Seeking Treatment During COVID

With the delta variant on the rise in Florida, as well as across the entire United States, there may be health and safety concerns when considering going to treatment. And there should be. Wearing a mask in public places indoors (and in crowded settings) and getting vaccinated can help stop the spread of COVID-19, and at minimum decrease hospitalizations and death. But the threat of the airborne virus should not keep an individual from seeking treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction. The right treatment center can balance safety and help those struggling with these addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions at the same time.

Recovery First Treatment Center is an American Addiction Centers’ (AAC) facility located in Hollywood, Florida. AAC is the nationwide leader in addiction treatment, and its Recovery First facility does not disappoint. It provides multiple levels of care, medical detox, including intensive outpatient program, residential treatment, and partial hospitalization program (PHP).

Some of the therapies that we utilize are:

• Pain management therapy.
• Dialectical behavior therapy.
• Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
• Motivational interviewing.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Process group therapy.

We treat for addictions to:

• Prescription stimulants.
• Prescription opioids.
• Alcohol
• Heroin.
• Cocaine.
• And many other substances.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols & Substance Addiction

All of our facilities require staff to get regularly tested for COVID, and we also require testing for incoming patients in order to keep everyone at our treatment centers safe. Although as of this writing, patients aren’t required to be vaccinated, they do need to have a negative COVID test result in order to be eligible for admission.

Although the growth in new daily COVID cases may be scary and may make it seem like you need to stay at home until the pandemic ends, consider the impact that waiting on treatment may cause. Some suggestions and precautions that need to be taken for everyone to remain safe against COVID, are not as helpful to those struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD) or an alcohol use disorder (AUD). For example, “social distancing” and “sheltering in place” are necessary suggestions to minimize contracting the coronavirus. But for an individual battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol, being isolated from others may do more harm than good. This may exacerbate feelings of loneliness and may greatly impact those struggling with co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.

We aren’t suggesting that anyone ignores the suggestions or scientific evidence provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO). It’s just important to have a healthy balance of following those guidelines while being able to safely move forward  with getting the help that you need for a serious disease such as an AUD or an SUD.

Battling a substance addiction is not a fight that you have to have on your own. Help and resources are readily available. Recovery First Treatment Center can help you get on the road to recovery in order to help you experience long-term sobriety.