Author: Hannah Sumpter

With so many rehab options available, finding the right program for opioid addiction treatment often feels overwhelming. Choosing appropriate treatment that meets your specific needs is an important first step on the path to long-term sobriety.

In This Article:

• Signs You May Need Opioid Addiction Treatment
• Opioid Detox
• Inpatient Rehab
• Outpatient Treatment
• Therapies for Opioid Addiction Treatment
• Aftercare Support for Long-term Sobriety

Signs You May Need Opioid Addiction Treatment

How do you know if you need treatment for an opioid addiction? The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5-TR), outlines the criteria clinicians use to diagnose an opioid addiction, known clinically as an opioid use disorder. These disorders can range from mild to severe, depending on how many symptoms a person has.^1,2

Symptoms of opioid addiction include: ¹

• Taking opioids in larger amounts or for a longer period than prescribed
• Experiencing strong urges and cravings to use opioids
• Wanting to cut down on opioid usage or stop it altogether, but to no avail
• Not being able to focus at home, work, or school due to opioid usage
• Continuing opioid usage, even though it causes relationship problems
• Avoiding recreational, social, and occupational activities due to opioid usage
• Using opioids repeatedly in potentially dangerous situations
• Continuing to use opioids even though you have a psychological or physical problem that was caused or worsened by the drug
• Relying on more opioids to get the desired effect (i.e., developing tolerance)
• Developing symptoms of withdrawal that are relieved by using more opioids

If you identify with any of the above-mentioned signs or symptoms of addiction, you may benefit from a professional assessment from a specialist. Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to explore your options.

Opioid Addiction Detox

Treating an opioid addiction is a process that involves multiple phases, beginning with detox, which is offered at most addiction treatment centers.³

With detox, you will begin your recovery process by abstaining from all opioid and other drug use. The detox phase is also known as “withdrawal” as your body, brain, and nervous system adjust to no longer having opioids in your system. Detox allows the body to begin the healing process.³

Depending on your level of addiction, you might be able to complete the detox phase at home. However, people with longstanding opioid dependence, mental health conditions, or other health concerns may be advised by their doctor to have 24/7 supervision.³ Medication assisted treatment (MAT) can help you get through detox safely while managing withdrawal symptoms.

Medical detox is typically done in two different scenarios. One scenario is to complete your withdrawal process in a hospital and then transfer to a residential drug rehab treatment program upon completion of your detox.³

The other scenario is to detox in a residential treatment drug rehab facility. With this option, you can continue your opioid addiction treatment in the same facility after going through withdrawal. This is an ideal option for some folks as it eliminates the need to transfer to another facility for ongoing recovery.³

With either detox scenario, patients receive medical oversight that include the involvement of nursing staff, medical doctors, and a psychiatrist. Clinicians will monitor your health, watch for any side effects that may need treatment, and offer supportive care during the detox process. This medical support helps minimize the uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal.³

Inpatient Opioid Rehab

Inpatient residential treatment is the next step after detox. If you have completed detox in the same facility to receive ongoing addiction treatment, you go through what’s called a “step-down process.” This means you will transfer to a different area of the same facility to complete your inpatient rehab.³

If you have chosen to do your medical detox in a hospital, you will need to be transferred to an inpatient drug rehab facility.

Inpatient rehab usually lasts up to 90 days, during which time patients live in a community with others who are also receiving addiction treatment. Some residential treatment programs specialize in a specific type of addiction, such as opioid use disorder or alcohol addiction.

Elements of care that remain consistent across all addiction treatment facilities include:

• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• Family therapy
• Introduction to 12-step meetings
• Relapse prevention

During your residential stay, you’ll be offered a wide variety of counseling, also known as “talk therapy.” Behavioral therapy is a proven way to begin building a foundation for long-term sobriety. With therapy, you will learn to better understand yourself and any possible contributing factors to your addiction.

Individual Counseling

Individual counseling offers the opportunity to explore yourself with a trained addictions counselor. Counselors provide privacy and support as you process emotions during recovery.³ Counseling also helps you understand any unresolved trauma or family conflict that may have contributed to addiction. The counselors also address any other contributing factors to addiction, including personality traits, dysfunctional thinking patterns, or other possible co-occurring mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety.³

Group Counseling

Group counseling offers you the opportunity to develop peer support by getting to know others involved in long-term recovery. In group therapy, you can learn and grow with your peers as you begin applying recovery strategies to your life.

Family Therapy

Family counseling is offered to help those close to you understand how they can best support you during your recovery process.

Family counseling also offers you the opportunity to express your thoughts and feelings about addiction to loved ones in a safe environment and share your motivation for change.⁴

12-Step Meetings

Many opioid addiction treatment centers offer 12-step meetings or other recovery support groups that can provide peer support and guidance for your recovery. The 12-step model has proven effective for generations of people in recovery from addiction, from youths to seniors.⁵ Examples include Narcotics Anonymous and Smart Recovery.

Relapse Prevention

During treatment, you and your care team develop a relapse prevention plan to help you maintain long-term sobriety.³ A relapse prevention plan identifies triggers that may have contributed to the start and continuation of your opioid addiction. You will also learn coping skills to help prevent relapse if those triggers occur again.

The relapse prevention plan developed in residential treatment mostly focuses on cravings and triggers that you experienced before entering treatment. When you begin the next phase in outpatient treatment, you may identify new triggers that arise while living in the community.

Outpatient Rehab

Apart from residential rehab, outpatient rehab is the other main path for opioid addiction treatment. Outpatient care might be either a person’s first step in recovery or the next step in a person’s recovery following a residential stay.³

Outpatient rehab is very similar to inpatient treatment, but rather than living in a residential-type setting, you live at home during recovery. Outpatient treatment supports you as you become immersed back into society, equipped with new coping skills and strategies to avoid relapse.³

Several different outpatient rehab treatment options are available. Each option offers therapy and medication management but may differ in terms of frequency of visits or duration of treatment.

Partial Hospitalization

Partial hospitalization is a type of outpatient treatment appropriate for people who do not necessarily require residential treatment but may benefit from strong therapeutic oversight. With a partial hospitalization program, you meet 4-5 days a week for large portions of the day. You receive similar types of treatment as in residential treatment, including individual therapy, group counseling, and access to 12-step meetings.³

Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Intensive outpatient rehab treatment is delivered in a similar format to a partial hospitalization program with less frequent meetings. This level of treatment is suitable for people who do not need the more intensive support of partial hospitalization.³ Intensive outpatient treatment programs typically meet 2-3 days a week for about 2-3 a day.

Intensive outpatient programs also include individual and group counseling, and access to 12-step meetings. Throughout treatment, you continue discussing and processing any new cravings and triggers experienced from living back in the community. You also focus on building a recovery support network.³

Intensive outpatient rehab can last from one month to several months, depending on your needs.

Therapies for Opioid Addiction Treatment

Types of talk therapy that you can expect to receive in individual, group, and family counseling include:³

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Solutions-focused therapy

These therapy techniques differ in approach but focus on similar goals, such as developing the motivation to maintain long-term sobriety and building the mental tools necessary for recovery.³

In addition to these types of behavioral therapy, people seeking treatment for opioid addiction often receive medication to help manage their recovery. The most common prescription medications used in opioid rehab are:

• Buprenorphine
• Naltrexone
• Methadone

You can discuss with your medical provider whether these medications are appropriate options for your recovery needs.⁶

Holistic Interventions

Some opiate rehab centers now offer holistic interventions to address a person’s emotional, mental, and physical health.

Holistic interventions include:

• Yoga
• Meditation
• Acupuncture
• Music therapy
• Equine therapy

These holistic interventions are meant to complement other therapeutic interventions, such as talk therapy and medication. Supplementary therapies can provide a more comprehensive treatment experience to benefit your body, mind, and spirit.

Aftercare Support for Long-term Sobriety

After completing treatment, aftercare helps you stay focused on maintaining long-term sobriety, applying the knowledge and skills you gained during treatment.

When entering this stage of recovery, you have shown that you can manage triggers in a healthy manner and apply strategies to avoid a relapse.³

During long-term recovery, most people participate in 12-step meetings such as Narcotics Anonymous. Others may choose to continue individual counseling for support. Many people also continue to receive medication.⁵

Your continued sobriety will require a network of support. Continued aftercare is essential for lifelong sobriety, as recovery is a daily mindset that benefits most from support.

For more information about available types of opioid rehab, call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak with an addiction treatment specialist.

References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2021). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition-text revision (DSM-5-TR).
2. National Library of Medicine. (2024 October 1). Substance use disorders: Get the facts and find support. NIH MedLine Plus Magazine.
3. Volkow, N. D. (2018). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide (3rd Ed.). National Institute on Drug Abuse.
4. SAMHSA. (2021). The importance of family therapy in substance use disorder treatment.
5. Nash, A. J. (2020). The Twelve steps and adolescent recovery: A concise review. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 14, 1-6.
6. GovFacts. (2025). Medication-assisted treatment: Why federal agencies call MAT the gold standard. 

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