How Substance Abuse Is Handled in Florida – WhiteSands Tampa Setting an Example to Other Rehab Centres

Reading Time: 4 minutes

When discussing Florida, most people only think of beaches with white sand, sunshine, clear, blue water, and Disney World. But for many others, it’s about substance addiction and their treatment options. For example, most people often think rehab centres in Florida are all about a gloomy hospital setting, with over 100 patients trying to escape the jail-like atmosphere. But those in the know are aware that it is not the case. Instead, many rehab centres follow an innovative method to bring peace and comfort to their recovering patients, while many others are in dire need of change.

These rehab centres generally follow the Florida Model for addiction treatment. It is an approach to substance abuse treatment that originated in the 1980s at a drug and alcohol rehab centre in Florida. It combines all the elements of the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), therapeutic interventions, and a prime focus on holistic wellness.

This model is followed by most treatment centres like WhiteSands Treatment Center under ‘sober living’ programs that emphasize long-term residential treatment, between 60–90 days, followed by intensive outpatient care and participation in different self-help groups. It also incorporates therapeutic modalities like group, behavioural, art, and other experimental therapies.

One of the key features of this model is that it emphasizes providing individualized, holistic care, addressing the patients’ spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. In addition, it strongly emphasizes personal responsibility, accountability, and self-improvement services.

Alcohol and drug abuse treatment in Florida

Substance abuse treatment in Florida typically involves a range of interventions and services, depending on the individual’s needs and level of addiction. Here are some of the common approaches used in Florida addiction treatment centres:

Detoxification. Many addiction treatment programmes in Florida offer medical detoxification to help individuals safely withdraw from drugs or alcohol. This process is typically monitored by medical professionals who can provide medication to ease withdrawal symptoms and prevent complications.
Inpatient treatment. Florida’s inpatient or residential treatment programs provide intensive, round-the-clock care in a supportive, structured environment. These programmes typically offer a combination of individual and group therapy, behavioural therapies, and other services to help individuals achieve and maintain sobriety.
Outpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment programmes in Florida provide therapy and other services on an outpatient basis, allowing individuals to live at home while receiving treatment. These programs can vary in intensity and may include individual and group therapy, behavioural therapies, and other support services.
Medically assisted treatment (MAT). Some addiction treatment programmes in Florida use medications to ease withdrawal symptoms and substance cravings. In addition, MAT may be used in combination with therapy and other services to support recovery.
Support groups. Support groups such as AA and NA are widely available in Florida and can provide ongoing support and encouragement for individuals in recovery. These programmes are followed by most rehab centres in Florida, which can be uncomfortable for many because they have no access to basic amenities like phones, computers, or any means of communication with family or loved ones, as opposed to sober living programmes.

Sober living programmes in WhiteSands and why you should consider it

Sober living homes, also called halfway houses, are a part of the Florida Model. These homes are group residences designed for people recovering from substance use, disorders, and other barriers. These homes provide a supportive and structured way to live while transitioning from inpatient to intensive outpatient treatment before the patient enters independent living facilities.

Many addiction treatment centres today believe their job is to get the patient unhooked from their substance addiction. However, very few centres like WhiteSands Alcohol & Drug Rehab in Tampa take a personal interest in helping them in a safe transition to independent living and preventing relapse.

The experts at WhiteSands believe that relapse is the primary reason for concern after the rehab program. Exposure to triggering substances can pull them back into their old habits. Hence, by becoming a member of the sober living community, the patients will have a chance to return to routine life and have constant support from known faces at the treatment centre.

Benefits of the programme offered by Tampa

The benefits of this programme offered by Tampa include the following:

Safe and supportive environment. These half-houses provide a supportive environment to encourage recovering patients to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
Peer support. The residents of these shared homes are also under-recovery, and hence they can support each other in the process.
Accountability. Since residents will start transitioning back to their normal lives, they hold accountable for their actions, hence helping them in early recovery.
Skill development. Counselling, job training, and other skill development sessions are a part of this program
Reduced risk of relapse. The primary goal of sober living programs is to reduce the risk of relapse and provide a safe environment for individual living.

WhiteSands’ sober living programme is an example of other treatment centres because they emphasise substance-free and supportive environments. The transitioning patients live in shared houses with others under recovery under strict guidelines and rules.

Takeaway

While the basic treatment program incorporated by most addiction treatment centres in Florida serves to keep patients away from substance addiction, not all these processes are comfortable. Most of them feel like a jail. Hence, it is essential to consider treatment centres like WhiteSands, whose primary aim is to make the patients comfortable while unhooking them from substance addiction.

Introducing sober homes is a great way to incorporate comfort and accountability in a recovering patient, which many treatment centres can incorporate in Florida.

However, it is essential to note that not all addiction treatment approaches work for everyone. Finding the right treatment program for your needs and circumstances is essential for lasting recovery.

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