Suboxone Treatment Program
Many individuals find themselves hooked on Suboxone. It is most often prescribed for a short period of time to help with withdrawal from heroin or other powerful opiates. Although Morningside does not prescribe Suboxone, Subutex, or any buprenorphine medication, we do accept clients that are currently on maintenance dosages of these drugs.
When used as a daily maintenance medication or recreationally, users often have problems. Family difficulties, social-skill erosion, educational and employment problems, mood disorders, and medical issues arise in the Suboxone user’s life. While this drug can dampen some of the more extreme consequences of opiate abuse, long-term use brings a host of unique problems.
As one client explains, “I figured everything was cool until I had to travel for my job. Then I realized how much I was limiting myself. I wanted to get off Suboxone, but knew I also needed to find a new way of thinking and feeling.” Effective treatment of Suboxone addiction at Morningside Recovery involves amending attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
At Morningside, clients engage in a therapeutic-change process in a safe, supportive, home-like environment. Our primary level care generally takes place after a complete detox from Suboxone. Clients are in a supportive environment with a clinical routine that forms the key relationships that enhance recovery. These relationships, which should last for months, will be formed with professional members of the treatment team, with peers and with new acquaintances in the recovering community. In addition, a new set of family relationships and ways of relating to the world begin to emerge as the work in this therapy builds steam.
At Morningside, we match evidence-based treatment to individual needs at each stage of rehabilitation. Over time, various combinations of treatment services coalesce to include contingency management approaches to reinforce positive behavioral change, and cognitive-behavioral therapy to help participants learn positive social and coping skills. Motivational enhancement is a constant, increasing treatment engagement and retention. In clients with a dual-diagnosis or co-occurring disorder, these needs are addressed simultaneously to greatly improve treatment outcomes.
One of the key differences at Morningside is the tireless work ethic of the staff. A client’s low motivation to participate in treatment does not dissuade our therapists. They know that research has shown that outcomes for those who are pressured by family to remain in treatment are as good as or better than outcomes for those who complete treatment without external pressure. With this in mind, the clinical staff at Morningside recognizes a client’s lack of motivation not as a moral failure, but as a symptom to be combated. This insight is shared with clients, and it can particularly important for individuals being treated for Suboxone addiction because motivational enhancement is key to meeting program goals.
Stress is often a contributing factor to relapse, and before clients leave treatment to face the many challenges and stressors in their daily lives, Morningside provides the tools to stay clean. Clients set goals which include reuniting with family members, securing housing, and complying with any legal requirements. The daily decisions that everyone faces no longer seem so stressful for those beginning a new life with hope.
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