Lortab Rehab: Inpatient vs Outpatient vs PHP

What is Lortab?

There is a lot of national attention focused on the opioid epidemic in the U.S., which kills tens of thousands of people every year. “Drug addiction and opioid abuse are ravaging America. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their lives to drug abuse,” according to the White House. Lortab is one such prescription opioid, and it’s combined with acetaminophen. The opioid component of Lortab is hydrocodone. This is the same combination found in drugs like Norco and Vicodin.

Lortab is a prescription drug that’s intended to be given to patients in cases of moderate to severe pain. Unfortunately, it’s also a drug of abuse. Opioids like Lortab are considered very addictive, and when someone is addicted to any opioid, they likely need treatment at a rehab facility.

What Is Lortab Rehab?

The term rehab is extremely broad, and the steps to treat an addiction to any opioid – like Lortab – usually follow a long-term continuum. The general goal of any rehab program, whether for Lortab or another substance, is to help people stop compulsively using the substance. A rehab program should also help participants prepare to live a healthy and productive life. The general steps of a Lortab rehab program might first include a detox, followed by therapy, and then what’s called resocialization or relapse prevention.

The Different Forms Of Treatment

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug treatment is intended to help people stop using drugs, and it can take place in many different forms, and also last for varying lengths of time. The National Institute on Drug Abuse characterizes addiction as a chronic disorder with occasional relapses. Because of the chronic nature of addiction, for most people treatment is a long-term process that requires interventions, monitoring, and follow-up.

A Lortab rehab facility might offer:

• Supervised medical detox
• Inpatient rehab
• Partial hospitalization
• Outpatient rehab
• Long-term treatment centers

Specific Approaches to Addiction Treatment

Regardless of the type of addiction treatment facility someone goes to for addiction to Lortab, there are two general, broad categories that treatment may fall into. The first is medication-assisted treatment or MAT, and the second is behavioral therapy. All rehab centers are going to offer some form of behavioral therapy, although the modality and the specifics of the behavioral therapy can depend on the individual’s treatment plan, as well as the facility itself.

Behavioral Therapy & Its Benefits

Behavioral therapy should help people recognize their unhealthy behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes, and also learn how to change them. Behavioral therapy can also help people learn how to manage stress and drug cravings, interact with loved ones, and improve their communication.

A Lortab rehab center will probably have therapy sessions occur in both group and individual settings. Group therapy helps promote a sense of social reinforcement, support, and accountability. Individual therapy can help people deal with their history and any trauma that may have occurred in their life.

Incorporating Substitute Medications

With opioids like Lortab, some treatment plans may incorporate certain medications. Methadone and buprenorphine are just two examples of medications that can be used to help treat opioid addiction and dependence. These drugs are replacement medicines for other opioids.

Not all rehab centers use this type of medication, however. These medicines may end up becoming something a person is dependent on as well, and they don’t treat the underlying causes and symptoms of addiction.

Is Lortab Rehab Effective?

Many people wonder how effective rehab is. The outcomes a patient experiences can depend on certain factors including:

• How individualized the treatment plan is
• The quality of care provided
• The resolve of the individual to complete treatment
• The intensity level of treatment
• How engaged someone is in rehab
• Whether or not a person stays in treatment for long enough

When asking the question of whether or not rehab is effective for addiction to Lortab, it’s important to understand the nature of addiction. Since addiction is characterized as a chronic disorder, it can be treated and managed, but not necessarily cured. Rehab isn’t something a person can go to and suddenly be cured of their addiction. However, treatment does help empower people to regain a sense of control over their thoughts, their behaviors, and their lives. If relapse occurs, it’s not considered a treatment failure. It’s considered part of an ongoing process, and the approach to treatment may need to be modified as a result.

The Opioid Rehab Process

While everyone is going to have a different treatment plan, there are some steps that are often followed during opioid rehab, including for someone with a Lortab addiction.

A rehab plan may look like the following:

• Following a diagnosis of an addiction disorder, a person may begin a medical detox if it’s needed. During medical detox, which is typically considered the highest level of care, a patient is supervised and medically monitored. Medical detox can ensure a person is as safe and comfortable as possible as Lortab leaves their system. While detox is often necessary before treating a Lortab addiction, it’s not in and of itself an addiction treatment. Most rehab centers do offer medical detox onsite.
• Following a full detox, the team at a rehab facility puts together an individualized treatment plan for the patient. This plan can change and evolve over time, as the needs of the patient change.
• Most people with an opioid addiction begin treatment with inpatient rehab. Inpatient rehab can last for around 30 days, although some programs can be longer. During this time, the patient lives in the treatment facility and receives intensive therapy, support, and general treatment.
• If someone has a co-occurring mental health disorder, this can be addressed in dual diagnosis treatment.
• Once someone completes acute inpatient rehab, they might then move into day treatment (also called partial hospitalization), or outpatient rehab. The next step depends on the person, the severity of their addiction, and the progress they have made.
• Treatment also includes aftercare planning, relapse prevention strategies, and long-term follow-up.
• Many people continue to maintain their recovery by participating in support groups after rehab, such as a 12-step program.

To learn more about Lortab rehab facilities, and the treatment options available if you’re struggling with opioid addiction, contact Amethyst Recovery.

What Is Inpatient Rehab?

Opioids are powerful drugs, and when you’re addicted to something like Lortab you may require professional addiction treatment. One broad category of treatment is called inpatient residential treatment. Inpatient rehab for Lortab or any drug requires a patient to check-in to a treatment facility. This means they do have to leave their home environment and their job during treatment.

A Few Steps

Most inpatient rehab programs will start with medical detox. During that time, patients receive around-the-clock medical care as the Lortab leaves their system. To start addiction treatment, a patient needs to have no drugs in their system. Then, once a detox program is completed the patient can begin the actual treatment phase. Detox is not itself a treatment for addiction, although it’s necessary.

While the concept of all Lortab inpatient rehabs is similar in that patients stay the night, there are many differences between various programs. Lortab residential programs can vary from one another based on location, the type of facility and amenities offered, the staff, and the overall approach to therapy.

What Should You Expect with Inpatient Treatment?

People tend to have many questions about inpatient residential drug treatment. One of the top questions is how long does inpatient rehab last. It depends on the facility and the individual’s treatment plan.

Most inpatient rehab stays are around 30 days. However, some maybe 60 or 90 days. There are also long-term residential rehab communities.

How is the duration of an inpatient rehab program determined? Considerations include:

• How severe is the patient’s Lortab addiction?
• How long has the individual been using Lortab?
• Is the patient dependent or addicted to any other drugs aside from Lortab or opioids?
• Are there co-occurring mental health conditions?
• Has the person already been through a rehab program in the past, and ultimately relapsed?
• Are there any physical health concerns need to be addressed?

Some of the things that may be offered by a residential rehab for Lortab addiction include:

• Group and individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Family support programs
• Supplemental therapies such as yoga or medication
• An introduction to 12-step programs
• Healthy, balanced meals
• Medication management for mental or physical health conditions
• Vocational training and support

How to Choose a Residential Treatment Facility

When someone is struggling with an addiction to Lortab, there are many rehab options available to them. Choosing the right fit is an important component of successful outcomes, but it can also be challenging. Some of the criteria to keep in mind when selecting an inpatient rehab program include:

Types of Therapy

There are different approaches to therapy that are used during addiction treatment programs. Not all types of therapy are going to work for all people. When choosing an inpatient rehab, consider the specifics of therapy. There is likely going to be a combination of group and individual counseling. Are there also non-traditional therapies or holistic treatment? Is family therapy a part of the treatment offered? Some residential rehabs have specialized programs, such as religious-based treatment, or treatment geared toward specific groups of people.

Types of Addiction

Opioids are a unique type of drug. Lortab isn’t an illicit street drug—it’s a prescription drug used to treat pain. This is something to consider when choosing an inpatient rehab center.

Does the center have experience treating opioid addiction? Is there an understanding of some of the factors that can surround a prescription drug addiction such as chronic pain?

Credentials and Licensing

Addiction is a chronic disorder, and it requires expert, evidence-based treatment. Consider the licensing and accreditation of the treatment center you or your loved one might attend. Look at not only these elements for the whole treatment center, but also for specific practitioners and staff.

How Are Costs and Payments Handled?

An inpatient, residential rehab center is going to be the most expensive type of treatment for addiction, although it also tends to lead to the most favorable outcomes.

Speak with the rehab center and see what the expected costs will be, as well as what payment options are. Many rehab centers accept private insurance, and there may also be in-house financing and other ways to make treatment more affordable.

Aftercare

There is a misconception that once someone goes to inpatient rehab for Lortab addiction, they’re done when they leave the facility. Since addiction is a chronic disease, treatment needs to be continual and ongoing in most cases. Speak with the rehab facility and see how they handle aftercare planning and long-term follow-up.

The Advantages of Residential Treatment for Lortab Addiction

Some of the many advantages of beginning addiction treatment with a stay in a residential facility include:

• Research shows outcomes are best when addiction is treated on an inpatient basis first
• A residential treatment program offers a supportive environment both from the staff and other patients
• When someone checks into a residential facility, they are constantly monitored
• Staying in a residential facility offers the opportunity for comprehensive care and treatment
• There are fewer opportunities to relapse during a stay in an inpatient facility
• You’re removed from your day-to-day environment, taking you away from stress and triggers

Long-Term Residential Rehab

While most people will stay in inpatient rehab for around a month, there are long-term residential rehabs also. Someone with a very severe or ongoing Lortab addiction may opt for long-term residential treatment, especially if they’ve relapsed after participating in other treatment programs.

Long-term rehab would include 24/7 care and support. The goal of a long-term rehab program is to help make enduring changes in a person’s behavior as well as helping them stop using Lortab and remain drug-free.

With a longer-term residential program, the brain has a chance to truly heal, and there are more opportunities to reinforce positive behaviors over time.

What Is PHP?

Lortab affects the opioid receptor sites and triggers a reward response in the brain. Once someone becomes addicted to an opioid-like Lortab, seeking professional treatment can often be necessary. A Lortab PHP offers elements that are similar to both inpatient and outpatient rehab.

The following are some of the primary features of a Lortab PHP:

• A PHP is usually something patients “step-down” into after first going through inpatient rehab
• Day treatment is intensive, and requires participation all day, most days of the week
• Partial hospitalization allows people to return home in the evenings after treatment ends for the day and establish a sober living routine
• Some people return to a sober living house
• There is a high level of clinical supervision and structure, but personal responsibility and accountability are also introduced in a partial hospitalization program

Services that may be offered in a partial hospitalization program include:

• Psychological evaluations and treatments
• Management of medication
• Group therapy
• Individual therapy and counseling
• Family involvement and family therapy
• Vocational services
• Behavioral therapy

There is often a question of how a partial hospitalization program varies from intensive outpatient treatment. Primarily it’s in the time commitment required with each. A partial hospitalization requires much more time spent in treatment than intensive outpatient rehab.

Partial Hospitalization and the Treatment Process

There are two different options for someone to begin a PHP for Lortab addiction. In one situation, patients might start their treatment journey with a partial hospitalization program. In this scenario, the patient may need a fairly high level of support and supervision, but may not need inpatient rehab for whatever reason.

What’s more common is that someone will participate in a Lortab PHP after they’ve finished a program with a higher level of treatment and care. For most people with an opioid addiction, a PHP is the halfway point between residential rehab and a more flexible outpatient program.

There’s a reason for this approach to opioid addiction.

The Need For Stabilization

Most people who are addicted to Lortab or other opioids need to stabilize during inpatient rehab. They need that high level of supervision offered in residential treatment so they can learn some coping mechanisms and relapse prevention strategies.

Then, once they are ready and they’ve received inpatient treatment, they can gradually work their way into a lower level of care that offers less supervision and more freedom.

Most people benefit from having at least a month of sobriety before they begin day treatment, although everyone is going to be slightly different and have a unique treatment plan.

What Is A Lortab PHP Like?

During a Lortab PHP program, participants are expected to come all day, usually five days a week. Treatment will usually begin first thing in the morning, and participants have to arrange for transportation from their home or sober living facility to the treatment center.

Then, the day might start with a group counseling session. Following that, participants may have various therapy sessions to build skills, or to address specific areas of concern. There may also be drug education courses.

Lunch may be served, and in the afternoon, patients may have more counseling sessions, or they may have supplemental therapy sessions they can participate in. Once the treatment day ends, participants then need to have transportation back home or their sober living house.

The day that someone spends in a partial hospitalization program is very structured, and people are expected to be on time for all of their commitments. If someone isn’t ready for that level of responsibility yet, a PHP might not be the right fit for them.

What Types of Therapy Are Used in a PHP?

The focus of a PHP is still on intensive individual and group therapy, and in this way, it’s similar to inpatient rehab for a Lortab addiction.

Some of the possible types of therapy that could be used in a partial hospitalization program might include:

Individual Therapy

During individual therapy, which most PHP patients will participate in at least once a week – but usually, much more – there is in-depth work done with a therapist. During this time, the patient can address things that are specific to their life that may have contributed to their addiction. Individual therapy is something a person can continue once they leave addiction treatment as part of maintaining a drug-free lifestyle.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a huge component of a PHP. Group therapy often follows 12-step programs like Narcotics Anonymous. Then, once someone completes treatment, they are more comfortable continuing into a local 12-step program.

Some of the areas that group therapy might focus on include not only working the 12 steps, but also communication, dealing with triggers and drug cravings, resolving conflicts, and how to deal with stress and emotion.

Family Therapy

When someone is struggling with opioid addiction, they aren’t the only ones that are affected. Families and loved ones are significantly affected by addiction. Families can also play an integral role in supporting their loved ones when they complete treatment. With these concepts in mind, many partial hospitalization programs will integrate family therapy as part of treatment.

Treatment For Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders

When someone is addicted to Lortab, they may also have another mental health disorder. Addiction often co-occurs with conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or similar mental health conditions. One of the many advantages of a PHP is that there is the opportunity to treat co-occurring mental health disorders and improve overall treatment outcomes for the patient. The idea is that providing psychiatric treatment along with addiction treatment can reduce relapse rates, and promote long-term abstinence from Lortab and other substances.

What Is Outpatient Rehab?

Outpatient rehab can be used to treat an addiction to prescription drugs like Lortab, as well as illegal street drugs or alcohol. With outpatient rehab, sessions are scheduled at different times throughout the week. Outpatient rehab, as an example, may require an hour a day, three days a week. The person participating in the rehab program is responsible for getting their own transportation to sessions. During outpatient rehab, participants can continue going to their job or school as they would normally. They live at home, and they can stay with their families. With outpatient Lortab rehab, patients continue living essentially as they would otherwise, but treatment is scheduled into their day as well. Some people with an addiction to opioids might begin with outpatient rehab. What’s more common, however, is that patients will start with intensive inpatient treatment. Then, once the treatment team feels a patient is ready, they can move from an inpatient program to outpatient rehab.

Are There Different Types of Outpatient Rehab?

Within the larger category of outpatient rehab, individuals who are struggling with Lortab will find that there are specific types of outpatient addiction treatment.

These include:

Day Treatment

Day treatment is also called partial hospitalization or a PHP. Day treatment isn’t always categorized as outpatient rehab because of the required time commitment, and the intensity of treatment, but it is technically completed on an outpatient basis. When someone participates in day treatment, they go all day, most days of the week. A day treatment program can take up as much of a person’s week as a full-time job would. This prevents people from continuing to go to school or work during the time they’re in a day treatment program. Once treatment ends each day, patients in a PHP can return home. Some patients return to a sober living house. The patient is responsible for getting transportation, and there is usually a combination of group and individual therapy. Day treatment can work well if someone requires clinical monitoring and treatment, such as medication management for a psychiatric disorder.

Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)

Intensive outpatient programs are more rigorous than a traditional outpatient program but are a lower level of care than inpatient rehab or a PHP. An intensive outpatient program is usually done either when someone has a fairly mild addiction, or they have already done residential treatment. Intensive outpatient rehab will usually have milestones set forth by the treatment team, and the participant is expected to meet these over time. As the individual meets the milestones, they can reduce the amount of time they have to dedicate to the IOP program. A typical time commitment for an IOP might be several hours a week divided over several days.

Support and Recovery Programs

Support and recovery programs can be considered a form of outpatient rehab as well. An example is Narcotics Anonymous, which is a well-known, long-standing 12-step program. If someone has a Lortab addiction, they might begin with formal rehab and then upon returning home, participate in a 12-step program over the long-term. Many inpatient Lortab rehabs and outpatient programs introduce the 12 steps to patients, to get them comfortable with this format.

The Advantages of Lortab Outpatient Rehab

When someone is addicted to Lortab, seeking any form of treatment is going to be better than doing nothing at all about the issue. Some of the benefits of an outpatient Lortab program include:

• Participants can continue living with their family or loved ones
• There is no need to travel out-of-state for treatment
• Outpatient rehab is less expensive than most inpatient programs
• Participants can keep up with their daily responsibilities, such as work
• Outpatient rehab is flexible and most treatment plans can be built around the schedule of the participant

Of course, there are disadvantages to outpatient rehab as well, particularly if this is a starting point for treatment.

There isn’t supervision, and there isn’t that sense of structure that comes with an inpatient program. For some people, the level of care offered with outpatient rehab isn’t enough to treat their Lortab addiction. This is especially true of people with severe, long-term addictions.

Who Should Consider Outpatient Lortab Rehab?

Some groups of people who could be a good fit for an outpatient Lortab program include:

• Someone who’s already completed a higher level of care such as inpatient rehab
• A person who doesn’t require medical detox
• An individual with a mild, short-term addiction
• Someone who is only addicted to Lortab and no other substances
• A person who hasn’t previously tried other treatment options
• Someone with a strong support system at home

Along with outpatient addiction treatment, there are also some outpatient detox programs. An outpatient detox program might be a good fit for someone who has mild or even moderate symptoms of opioid withdrawal. However, anyone with complicating mental or physical health conditions should probably consider an inpatient medical detox.

Seeking Outpatient Rehab

Lortab is a powerful opioid drug, and unfortunately, along with addiction, this class of drugs often leads to fatal situations. There are treatment options that can work for someone who is addicted to Lortab, and finding the right fit is key for better outcomes.

Whether you believe you should start with outpatient rehab, or you’d like to learn more about a continuum of care, contact Amethyst Recovery. We can help you explore your options for Lortab addiction treatment, and determine as to what could be best for your long-term success.