Addiction Treat: Substance Use Disorder

Individualized care that is built around healing, respect, empowerment, and choice.

Living with a substance use disorder is a complex situation. While there is clear knowledge for most facing addiction or dependence that what is being done to the mind and body are both unhealthy and dangerous, there is an inability to stop. An inability to stop is actually the exact definition of addiction. Despite the negative consequences of an action, a person finds themselves unable to stop doing it. In the United States, addiction is not a small issue. On top of an opioid epidemic that has affected nearly every person in the country in one way or another, we are still losing far too many lives to other substances like alcohol and stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine.

In the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), we learned that 5.3% of Americans over the age of 12 in the United States faced an alcohol use disorder (AUD), and 3%, or 8.3 million Americans, had an illicit drug use disorder. This includes substances like marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens like LSD, inhalants, methamphetamine, or prescription psycho-therapeutic drugs that were misused (stimulants, tranquilizers, and more). The need for treatment exists across the country. The need for treatment without the confines of a tight and inflexible schedule is there just as much, including for Texans.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Texans

It isn’t pandering to say that Texans are hard workers and are proud of the work they do. Because of this, though, our busy schedules can get in the way of taking care of ourselves and allow us to lose sight of our health and well-being. There is obvious and understandable fear when it feels like the only option for treatment is to stop your life completely and leave behind your work, friends, and family. This does not necessarily have to happen, though.

While inpatient treatment is great for those with longstanding addiction and those with a history of relapse, there are great benefits to taking part in treatment in an outpatient setting. This is true regardless of the type of addiction, whether it be alcohol, opioid, or something else. We understand at Continuum Outpatient Center that life cannot always be put on hold, so we work with you, our patient, and your loved ones to meet you where you are at in your journey to recovery.

Addiction Treatment Begins With Flexibility

A goal of Continuum Outpatient Center is to provide the residents of Texas the flexibility to make recovery possible with visits to our San Antonio location on their time.

We offer an intensive outpatient program (IOP) to our patients with the following base schedules:

Daytime IOP M/W/F 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Evening IOP M/W/F 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Telehealth options

Break Free From Substance Use Disorder!

Call Continuum Outpatient Center today for an individualized treatment plan designed to fit your needs.

Our Curriculum at Continuum

Evidence-based methods and patient-centered care drive our curriculum at Continuum Outpatient. By using proven therapies, our programs give each patient the greatest chance for a positive outcome in recovery.

To achieve our goal of helping you or your loved one recover, we focus on one of the following topics each week of the program during your treatment:

The Four agreements
Brain works
Human relationships
Trauma and growth
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) basics
Emotional IQ

Mindfulness
Life skills
Relapse prevention
Balance and boundaries
Self-care
Family roles

At Continuum Outpatient Center, we treat addiction to alcohol, meth, prescription drugs, and opioids such as heroin.

Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol consumption is all too common in the United States. According to the 2019 NSDUH, more than 85% of American adults have had alcohol at least once in their lifetime. The survey also finds that 69.5% of adult Americans drink in any given year, and that more than half of men and women drink in any given month.

It is important to remember that even those that specialize in treatment of alcohol use disorder understand that alcohol in moderation probably won’t do any harm In fact, the U.S. National Library of Medicine states, ”For most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful. However, about 18 million adult Americans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This means that their drinking causes distress and harm. AUD can range from mild to severe, depending on the symptoms. Severe AUD is sometimes called alcoholism or alcohol dependence.” Common symptoms of AUD include cravings for alcohol, anxiety, irritability, and an inability to stop drinking.

Treating AUD is not much different from treating other forms of addiction. At Continuum, you will participate in behavioral therapy with one-on-one sessions with licensed medical professionals. You will also participate in group therapy and be part of life skills training exercises and therapies that focus on mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth.

Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Treatment for opioid use disorder is fairly similar to that for AUD once treatment begins. You will participate in behavioral therapy with one-on-one sessions with licensed medical professionals as well as have group therapy sessions with others battling an addiction similar to yours. There you will learn more about opioid addiction and how many lives it has truly affected throughout the opioid crisis we have faced as a country and as a state.

Life skills training is also offered for those in opioid use disorder treatment. Our patients are given the opportunity to gain experiences that will help them throughout their life in recovery. Therapy sessions may include trauma-informed yoga, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), exercise, and more. These various methods of treatment will help our patients focus on growth in all areas of life.

Uncovering Co-Occurring Disorders

A co-occurring disorder diagnosis is made when an individual is found to have both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder. Many patients who have sought treatment had no idea they were also dealing with a mental health issue. Studies from the U.S. National Library of Medicine show “about half of people who have a mental disorder will also have a substance use disorder at some point in their lives and vice versa. The interactions of the two conditions can worsen both.”

The same study states that common risk factors, such as trauma, genetics (inborn traits passed down from generation to generation), and stress, can influence both substance use disorders and mental health disorders. Treating co-occurring disorders may include a mixture of therapy and medicine. Treating co-occurring disorders may include a mixture of therapy and medicine.

Part of the programming at Continuum is built around uncovering and diagnosing potential co-occurring disorders. We ensure mental health disorders are diagnosed and properly treated while patients are in our care if the disorders weren’t discovered before patients entered treatment.

Paying for Treatment at Continuum

We understand the stress of financial strain caused by addiction and the fear that you will not be able to afford getting the help you need. Understanding this stress and the fear that comes with it, Continuum is in-network with most insurance providers in Texas.

Each of the following are accepted at our facility:

Christus Health Plan
Cigna
Magellan Health
BlueCross BlueShield of Texas
First Health Network
MultiPlan
Aetna

If you do not see your insurance provider listed, we request that you call us to discuss further options that may work, like a loan, payment plan, or something else.

If you’re ready to address your mental health or substance use disorder, we’re ready to help. Our mental health professionals are standing by. If you or a loved one is in need of treatment for addiction and in need of flexibility to fit your schedule, Continuum Outpatient Center is ready to help. We are prepared to take your call now!