What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is the remote delivery and facilitation of health-related services and care through technology. As it pertains to addiction treatment, telehealth consists of remote programs that people in recovery can access from their technological devices. This means that people with an addiction can attend rehab for substances like alcohol and opioids from the comfort of their own homes. This also means that people with an addiction can receive online substance abuse counseling through telehealth therapy from home.
Telehealth therapy is arguably one of the most common forms of telehealth in the world today. This is because of all the benefits it provides clients. Clients significantly benefit from telehealth therapy when it is part of their addiction treatment program.
For you to capitalize on the benefits of telehealth addiction treatment and online substance abuse counseling, you must first understand all the different aspects of telehealth and all the ways that it can be effectively used for addiction treatment.
Types of Technology Used in Telehealth
Since we live in a technological age, you can access online substance abuse counseling through a variety of devices. For example, you can receive telehealth therapy through video or text messaging on your phone, laptop, or iPad.
Benefits of Telehealth for Addiction Treatment
Telehealth is beneficial for healthcare services due to its accessibility. It is also beneficial for addiction treatment because it makes life easier for patients.
Getting help for your addiction and maintaining sobriety is often an overwhelming experience. Thus, why make it any more stressful than it has to be? Continue reading to learn about how telehealth benefits the addiction treatment process.
Flexibility
Telehealth is beneficial to people who are receiving online substance abuse counseling and treatment because it allows them to receive the services at a time that works best for them. In other words, telehealth offers flexibility.
As long as the patients and their substance abuse specialists or therapists agree on when to have their treatment or therapy sessions, they are good to go. This allows the patients to receive treatment while still being able to retain their jobs and day-to-day responsibilities.
Minimizes Negative Stigma
Because telehealth is remote, you can receive treatment while at home. As a result, you don’t have to worry about other people seeing or knowing that you’re attending addiction treatment. This minimizes the negative stigma and shame that comes with attending rehab. By reducing the negative stigma or shame that comes with attending rehab, more people will want to receive treatment.
Greater Access
One of the best benefits of telehealth for addiction treatment is its vast access to people. As a result, people who live in the middle of nowhere finally have access to the country’s most excellent rehab centers. The same is true for people who live in impoverished areas with no rehab centers nearby.
Access to Online Tools
Because telehealth provides remote addiction treatment through technology, you can use different tech tools to complete addiction treatment tasks. For example, you can use online portals to review your tests and records and make appointments. You can also use tech tools to see graphs and charts that your treatment specialist or therapist created about you.
Online tools also make it easy for you and your treatment specialist or therapist to check in with each other. Your treatment specialist or therapist may even check on you after treatment to track your progress. These check-ins often happen through your mobile phone and devices.
Reduces Treatment Costs
Because you don’t have to pay for in-person treatment services, telehealth addiction treatment is more affordable than regular addiction treatment. Individuals won’t have to worry about breaking their banks to receive the help that they need. This is just one other telehealth benefit that those in recovery enjoy.
Telemedicine
Another benefit of online substance abuse counseling and treatment is telemedicine. Telemedicine is the ability to deliver medications to your home through telehealth services. This is an excellent benefit for people in addiction treatment who still need medications to help them manage their withdrawal symptoms and mental illnesses.
What is Telehealth Therapy?
Telehealth therapy is remote counseling that is given to people online. When it comes to addiction treatment, telehealth therapy is online substance abuse counseling. Telehealth therapy allows addiction treatment patients to have deep conversations about themselves and their journey with addiction while in the privacy of their own homes. This can make it easier to be vulnerable during telehealth therapy.
Although receiving therapy while in the comfort of your own home can make you more vulnerable during telehealth therapy, not seeing your therapist in person during therapy can create an emotional barrier between the two of you. While there are pros and cons to receiving telehealth therapy, there are many benefits that it provides mental health treatment.
Benefits of Telehealth Therapy for Mental Health Treatment
Mental health treatment is a major component of addiction treatment. Therefore, to be beneficial to addiction treatment, telehealth counseling must also be helpful to mental health treatment. Below, we discuss how telehealth therapy benefits the mental health industry.
Compensates for Shortage of Mental Health Professionals
There is a shortage of mental health professionals in the United States. This is especially true in smaller suburban towns that don’t have any rehab centers in them. Telehealth therapy helps compensate for this shortage by allowing people who live in towns and cities with no rehab centers or mental health professionals to receive addiction treatment therapy from a treatment center elsewhere online.
Provides Accessibility to All Types of Clients
People who lack transportation or do not want to receive treatment due to the pandemic can also benefit from telehealth. This is because it allows them to receive addiction treatment and therapy without having to leave their homes. Having telehealth therapy also allows people with terminal illnesses who are not very mobile the opportunity to receive the treatment and therapy that they may need.
Different Types of Telehealth Therapy
There are different types of telehealth therapy. This is because people in recovery may need individual, group, or family therapy online.
Telehealth Individual Therapy
Telehealth individual therapy is one-on-one sessions with just you and a therapist online. This approach to individual therapy is the most common form of telehealth therapy.
Telehealth Group Therapy
Telehealth group therapy is when a small group of people gathers on a video conference call or group chat to receive online substance abuse counseling. To be in the same telehealth group therapy, you all must receive telehealth therapy through the same addiction treatment center.
Telehealth Family Therapy
You can even receive family therapy through telehealth. As long as you, your therapist, and your family members all get on the same video conference call or group chat, you’re all good to go.
Different Forms of Outpatient Telehealth
Because telehealth therapy occurs outside of the home, all forms of telehealth therapy are outpatient. Just as there are a variety of different forms of outpatient therapy when addiction treatment is done in person, there are also many forms of outpatient telehealth therapy.
Partial Hospitalization Program Telehealth Counseling
Partial hospitalization program (PHP) telehealth therapy is online substance abuse counseling that occurs for around 5-6 hours a day, six days a week. People who aren’t that far along in their online addiction treatment should use PHP telehealth therapy.
Intensive Outpatient Program Telehealth Counseling
Intensive outpatient program (IOP) telehealth therapy is online substance abuse counseling that occurs for around 3 hours a day, 3 to 5 days a week. People who are further along in their online recovery than those in PHP telehealth therapy but still need intensive care should enter IOP telehealth therapy.
Outpatient Telehealth Counseling
Outpatient telehealth therapy is online substance abuse counseling that occurs 1-2 times a week. This is the least time-consuming and structured outpatient telehealth therapy. People should receive outpatient telehealth therapy if they are far along in their online addiction treatment.
Telehealth for Prescriptions
Another name for using telehealth to receive prescription medications is telemedicine. You can use telemedicine services to receive addiction treatment prescription medications. You have to have an in-person doctor’s appointment first.
The only addiction treatment medications that doctors can prescribe you virtually are those related to opioid addiction. The reason why it is easier to get opioid addiction medications through telehealth is because of efforts to fight against the opioid epidemic.
What is Ambulatory Detox?
Ambulatory detox is a detox given through outpatient care. During ambulatory detox, you spend all day at the detox center. Once the day ends, you can spend your nights at home.
Because detox is the one addiction treatment program that requires hospitalization, you cannot receive it through telehealth. Thus, the only form of outpatient detox is ambulatory detox. There are different dimensions and levels of ambulatory detox care. The following are the levels for the first dimension of ambulatory detox care:
Level I-D: Ambulatory Detox Without Extended Onsite Monitoring:
In this form of ambulatory detox, you will receive detox treatment through more brief, scheduled appointments at a doctor’s office. You should receive this form of ambulatory detox if you’re withdrawal symptoms are not severe, and you don’t need intensive monitoring to stay clean. Only receive ambulatory detox if you have a stable home life to go to with people who support and respect your addiction treatment journey.
Level II-D: Ambulatory Detox With Extended Onsite Monitoring:
In this form of ambulatory detox, you will receive detox treatment all day at a day hospital that offers detox services. This form of ambulatory detox is very similar to the standard inpatient rehab form of detox. The only difference is that you get to go home at the end of the day.
You should receive this form of ambulatory detox if you are looking to receive outpatient detox care but still need intense monitoring due to heavy withdrawal symptoms. If you don’t have a stable home environment with people who are supportive and respectful of your addiction treatment journey, you should attend inpatient detox and rehab.
Receive Addiction Treatment and Therapy at Coastal Detox
Coastal Detox is dedicated to providing high-quality detox and addiction treatment services. Here you can receive addiction treatment for every substance, from alcohol to opioids, heroin, cocaine, crack, meth, painkillers, and benzodiazepines.
We also offer a wide variety of therapies to meet all your mental health needs. Contact us today to learn more about Coastal Detox and our addiction treatment and therapy services.
