With illicit drug use on the rise nationwide, Willowbrooke at Tanner is expanding its services to include a specialized focus on an underserved group: working professionals coping with substance abuse.
Nationwide, illicit drug use has been increasing. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that about 9.2 percent of the population used an illicit drug or abused a psychotherapeutic medication — such as a pain reliever, stimulant or tranquilizer — in the past month. That’s up from 8.3 percent in 2002. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 17 million adults had an alcohol use disorder in 2012, though only 1.4 million adults received treatment at a specialized facility.
Regain at Willowbrooke, which will be offered on Willowbrooke at Tanner’s Villa Rica campus, provides intensive, outpatient substance abuse treatment three evenings a week after working hours.
Treatment is led by a psychiatrist and licensed professional counselor with a background in substance abuse, and the course of treatment typically lasts six to 12 weeks. Multidisciplinary patient care teams work to address each participant’s unique needs — including the physical, mental and environmental aspects of substance abuse — while integrating the latest behavioral health therapies and primary care to help regain emotional and physical wellbeing. Innovative therapeutic techniques, such as expressive therapy, animal-assisted therapy, family therapy and more, are among the treatment options available to help move participants toward recovery.
“Tanner’s approach to care is comprehensive,” said Meagen Thompson, a licensed professional counselor and program manager for Regain and Willowbrooke. “Few other treatment centers provide the level of award-winning care offered here, including acute inpatient care at Tanner’s hospitals or, if needed, inpatient treatment at Willowbrooke at Tanner to get you started on a path to recovery. It allows us to address the whole person. That means not only treating the problems that come along with abusing substances, but also the effects that the abuse can have on the rest of the body and the family or support system.”
Treatment at Regain at Willowbrooke covers a wide range of addiction, including alcohol, benzodiazepines, marijuana, methamphetamine, narcotics, opiates and synthetic drugs, including bath salts, molly, synthetic marijuana and more.
Symptoms of addiction can include being unable to limit the use of a substance until it creates significant impairment; having a craving or compulsion to use the substance; using the substance to the extent that it impacts work, family responsibilities or the individual’s social life; experiencing withdrawal when attempting to stop using the substance; and more.
By focusing treatment on working professionals, Willowbrooke at Tanner hopes to help people regain their lives before it’s too late.
“With dependency, people might think they have it together, even if barely,” said Thompson. “The truth is things are getting out of hand fast — faster than they realize. We want them to know that help is available. It can be the difference in saving their relationships, their careers and everything they have worked for. Treatment is how they regain their lives.”
More information about the program is available at www.RegainAtWillowbrooke.org or by calling 770.812.6300. Treatment for addiction is covered by most insurers.
Willowbrooke at Tanner is fully accredited by The Joint Commission — the gold standard in the accreditation of healthcare facilities and programs — and is licensed by Georgia as an addiction recovery treatment provider, offering ASAM level 2.1 and 2.5 services.
