If you or a loved one suffers from substance abuse, you are not alone. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.5 million people struggled with a substance use disorder in 2023.[1]
If you engage in substance abuse, you’ll eventually develop an addiction. Substance use disorders can be difficult to overcome, especially without help. Thankfully, addiction treatment programs can provide you with the tools and support you need to recover.
When picking an addiction treatment program, you want to make sure you are choosing one that offers evidence-based treatments. To explain, evidence-based treatments have been researched and are clinically proven to help you recover from drug and alcohol use.
Examples of evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders include medical detox, behavioral therapies, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), relapse prevention planning, and more.
At PAX Memphis, all of the addiction treatment programs we work with use evidence-based treatments. We only have relationships with the best drug and alcohol use disorder programs in the country. When you work with us, you’ll receive an in-depth assessment that helps us match you with a substance abuse treatment center that suits your needs and goals for recovery.
What are Evidence-Based Treatments for Drug and Alcohol Addiction?
While addiction treatment is necessary to recover, not every substance abuse treatment center is created equally. You always want to make sure you are choosing a program that uses evidence-based treatments. This means the treatment modalities they use have been researched and proven effective in managing drug addiction and alcohol use disorder.
Examples of evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders include:[2]
Medical Detox
Medical detox is proven effective in managing the physical aspects of addiction. To explain, when you engage in regular substance abuse, your brain and body will become dependent on the drug. As a result, you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop using the substance.
Medical detox was created to help clients overcome withdrawal safely and comfortably. FDA-approved medications are used to lessen withdrawal symptoms and prevent cravings, making you more likely to achieve long-term sobriety. The medications you are given will depend on what type of substance you were addicted to.
Behavioral Therapy
After detox, you will engage in behavioral therapy to help you recover from the root causes of your addiction, change negative patterns of behavior, and develop healthy coping skills to avoid relapse. Highly-rated addiction treatment programs use evidence-based behavioral therapies to help you overcome your substance use disorder.
Examples of evidence-based therapies for substance use disorders include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
- Contingency management (CM)
- 12-step facilitation therapy
- The matrix model
- Behavioral family therapy
The therapeutic models you engage in will depend on your needs. For example, the matrix model is typically used to address stimulant use disorder, while CBT and dialectical behavior therapy are highly effective for people who struggle with co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness. You’ll engage in individual counseling, group therapy, and family therapy.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid and Alcohol Use
Both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers that offer evidence-based treatment methods use medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for people recovering from opioid or alcohol addiction. To explain, this method of treatment involves the use of medications to lessen cravings, increase treatment retention, and prevent relapse.
If you struggle with opioid use disorder, you’ll be given medications like Suboxone, methadone, or naltrexone. On the other hand, alcohol use disorder is managed with medications like acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone.
Relapse Prevention Planning
Relapse prevention planning is also considered a form of evidence-based addiction treatment. Clinical research has proven that learning about potential triggers and developing healthy coping mechanisms will lessen a person’s chances of relapsing after treatment ends.
You might also be asked to create a plan of action to use in case you experience a relapse. For example, your plan could include returning to a medical detox program or increasing the number of therapy sessions and support groups you attend.
How to Find Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment in Tennessee
If you are looking for a drug abuse rehab that uses evidence-based treatment methods, you’ve come to the right place. There are a few ways to find programs, including:
Contacting Your Insurance
Because health insurance companies are required to cover some form of addiction treatment, you can contact your provider to ask for a list of in-network drug abuse rehab programs. Your insurance company might only cover programs that provide evidence-based treatment methods like motivational interviewing and medical detox.
Asking for a Referral
If you are looking for a drug rehab program that uses scientific evidence to manage addiction, you could ask a healthcare provider for a referral. Whether you regularly see a primary care physician, a therapist, or a psychiatrist, they can refer you to a top-rated rehab program in your area. They’ll only recommend treatment centers that use evidence-based therapies.
Working With PAX Memphis
Lastly, if you suffer from opioid addiction or another type of substance use disorder, PAX Memphis is here to help. By working directly with us, you can receive a referral to a reputable and trustworthy addiction treatment center that uses evidence-based therapies, psychosocial therapies, and medication-assisted treatment.
We start off by conducting an in-depth assessment to determine your needs and create a personalized treatment plan. Then, we will take a look at local treatment centers that use evidence-based practices to determine which one is suited to your needs.
Get Connected to an Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment Program in Tennessee
If you are in active addiction and want to attend a rehab that uses evidence-based practices, you’ve come to the right place. At PAX Memphis, we provide our clients with effective treatment by providing them with an assessment and referring them to a program that suits their needs.
Contact us today to learn more about what evidence-based practices are and how to get started in a substance abuse treatment program.
References:
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Highlights for the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- Science Direct: Evidence-based practices for substance use disorders