return to a sober living home in the evenings after treatment ends.

A sober living home offers independence and freedom to come and go for the most part, yet there are still some rules and guidelines residents have to follow. For example, people in a sober living home may have to follow curfews and attend 12-step or other group meetings.

While in sober living, residents might start rebuilding relationships with friends and family, looking for work or going to work, and finding housing where they’ll move once their time is done in the sober living house.

What Is the Addiction Treatment Process Like?

Crack-Inpatient-Rehab-SignThere can be a lot of misconceptions about what addiction really is, and how it’s treated. Addiction is classified by the medical community as a chronic disorder.

Addiction doesn’t just lead to compulsive drug use. It also affects the behavior, physical health, and the entire life of the person. Addiction treatment needs to address all of these components for the best outcomes. Addiction treatment should be long enough to address the entire person and not just their use of Dilaudid.

For all of these reasons, addiction treatment is usually a set of steps. It’s not simply a case of patients going into rehab for a few weeks and then they never relapse. It’s a much more continuous process than that. The first step is usually medical detox, following by a stay in inpatient rehab. An inpatient rehab program usually lasts for around 30 days, but some inpatient programs are much longer.

Once someone completes inpatient rehab, they aren’t done with treatment. Instead, they will likely be referred to either a partial hospitalization program or an outpatient program. Then, they can continue there for weeks or months.

Once that part of the treatment is over, the patient can then enter the aftercare stage of treatment. They might participate in a support and recovery group like Narcotics Anonymous. Many people with addiction disorders will also continue individual therapy over the long-term.

If you want more information about inpatient rehab for Dilaudid addiction and what to expect, contact Amethyst Recovery.

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