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Residential Treatment for Mental Health, Medication Dependence, SUD

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Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by Dr Samuel Lee MD
Alternative to Meds Center’s residential treatment program is a place of respite and recovery for individuals who are struggling with mental health symptoms, substance abuse problems, and the symptoms and adverse effects of medications.

Our residential treatment helps individuals who are struggling to achieve confidence, well-being, and reduced dependence on medications, alcohol, or other drugs.

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What Is Residential Treatment for Mental Health?

Residential mental health treatment, addiction treatment, and recovery from medication dependence are all available here at ATMC. Life is full of challenges, but for many — particularly those who have been prescribed pharmaceutical medications — these challenges can become overwhelming. Financial stress, a lack of resources, the inaccessibility of quality support, and especially toxin overload from environmental and medication-related chemicals can all impact a person’s mental health.1 In desperation for relief, self-medication and still more pharmaceuticals are the answer many people reach for, but this can, unfortunately, lead to issues with substance use disorders.

“The overall treatment completion rate was highest among clients discharged from residential treatment (70 percent), detoxification (67 percent), and short-term residential treatment (59 percent). Treatment completion rates were lower in long term and/or less-structured settings, such as outpatient treatment (40 percent).” 2

Our Mission

One of the main focuses at Alternative to Meds Center is to discover and correct the root causes of the mental and physical health symptoms that may have triggered substance misuse. When the underlying causes of symptoms are properly handled, the symptoms can be relieved or eliminated. From that point forward, self-medication and bottles of prescription medications are no longer necessary. That is why we focus on our main mission — which is discovering and addressing these underlying contributors, that may have been overlooked in the past.

Why Choose Residential Treatment at Alternative to Meds Center?

Our residential treatment protocol relies on research-backed, holistic treatments designed to rid your body of the toxins destroying your mental health and provide lasting healing. For that reason, our goal is much more ambitious than simply getting you through a ten-day standard dry-out, then returning you to your life full of toxins, triggers, and temptation. We strive to help you identify the causes of your symptoms via extensive lab testing, rid your body of the chemical overload causing many of your mental health symptoms, then provide you with a support network, holistic therapies, and recovery tools that can be applied as you move forward in your journey.

In short, we want you to physically heal from substance misuse and prescription medication toxicity, mentally heal from the symptoms they have caused, and apply these techniques to prevent their return in the future. Addressing both your physical and mental health provides the best chance for long-term recovery.

Benefits of Restoring Mental Health Naturally

benefits of restoring mental health naturallyIf you are one of the over 40 million people in the US who are struggling with mental health issues including substance use disorder, inpatient treatment can be life-saving. Are you looking for the best option for eliminating your use of these toxic substances, improving mental wellness, and reaching long-term recovery? 3

Treatment at Alternative to Meds Center provides mental health support, educational tools, and a wealth of therapies designed to address these areas. We know that when you eliminate toxins and improve nutritional health, the outcome is always positive.

Our inpatient programs additionally provide a comprehensive set of tools for restoring natural mental health, thinking more clearly, engaging with others, addressing stress or triggers head-on, improving energy and quality of sleep, and much more.

Comparing Inpatient (Residential Treatment) and Outpatient Care

Treatment programs are diverse, both in levels of intensity and in the therapies they offer. The least intensive programs may be ideal for someone who has already completed intensive treatment and simply needs ongoing support to maintain their sobriety or mental health. For example, a less-intensive outpatient treatment option may enable a person to maintain most aspects of their day-to-day life, including going to work or school and attending various therapies in the evening. Unlike this type of treatment, residential treatment is considered one of the most intensive levels of care.

Residential addiction recovery at our beautiful Sedona inpatient center is part of our comprehensive treatment plan. Holistic detox is not just a period of cessation. Treatment at our residential center provides you with a safe environment that allows you to take a step back from the demands of your daily life. This enables you to immerse yourself in the healing process and address the tangible and mental toxins that have caused your dependence on drugs, alcohol, or medications. Our inpatient facility provides a variety of holistic treatments, therapies, and support for individuals in all stages of the healing journey. When you choose Sedona addiction recovery treatment at Alternative to Meds Center, you opt to reside full-time at our Sedona residential medication withdrawal and recovery center. This environment provides daily support via detoxification therapies, group and individual counseling, holistic adjunctive therapies, nutrition, and more. When you arrive at the center to begin your residence, you will meet with specialized doctors, therapists, and mental health experts to create a treatment plan that fits your needs and goals.

Staff is Available 24/7

While at Alternative to Meds Center, the staff is available 24/7 to ensure you have the support you need when you need it. From medically supervised residential medication detox and counseling to nutrition services, you will not need to face withdrawals, detoxification, and sobriety alone. Just as important, however, is your ability to remain comfortable throughout your treatment. Our complete range of therapies and our luxury setting ensure you will feel at home throughout your stay.

Residential Treatment at ATMC

We can help you achieve balance by investigating why you are experiencing symptoms and addressing these causes with qualified professionals. The goal is to guide you through the entire process of formulating new habits and making positive lifestyle changes. We realize that many individuals experience substance abuse or addiction in tandem with mental health conditions and that the addiction is often an attempt to self-medicate.

Our residential mental healthcare center offers mental health services for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, substance abuse problems, and medication withdrawal that include in-depth counseling, pain relief, detoxification, and stabilization of the neurochemistry. To further inspire healing from the damage wreaked by pharmaceutical and illicit toxins, we also offer a wide variety of therapeutic and spa services. Our services are delivered in a comfortable alternative to a hospital setting.

Components of Residential Treatment at Alternative to Meds Center

Each residential addiction recovery program is customized based on the biochemical, medical, and psychological needs of the individual. Thus, residential treatment enables you to have greater control over your comprehensive treatment plan. When you choose our center for treatment, you’ll have access to various treatment options, all designed to help you heal.

The following are examples of program components, with an expanded description below:
  • Lab testing
  • Medication tapering
  • Holistic pain management
  • Psychotherapy
  • Adjunctive physical therapies
  • Creative adjunctive therapies
  • On-going holistic detox and spa therapies

Lab Testing

It is essential for our practitioners to know precisely which toxins, chemical balance issues, and physical or mental health conditions you are experiencing. For example, what is perceived as a mental health condition like anxiety or depression may be triggered by the presence of one or more neurotoxins or even exacerbated by the medications you are taking to address your symptoms. That’s why extensive lab testing is so important to your treatment at Alternative to Meds Center.

We almost always find that the symptoms you have been addressing with pharmaceutical or recreational substances can be better addressed by more holistic practices. For example, environmental medicine is focused on addressing your surroundings to limit or eliminate your exposure to toxins, while orthomolecular medicine is focused on creating balance within the body and brain by addressing the natural vitamins and minerals you need. Together with our full slate of detoxification and therapeutic practices, lab testing can help us identify the source of your symptoms and address them without increasing your chemical load.

Medication Tapering

An important step to returning you to a life free from addictive, toxic, substances is ceasing their use safely. Unfortunately, most illicit drugs — and many pharmaceutical medications — can create severe withdrawal if use is ceased abruptly. One of the most important functions of our residential treatment program is to safely taper you away from the medications you have become dependent upon so you can approach healing without their influence over your body and mind.

When medications are being reduced in a safe, comfortable, supportive setting under observation by skilled professionals, you can begin to implement other methods of restoring balance and healing alongside the tapering program. We recommend strategies like neurotransmitter repair and neurotoxin removal to occur as you cease the use of psychiatric medications. Then, our other services, like psychotherapy, group therapy, holistic and creative therapies, and spa or detox therapies can help you continue your healing.

Holistic Pain Management

For many patients, chronic pain is at the root of pharmaceutical medication and substance use. As tolerance to these substances builds over time, more will be necessary to exert the same effects, increasing the body’s toxin load. Many patients fear the return of pain after tapering from addictive substances. However, it is important to remember that pain medications don’t cure pain, but simply numb it. With the aforementioned lab testing and implementation of research-backed methods like environmental and orthomolecular medicine, as well as our other therapies, you can manage your pain at Alternative to Meds Center using a wide range of holistic treatments under the expert care of licensed and caring practitioners.

Psychotherapy

Also known as counseling or talk therapy, psychotherapy is one of the most common treatments used for addressing mental health disorders, including substance use disorders. Psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, has demonstrated its effectiveness over and over in clinical trials.6 At Alternative to Meds Center, we firmly believe in multiple modalities of psychotherapy for maximum benefits.

At its most basic, psychotherapy at our Sedona residential mental healthcare center involves discussing substance use, mental health, triggers, and more with a mental health professional. In turn, the professional can help the individual make connections between these aspects and provide strategies for relaxation and coping. Therapy may include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and other types of individual therapy as well as group therapy and even family meetings. Psychotherapy is one way of addressing the co-occurring mental health disorders that so often accompany substance use disorders.7

Peer Support Groups

Like psychotherapy, peer support groups are an excellent tool for those in recovery from substance use disorder. Support groups consist of individuals who share similar experiences with addiction and prescription medication toxicity, which can offer valuable insight into the condition. Support groups also offer friendship, education, and resources that can ultimately lead to improved mental health and reduce the risk of relapse.8

Adjunctive Physical Therapies

Mental and physical health have an astounding effect on one another. For example, stress, anxiety, depression, and mental fatigue can result in muscle tension, high blood pressure, tiredness, headaches, and other serious health concerns, which can then lead to substance use.9 Addressing both the physical and mental is the best approach for well-rounded healing.

Yoga is a common physical therapy that is beneficial to people of all levels of physical and mental health. Similarly, Qigong is an ancient form of physical therapy that can be useful no matter where you are in your recovery journey. Equine therapy, in which interaction with horses is used to promote healing, is another way to blend mindfulness, gestalt psychotherapy, and physical interactions with another creature to enhance recovery. These are some examples, and more physical therapies can be explored by visiting our services overview pages.

Creative Adjunctive Therapies

Residential therapy provides an environment that allows you to select from a host of therapeutic options to utilize those which work best for you. For many of our residents, creative therapies provide an outlet for stress relief and anxiety reduction other therapies cannot. This can involve using, writing, art, and other creative endeavors to find a way to freely express your thoughts and emotions.

Ongoing Holistic Detox and Spa Therapy

Our bodies are constantly bombarded with various chemicals and toxins from sources like prescribed medications, toxic drugs and alcohol, household cleaners, air pollution, processed foods, and more. For those struggling with substance use disorders, the levels of toxins in the body are fat-soluble and accumulate, disrupting the body and brain’s ability to maintain balance and leading to a variety of physical and mental health concerns. If lab testing has revealed toxin overload, detox therapy can be used gently, and effectively as part of your treatment at our Sedona residential medication detox center.

Holistic detox therapies like IV and NAD therapy, nebulized glutathione treatment, acupuncture, and colon hydrotherapy can be essential to eliminating bodily toxins. Throughout your treatment, our spa treatment services, including sauna treatment, massage, foot baths, and colon cleanses can all help the body excrete these toxins and provide relief.10

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A Welcoming Social Atmosphere

A residential treatment program removes the distractions and pressures of everyday life, replacing them with a new and positive sense of routine and scheduled, holistic care. When you attend residential treatment, you are committing to focusing on your needs and eliminating the role of harmful substances in your life. welcoming social atmosphereResidential treatment also allows you to safely take the time needed to restore neurochemical and mental balance, which in turn improves the way you see and interact with the larger world around you.

In your current life, you may be feeling isolated by your mental health concerns and alone in your struggle with addictive substances. Residential treatment provides you with comfortable privacy while also encouraging you to interact with others who understand your situation. You may find comfort that many others are facing some of the same obstacles as you. This serves as positive support and that you are not alone on this journey.

Research shows that the best residential treatment options provide both mental health treatment and continuity of care.11  That is what sets our residential detox and addiction treatment center apart from others. We understand that mental health and substance dependency issues are both subject to and contribute to complex chemical interactions. We strive to provide a caring and welcoming environment that supports detoxification from heavy chemical loads, emotional healing, and the tools necessary to continue that healing once you leave our treatment center.

A Day at Alternative to Meds Residential Treatment Center

So, what can you expect when you choose treatment at Alternative to Meds Center? Learn more about how we implement the broad variety of services we offer by imagining yourself at our luxurious treatment center.

In fact, imagine you’ve just arrived at Alternative to Meds Center. You’re excited, anticipating what the day will bring and what to expect. While you are here, you will partake in a very structured schedule that will keep you busy from morning to evening.

Morning Schedule

7 AM: Breakfast

You are gently woken up by our friendly staff and start getting ready for your day. You enjoy a delicious and healthy, organic breakfast consisting of whole foods. Today’s menu: an omelet made to order.

Following breakfast, your day continues by taking part in delivery. Delivery consists of a special supplement and medication protocol (if you are taking medications). Your medical team has carefully tailored a supplement protocol just for you that will evolve and change throughout your stay. You will meet with the naturopathic doctor weekly to review your supplement protocol and make changes to assist you with your medication taper or drug detox.

After delivery, you take part in our community meeting where you review the day’s schedule, review your progress so far, and set goals for yourself. The morning meeting ends with a brief meditation. Feeling nourished, refreshed, and comfortably alert, you are then whisked off to our day treatment center, the Detox Shoppe.

9 AM: The Detox Shoppe (Chelation, Sauna, & Bodywork)

The Detox Shoppe boasts a relaxing and tranquil spa environment. Here, you will take part in our holistic chelation and detoxification programs. First, you take a series of supplements designed to both to pull toxins from your cells as well as replenish essential nutrients and minerals in the body. As you go through the process of pushing toxins out and flooding your cells with nutrients, the balance begins to be restored in your neurochemistry. Typically, symptoms begin to decrease in a very short time.

The program consists of both chelation and a sauna program. (Learn how the sauna program helped one of our graduates.) You begin by exercising before getting in the sauna. Following this, you dry brush your skin, which stimulates the lymphatic system and increases circulation. You then spend up to two hours in the sauna, releasing toxins, and taking breaks every 15 minutes to cool off and hydrate. Our staff will monitor you closely to ensure that you remain hydrated and healthy throughout the experience. many detox therapies sedona drug rehabThere are three different saunas capped at different temperatures that you can choose from, depending on your preference and tolerance.

There are many other adjunctive detoxification therapies in our spa room at the Detox Shoppe. For instance, we offer ionic foot baths, which help to pull toxins through one of the main detoxifying pathways, your feet. Castor oil pack treatments are applied around the area of the liver and kidneys, using an Ayurvedic method of pulling toxins from these detoxifying organs. Clay masks are also available which help to pull toxins from the skin. We also offer remineralization foot baths with Epsom salts and relaxing essential oils and moisturizing facials. Nebulized glutathione is also available, which is beneficial for the respiratory tract. Today, you decide to try a castor oil pack in our relaxing environment where you experience peace and tranquility as your body is detoxifying.

Bodywork is another essential component of the Detox Shoppe experience that you will experience during your time here. Every day that you’re at the Detox Shoppe, you’re able to complete some form of bodywork or acupuncture session. Acupuncture is offered twice weekly, and bodywork treatments are available up to three times per week. You can choose from our bodywork menu of therapeutic massage, Shirodhara (Ayurvedic body therapy), Reiki, spiritual insight healing, B.E.S.T. (Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique), and Aromatherapy.

Afternoon Schedule

1:00 PM: Lunch

You eat an organic, delicious, healthy lunch. Then, you’ll consume your prescribed supplements again and have some time to rest.

2:00 PM: Class

In the afternoon, you’ll take part in a classroom activity. Each day, there is a different activity offered, ranging from yoga, nutritional education, and supplement education, to a special class series from our medical director on mind-body medicine.

Remaining Afternoon: Therapy Sessions & Free Time

Following the afternoon class, you have some free time scheduled. This is also the time in which you may have one of several appointments. For example, individual therapy appointments are made during this time. While you are here, you will meet with your therapist weekly to have individual sessions.

We offer a wide variety of therapeutic techniques such as CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy), EMDR, HeartMath, equine therapy, compassionate-focused therapy, life skills, art therapy, and other options. Colon hydrotherapy is also offered at this time and this is available on a weekly basis to all of our residents.

Evening Schedule

5:30 PM: Dinner

You have dinner at which you gobble down a gluten-free pizza and a hearty salad, or one of many other chef-prepared delightful and nutritious meals on offer.

7:00 PM: Group Therapy

Group therapy begins at 7 PM. We offer a wide variety of group therapy options throughout the week.

In addition to this regular weekly schedule, you will meet with our medical director and nursing team each week to discuss your medication taper if you are tapering, and you and your team will make adjustments to that tape, together. No decisions about patients’ medications are made without your involvement, giving you the opportunity to give your team feedback and have any questions or requests resolved. We consider each patient to be an essential part of their treatment team and collaborate with them on the development and best implementation of their treatment plan.

Additionally, each week, you will meet with your care manager and the clinical director to review all aspects of your treatment program ranging from your individual therapy to outside appointments, to family contact. Again, this is a collaborative approach that allows you to be an empowered, active participant in the decisions regarding your treatment. We pride ourselves on this aspect of the program and it sets us apart from any other treatment center.

Why You May Need Residential Treatment for Drug Cessation

A common question we are often asked is whether a person can safely receive treatment for addiction and mental health disorders at home. Most importantly, we advise patients never to attempt to cease the use of dangerous drugs, alcohol, and prescription medications abruptly. Alcohol and benzodiazepines, in particular, can cause severe withdrawal symptoms when use is ceased abruptly. Similarly, supervised tapering is recommended for prescription opioid medications, street drugs, and even pharmaceutical psychiatric drugs. Attending inpatient treatment is a safe way to eliminate the use of your substance of choice while addressing the resulting chemical swings that can cause mental health symptoms.4,5

Effectively recovering from mental health conditions and substance abuse are the primary benefits of our Sedona residential addiction recovery center. There is no equal substitute for qualified intervention.

Other main advantages of our residential medication detox program include enhanced feelings of self-worth and a newfound sense of purpose and motivation while receiving medical, therapeutic, and holistic support for mental health, personal growth, and sobriety in a luxurious, spa-like setting that allows for maximum comfort.

Alternative to Meds Center:  Sedona Residential Addiction Recovery

At Alternative to Meds Center, our fundamental aims are to investigate and resolve the underlying issues contributing to unwanted symptoms and conditions. And we provide the tools to do so. Our Sedona residential addiction recovery program takes a holistic, natural approach to address both your physical and mental well-being. Our treatment services are carefully crafted to address your unique needs.


References

1. Reuben, A., Manczak, E. M., Cabrera, L. Y., Alegria, M., Bucher, M. L., Freeman, E. C., Miller, G. W., Solomon, G. M., & Perry, M. J. (2022). The Interplay of Environmental Exposures and Mental Health: Setting an Agenda. Environmental health perspectives, 130(2), 25001.[cited 2023 June 20]

2. SAMHSA, (2021). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Survey of Substance AbuseTreatment Services (N-SSATS): 2020. Data on Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities. Rockville, MD. [cited 2023 June 20] [cited 2024 Jan 3

3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. [cited 2023 June 20]

4. Horowitz, M. A., & Taylor, D. (2019). Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(6), 538-546. [cited 2023 June 20]

5. Nevedal, A. L., Timko, C., Lor, M. C., & Hoggatt, K. J. (2022). Patient and Provider Perspectives on Benefits and Harms of Continuing, Tapering, and Discontinuing Long-Term Opioid Therapy. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 1-10. [cited 2023 June 20]

6. Carroll, K. M., & Kiluk, B. D. (2017). Cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders: Through the stage model and back again. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 31(8), 847–861. [cited 2023 June 20]

7.  NIDA. 2022, September 27. Part 1: The Connection Between Substance Use Disorders and Mental Illness. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use-disorders/part-1-connection-between-substance-use-disorders-mental-illness [cited 2024, January 3]

8. Tracy, K., & Wallace, S. P. (2016). Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction. Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 143-154. [cited 2023 June 20]

9. Gross, J. J., Uusberg, H., & Uusberg, A. (2019). Mental illness and well‐being: an affect regulation perspective. World Psychiatry, 18(2), 130-139. [cited 2023 June 20]

10. Genuis SJ. Toxic causes of mental illness are overlooked. Neurotoxicology. 2008 Nov;29(6):1147-9. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2008.06.005. Epub 2008 Jun 24. PMID: 18621076. [cited 2023 June 20]

11. de Andrade, D., Elphinston, R. A., Quinn, C., Allan, J., & Hides, L. (2019). The effectiveness of residential treatment services for individuals with substance use disorders: A systematic review. Drug and alcohol dependence, 201, 227-235. [cited 2023 June 20]


Originally Published Sep 13, 2018 by Lyle Murphy


This content has been reviewed and approved by a licensed physician.

Dr. Samuel Lee

Dr. Samuel Lee is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in a spiritually-based mental health discipline and integrative approaches. He graduated with an MD at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and did a residency in psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He has also been an inpatient adult psychiatrist at Kaweah Delta Mental Health Hospital and the primary attending geriatric psychiatrist at the Auerbach Inpatient Psychiatric Jewish Home Hospital. In addition, he served as the general adult outpatient psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente.  He is board-certified in psychiatry and neurology and has a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Religion from Pacific Union College. His specialty is in natural healing techniques that promote the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

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Medical Disclaimer:
Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided on the website is intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. Always consult with your doctor before altering your medications. Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision.

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