Extended Care Addiction Treatment: Los Angeles, Palmdale and Lancaster

Recovery from drug abuse and addiction is not easy or short. Recovery is a challenging process, though of great importance. Drug addiction can easily disrupt or destroy our lives if we do not deal with it. The damage that substance abuse does to us is also not easy to repair. The brain is re-wired from substance abuse, and the process of overcoming and returning to something like a normal state takes time.

This is more than just moving beyond the withdrawal symptoms or physical effects, though; long after the addiction is not physically apparent anymore; there can still be temptations in life. There are often patterns of behavior and attitudes that are deeply ingrained or triggered by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

While these things may seem discouraging, they do not have to. If you did not face this challenge, you would surely be struggling with a different challenge. All that you have control over is how you will face what is in front of you. You must accept the difficulty and length of the process and move forward with determination. Fortunately, treatment centers like Cycles of Change Recovery are available to come alongside you in this process.

In the novel, The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, one of the characters says, “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” referring to all of the chaos and destruction happening in the world at the time of the story. In response to this, his mentor says, “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”[i] Though the situation of substance abuse is different, the wisdom of these words still applies. At this point, you can no longer go back and change what has happened where you are. From here, you must decide how to respond and how to move forward.

Because of the difficulty and length of time recovery can take, Extended Care opportunities can be of great importance and significance for those in the process of recovery.

The audience for Extended Care

Extended care may not always be necessary and, of course, usually comes to an endpoint. There are a few factors that may help indicate whether or not extended care is the right decision. Some of the important factors include the following:

• Severe risk of withdrawal symptoms
• Concurrent medical conditions
• Concurrent mental health issues
• Lack of success in shorter or outpatient addiction care programs
• Unstable or unhealthy home environment[ii]

The point of extended care is not to keep patients locked away or held back from life. The goal is protection. Building up the strength and resistance to being fully immersed back into the world with all its temptations and difficulties is not easy. Extended care provides additional stability and support while patients are growing and learning.

Additionally, none of the above conditions could be true, and it might still be a good idea to undertake extended care. Sometimes, individuals are just not mentally prepared to be out on their own again. It is not a weakness or a problem to continue treatment through Extended Care as an extra layer of preparation and security before facing the world again.

The length that treatment takes can vary for different individuals, but research has shown that the best outcomes are strongly connected to the patient’s right amount of time in treatment. For instance, when it comes to opioid-addicted individuals, the minimum amount of time needed is a year, and many individuals see even better results from multiple years of treatment. While this can seem intimidating, there are many ways in which treatment and care can be adjusted to your needs as time goes on. And, of course, good treatment, even if it takes a while, is significantly better than the consequences of not receiving treatment and remaining in a dangerous cycle of addiction.

The Nature of Extended Care

Extended Care seeks to find a balance between structure and freedom for patients. At Cycles of Change Recovery, our extended care house allows residents to go about their daily lives independently. Residents are free to work and socialize as needed. However, at the same time, there are expectations and accountability for the residents. The structure and accountability allow residents to have security—it means that there is something outside of yourself to whom you will answer.

While this can sometimes cause frustration and annoyance, it is a force for good. Having this outside structure is a way of building discipline. The goal is that by living under these rules and this structure, residents will build the habits and discipline to have the same level of the structure once they are no longer in extended care. They are building into themselves the discipline and habits necessary to live a life free of substance abuse. A few of the elements of structure that are in place during extended care are the following:

• Regular group counseling
• Relapse support sessions
• Household chores
• Voluntary drug testing
• Mandatory curfew

Beyond just this structure, though, extended care offers much more freedom and flexibility than many of the early treatment stages, which are completely in-patient. At Cycles of Change Recovery, our extended care is not a treatment facility, so much as a home. It is a place for rest and recovery and a safe place from which to go about work and life responsibilities. Some of the great opportunities and amenities during the stay in extended care include the following:

• Comfortable room
• Generous living area for socializing, watching television, and relaxing
• Backyard space including a grill
• Volleyball net and volleyballs
• Beautiful California weather

Addiction Treatment Options

Addiction is a serious and complicated issue. Difficulties with the possibility of overdose, withdrawal, or co-occurring mental disorders serve only to compound the difficult nature of substance abuse. The last thing that any of us wants is to miss an opportunity to get the needed help.

Because of the dangers involved in addiction and substance abuse, it is of great importance that helps in the form of treatment is sought out as soon as possible. At Cycles of Change Recovery, we want to come alongside those struggling with cocaine addiction and withdrawal symptoms to help transition into recovery. We can offer 24/7 on-site medical help and supervision, counseling, and consistent care to facilitate the process of healing. Please review our various programs[iii] to see what meets the situation or need. It is also recommended to review our accreditation,[iv] staff,[v] and facility,[vi] so that you can be confident Cycles of Change Recovery is the right path for you or your loved one.

Sources:

• [i] https://www.tolkien.co.uk/quotes-fellowship-ring/#:~:text=J.R.R.%20Tolkien%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Fellowship%20of,time%20that%20is%20given%20us.%E2%80%9D
• [ii] “Who Needs Extended Care Rehab?” Michael’s House. https://www.michaelshouse.com/extended-care-rehab/.
• [iii] https://cyclesofchangerecovery.com/programs/.
• [iv] https://cyclesofchangerecovery.com/about/accreditation/.
• [v] https://cyclesofchangerecovery.com/about/staff/.
• [vi] https://cyclesofchangerecovery.com/about/palmdale/.