The opioid addiction crisis in the US is one of the most significant public health challenges of the 21st century. The epidemic, which began in the late 1990s, has moved through multiple stages and continues to claim tens of thousands of lives each year. Health care providers have sought to establish programs to help deal with the crisis, with Acadia Healthcare offering an example of how designated treatment centres can help. 

 Acadia Healthcare’s affiliated Comprehensive Treatment Centers furnish medication-assisted treatment and personalized therapeutic interventions for adults who struggle with opioid addiction. The nationwide network of affiliated CTC facilities from Acadia Healthcare, the nation’s largest stand-alone behavioural health company, cares for approximately 80,000 people every day. 

 Acadia Healthcare CEO Chris Hunter said recently after the opening of CTCs in North Carolina that “the combination of medication-assisted treatment with behavioural therapy and other support services provided at these and other CTC locations can change the course of people’s lives.” 

 The Acadia Healthcare’s network of affiliated CTCs dispense a needed service as communities continue to face a crisis that claimed 81,806 lives in 2022, a significant increase over the 49,860 deaths in 2019, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. These numbers include deaths from prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl).  

The three waves of the opioid crisis  

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains the opioid crisis as occurring in three distinct waves. The first began in the late 1990s with the over prescription of opioid painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone, leading to widespread addiction to prescription opioids. By the early 2000s, opioid overdose deaths had almost quadrupled.  

 The second wave of the crisis, from about 2010–2017, involved a spike in heroin overdose deaths. The potency of heroin, often laced with synthetic opioids like fentanyl, contributed to this dramatic increase. 

 Fentanyl has driven the third wave of the epidemic, which began around 2013. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration initially approved fentanyl to treat severe pain related to surgery or complex pain conditions. Now, it’s made and sold illegally. People often unknowingly consume fentanyl and other synthetic opioids when they’re mixed with other drugs, such as heroin and counterfeit pills.  

Despite public health efforts over the years, opioid-related deaths remain alarmingly high. In 2022, about 76% of the almost 108,000 drug overdose deaths involved an opioid. 

CTCs offer a combination of medication-assisted treatment and counselling 

Against this backdrop, public officials and health care leaders have sought new ways to combat the opioid crisis. CTC facilities within Acadia Healthcare’s network focus on the recovery aspect of the crisis. These facilities operate as subsidiaries of Acadia Healthcare Company and are owned, operated, or managed independently from the holding company.  

The goal of CTCs is to offer safe, proven treatments that allow people to live without being governed by the compulsion to use illicit opioids. CTC services offer support for people going through a challenging experience that can, without treatment, quickly cause their lives to fall apart. 

CTCs work with patients with addictions to a wide variety of opioids, including heroin, morphine, oxycontin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, Vicodin, and fentanyl. Acadia Healthcare’s network of CTCs are in 170 locations in 33 states, with more than 3,100 employees and contractors working within the program. 

 CTCs offer medication-assisted treatment that includes the use of methadone, suboxone, buprenorphine, and vivitrol. MAT provides patients with relief from the physical and psychological distress that occurs during withdrawal from opioids. MAT also can help reduce cravings for opioids, improve treatment retention, and minimize the risk of recurrence. 

“Medication-assisted treatment is a whole-person approach to opioid addiction recovery,” according to Acadia Healthcare. “This means that it is designed to help people address the physical, emotional, and social aspects of their recovery journey at the same time, providing a well-rounded treatment experience.” 

The affiliated clinics that operate as part of Acadia Healthcare’s network also offer individual treatment plans for each patient that include behavioural therapies such as individual or group therapy. CTC treatment balances MAT with care from doctors and nurses, behavioural health counsellors, and case coordination services. 

Hunter spoke about the effectiveness of CTCs when Acadia Healthcare recently acquired three opioid treatment clinics in South Carolina that will become the first Acadia Healthcare CTCs in the state.  

“South Carolina is an underserved market with clear, unmet treatment demand for those suffering from opioid use disorder,” he said. “We are proud to help address the needs of the patients, families, and communities who will benefit from individualized, high-touch support. These three clinics have excellent reputations in creating positive outcomes for patients through the combination of medication-assisted treatment and clinical services.” 

Acadia healthcare focuses on overcoming shame  

One of the issues that Acadia emphasizes is overcoming any shame associated with opioid addiction. This can be a significant barrier that keeps many of those who have an opioid addiction from seeking help. The stigma surrounding addiction, often seen as a moral failing rather than a medical condition, can lead to feelings of guilt, embarrassment, and fear of judgement.  

A recent study found that shame plays a powerful role in preventing people from reaching out for help. This stigma is especially prevalent in communities where addiction is less understood as a medical condition. The reluctance to seek help is further compounded by the misconception that addiction can simply be overcome through willpower, which undermines the fact that opioid addiction is a complex, chronic disease.  

Study researchers called for “expanded efforts” to mitigate the effects of these negative emotions on people attempting to recover from substance use disorder. Acadia Healthcare takes this approach.   

“Remember, there is no shame in seeking treatment when it means improving one’s quality of life,” Acadia Healthcare reminds people on its website, adding that treatment offered in the company’s network of CTCs “can be the solution that you or an important person in your life has been searching for.”

Samantha Green, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.