- There are approximately 20 million adults in the United States who live with a substance use disorder. About 4.2 million get help in a given year.
- Telehealth treatment has been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Patients who are living with addictions of all kinds can access recovery treatment and counseling from the privacy of their own home.
The global pandemic has meant a major shift in medical care with more physicians and patients turning to telemedicine for treatment of non-urgent conditions.
In the last 18 months, telemedicine has been used for much more than simple check-ins with the primary care physician, it’s now being used to help with addiction treatment via virtual rehabs.
When you hear the term “rehab,” you may picture clinics where people with addiction go to remove themselves from triggers and focus their energy on 24/7 care and recovery.
But with the rise of telemedicine has come the introduction of telehealth centers that focus specifically on addiction.
With virtual rehabs, patients who live with addiction dial into secure platforms to access their treatment, therapists, group sessions, and other types of recovery treatment — all from the comfort of their own homes.
An estimated 20 million people over age 12 in the United States have a substance use disorder, according to a 2019 survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. About 4.2 million people get help in a given year.
“Teletherapy, telehealth, and other methods of providing addiction treatment via virtual means have been very successful, and much of the efficacy of this method was highlighted during the pandemic,” explained Dr. Lawrence Weinstein, chief medical officer at American Addiction Centers.
“Treatment in a virtual manner, as expected when factors of time and distance are eliminated, increases the reach and availability of addiction services to those who may face challenges in accessing them — like those who reside in rural areas, which have increasing rates of methamphetamine, opioid, and alcohol addiction.”
For many people living with addiction, working through substance use disorders virtually can be a welcome change of pace compared with other types of intensive, in-person treatment.
However, other people may ask: Can a virtual rehab really work, and what exactly does it involve?
Source: healthline