What to Expect From Your Care Provider During Treatment
It's not always easy to tell how your primary care provider will react to you entering treatment. Read our blog or call today to learn more.
Entering treatment for the first time can be scary. You don't know what to expect. How will your doctor treat you? Will you be judged? Getting treatment for addiction is never easy, but it is even more worrisome when you're entering the unknown. You want control and knowledge, but there really is no way to be sure how you will handle it.
However, knowing what to expect from your health care provider during treatment can help put your mind at ease. You may not be able to predict the future, but you can get a good idea of the treatment process and what your doctor, nurse, or therapist will do.
Your Health Is the Priority
Your health includes both your mental health and your physical health. Your physician should focus on both of these. No matter what step of treatment you're at, your health care provider should make a point to prioritize your needs.
You should expect them to aid you in a long-term treatment plan created for you and with you. This should be collaborative and specific to your needs at your stage of recovery, whether that is detox or continuing care. Your provider will likely ask you questions about your medical and family history of addiction and illnesses. Without this information, your doctor can't treat you properly. Your doctor should be both a means of support and advocacy in your treatment.
While you focus on the steps of recovery and your progress, your doctor must be aware of your development and your health. This is vital to your treatment because your addiction can strongly impact your health. Not only can substance use cause health issues, but it can lead to drug interactions as well.
You may be at higher risk for relapse if taking certain prescribed medications. You may also be taking drugs for a medical issue that could be dangerous if taken with drugs or alcohol. Being under a doctor's care is essential when it comes to caring for your body and mind.
Be Your Own Advocate
As much as your doctor is a vital part of your treatment, you have to remember that you are your own advocate. This means you may need to speak up for yourself when you need help.
Not every doctor will be the right match for you. Whether that is a therapist, a nurse practitioner, or your primary care doctor, if you would feel more comfortable with someone else, that is a decision you have to make. You may even need to go through several health care providers before you find one that clicks with you.
Being treated by a provider that you feel doesn't understand you could do more harm than good. You don't want to work backward in your treatment. Speaking up if something feels wrong for you or you have questions is vital to the success of your treatment.
You are the one who knows what is right for you. Of course, it isn't easy to find your perfect match in a physician. There are a lot of health care providers out there, but they all may not be available or accessible to you. Working with your insurance company or public health coordinator can help you find the best provider for you.
Expect Honesty
Your health care provider should not sugarcoat your treatment plan or the difficulty of recovery. This is why you need to be honest with your physician about your addiction and medical history.
Without being honest with your doctor, you are putting your treatment at a greater risk for failure. Being honest about how you feel both physically and mentally is of the utmost importance. During addiction treatment, you can go through a lot of emotional turmoil, and discussing that with your health care provider can ensure proper treatment.
No matter how much experience your physician has, they are not mind readers. Just as you expect them to be honest with you, you need to be honest with them.
Your Treatment
Every treatment facility will differ, but in most cases, doctors will treat you within specific guidelines.
When you enter treatment and are still using, a doctor will help you with medically supervised detox. This treatment will reduce your withdrawal symptoms. Once you are medically stable, your provider will assess you. This process includes health evaluations, learning your history, and possibly a diagnosis or dual diagnosis.
From there, your health care provider should go over a treatment plan. They should introduce you to the recovery community and start you with therapies that are best for you.
Your provider should stay with you throughout your treatment process and show you ways to continue with recovery, prevent relapse, and find your new normal. The stages of your recovery will shift, but you should always have trusted physicians you can depend on.
Uncertainty About Your Doctor Can Be A Serious Obstacle To Treatment
Admitting you need help is hard enough in the first place. You don't want to be overwhelmed. Learning what to expect from your health care provider can offer a sense of calm before taking that step into recovery.
Although recovery is a complicated journey, understanding what your doctor should do during treatment and how the process should unfold will help you immensely. Recovery will never be easy. While it can't cure you, it can save your life.
The Forge Recovery Center will help you through the early stages of recovery, ensuring you are as comfortable and safe as possible. For more information, contact The Forge Recovery Center today.
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