Detox Centers in Massachusetts

Services offered in drug and alcohol detox centers in Massachusetts

The services you will find in a detox program are dependent on each patient. It will be determined by what they have become addicted to and how far down that rabbit hole they have fallen. It will vary based on the physical and mental health of the person in need, and may even by impacted by the environment they are living in and the presences of supportive people that are prepared to assist them.

Regardless of the specifics, there are a few things that will be common. First, treatment at drug and alcohol rehabs in Massachusetts is most often medication-assisted, meaning there are drugs like Methadone, Suboxone, Subutex and Vivitrol. These will be prescribed in the proper dosage each patient requires and administer in either an out-patient clinic or an inpatient setting that is focused on drug or alcohol rehab.

There are also programs, though far less common, that use counselling, constant monitoring and peer support to complete the detox process. For those that haven’t gone too far down the addiction trail, it is argued that this is more effective since it doesn’t trade one drug for another. However, this is a more painful path to detox so patients and their loved ones need to take that into consideration and be prepared to take the rough road to recovery.

Suboxone vs Methadone-assisted detox in Massachusetts

First, both of these drugs are opioids, so using them in an alcohol or drug detox program has always been a bit questionable for some people. They argue that this form of treatment, with either of these medications, really just swaps one addiction for another. To start with, when used properly in a clinical setting, this simply does not happen.

The real difference between the two is that Methadone can be used both for treating chronic pain and to support an effective detox plan. Suboxone, generically known as buprenorphine-naloxone, is only approved for the medically-assisted treatment of addiction.

Access to methadone is highly restricted so you will need a doctor to point patients to clinics and pharmacies where a prescription for this drug can be filled and administered. Suboxone is still Class III substance, but this can be taken at home. It still requires a prescription of course, but it does not require the same supervision when it’s taken.

Cost of alcohol and drug detox in Massachusetts

The expense of detox varies greatly. It can go anywhere from zero to more than $400 per month, depending and the nature of the program selected and the medications that will be prescribed. These costs cover the medications alone. It does not include the cost on inpatient care where there is room and board plus rehab treatments to be covered.

In an inpatient setting, there may still be some free or drastically discounted services available but these are few and far between. In Massachusetts, patients should expect a realistic cost that averages $4,000 per month and a program that will run for at least 3 months. This is the minimum recommended for a reasonable treatment outcome that will last.

In detox centers that are accredited by organizations like CARF, insurance may help offset a significant percentage of the detox/rehab program costs. For those without private insurance, these centers are also normally eligible for Medicare coverage.

Inpatient vs outpatient drug and alcohol detox in Massachusetts

An inpatient program that lasts for at least 90 days and is followed by an additional 9 month of out-patient care is proven to be the most successful path to full detox and long-term recovery. That doesn’t mean that out-patient programs don’t work. They do. It is just that the path to a complete recovery is easier when the patient is fully immersed in the detox/ rehab process for that first 3 months.

Out-patient programs require a stronger commitment from the patient, and the help of peers, family, and friends, to keep these patients on the right track. When these elements are in place, there is no reason why an out-patient approach to detox in the state of Massachusetts won’t deliver an effective outcome.