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Behavioral Health – Addictive Disease Treatment Staff Members Capital Region Behavioral Health has served the addictive disease treatment needs of Central Missouri since 1971. We define addictive disease as: An unhealthy relationship with an object, or an event, for the purpose of causing a desired mood swing. By "unhealthy" we mean the person continues engaging in the behavior despite serious negative consequences. Chemical dependence is the most noticeable and dangerous of the addictive diseases. Other addictive diseases include gambling, sex, codependency, eating disorders, over-spending, relationship addiction, just to name a few. Chemical dependence is a highly treatable addictive disease that afflicts nearly 20 percent of our population. Unfortunately, only a small percent of those who have chemical dependence find their way into treatment. This is usually because of denial, which is one of many psychological defenses that prevent the person from knowing they have a problem. Preconceived ideas held by many close to the addict or alcoholic who say "You can beat this thing if you just put your mind to it," is a form of denial called enabling. Just as a strong will alone cannot beat diabetes or lung cancer, it cannot arrest an addictive disease. Just as in any other illness, the solution is treatment. With the right treatment from certified or licensed professionals who specialize in addiction, a person stands a 75 to 80 percent chance of recovery from addiction. So please, if you need help, get it as soon as possible. At Capital Region Medical Center, those admitted for detoxification from alcohol and other drugs are treated with the same respect, courtesy and expert care as every patient admitted to the hospital with a life threatening illness. We find few patients need a special or locked unit to complete the detoxification process. Acute withdrawal from alcohol and other sedative drugs, also known as depressants, can be dangerous. If you or someone you know has any of the following symptoms after a period of abstinence from drinking or using, it is important to immediately seek medical help at the closest medical facility. In some cases it may be necessary to call for an ambulance. Signs of acute withdrawal:
If allowed to progress unattended by a physician, acute withdrawal can result in death. Delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and seizures can occur in the advanced stages of the withdrawal syndrome. So please, at the first sign of these symptoms consult a licensed medical professional. Detoxification is the process of re-adjusting to the absence of a chemical to which the body has become adjusted. Alcohol and other sedative drugs are central nervous system (CNS) depressants. When usage is abruptly stopped the body may experience a "rebound" effect. That is, the CNS swings from depressed to over stimulated. This accounts for the symptoms mentioned above. The rebound effect of withdrawal can over stimulate the CNS to the point of causing seizures. It usually takes from 3 to 5 days to detox from alcohol. Other sedative drugs may take longer. But the medical danger is usually past in about the same length of time. The patient can then be released from the hospital and finish detox on an outpatient basis. It is essential that the patient follow-up inpatient detox with a recovery plan. The counselors at the hospital can help set such a plan before leaving the hospital. A good recovery plan includes some form of treatment, either residential or intensive outpatient treatment. Withdrawal from stimulants (drugs that stimulate the CNS) may also have a rebound effect causing withdrawal symptoms. However, the rebound is reversed from over stimulated to depressed which is very uncomfortable but not life threatening. Therefore, inpatient detox is usually not required unless there is another medical condition that might be made worse by going through a stressful withdrawal. The major symptoms of withdrawal from stimulant drugs include fatigue and flu-like symptoms. One of the worst things about withdrawal from stimulants is that the person may feel so uncomfortable that they go back to using the drug to avoid the pain of withdrawal. This is why residential care may be necessary for some. In the 1980's and early 1990's there was only one way to get treatment for drug and alcohol problems. That was to go into a treatment center or hospital for 28 days on an inpatient basis. Treatment was the same for everybody. This was a very successful, but very expensive way to treat the disease. The advent of managed care led to the development of Intensive Outpatient Programs or IOP. This level of care is not for everybody. Some people need to go to inpatient treatment for a few days or weeks to break their daily use patterns. IOP is for those who can continue to carry out daily responsibilities, such as work or childcare, and not drink or drug while they are in treatment. Persons in IOP come in three or four days a week for a few hours a day to attend treatment activities. At Capital Region we do everything we can to cause the least amount of disruption in the patient's daily life. We schedule sessions in the morning or evening hours depending upon individual need. Traditionally, outpatient sessions are limited to one or two hours per week. In the early phases of treatment of this is rarely enough contact to arrest chemical dependence. Therefore, outpatient sessions are usually a follow-up to one of the more intense levels of care for this disease. Other addictive diseases are treatable in an outpatient setting, including codependency, compulsive gambling, relationship addictions, and dual diagnosis. At Capital Region we offer the following outpatient programs and services: Assessment and Referral - The first step in getting help is to get an assessment from a master’s level therapist who specializes in the field of addiction. All of our staff are master’s level therapists specializing in substance abuse and/or addictive disease therapy. All staff are certified addictions counselors, licensed therapists, or in the process of licensure. Individual Sessions - Every patient at Capital Region has weekly sessions with their individual therapist to develop and implement an individualized treatment plan. Family Therapy - We offer group and individual family therapy sessions. Whole families are affected when a loved one has an addictive disease. Sometimes therapy is needed to relieve the effects of the problem on individual family members. Other times information and support are all that is needed. Codependency Program: This program is for those who frequently end up in toxic, codependent, or love-addicted relationships and would like to stop the merry-go-round. We can put together a treatment schedule for codependency and/or love addiction that consist of individual sessions, group sessions, or both. It is important to remember that codependency and love addiction are not the same thing, codependency is usually underlying love addiction. Dual Recovery Program: This program is for those who have chemical dependency as well as another illness or addictive disease. Recovery from chemical dependency is difficult enough by itself. When you add another illness or problem, such as depression, bipolar disorder or chronic pain, then difficult is an understatement. Again, we can design an appropriate treatment plan consisting of groups and/or individual sessions. Relapse Prevention Education: Some people have some success at recovery only to find themselves in a pattern of repeated relapse. Others may have just returned from inpatient treatment and need an after-care group to help make the transition back into their life. This group helps members identify and deal with their personal triggers, high-risk situations, and warning signs that tell them when they might be headed for a relapse. Our office hours are:
For more information, please call (573) 636-8255. If you live in the area and have an emergency after hours or on the weekend please call our operator at (573) 632-5000.
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