Personalized Recovery Solutions
At Adam Banks Recovery, one of our major focuses is working with individuals who can’t easily find addiction treatment through the traditional channels. Attending a 30 day inpatient treatment program. I create recovery plans that work for the individual as well as the family, offering the highest level of discretion, privacy, and convenience.
There is no one-size-fits-all program of recovery. Some people want to achieve complete abstinence from all substances. While others, following a harm reduction model, may simply want to reduce substance use so that it no longer controls their lives. Other people, still, may want complete abstinence from some substances while continuing to use other substances. It all depends on the person.
Concerns About Treatment
Many people share similar concerns about attending a 30 day treatment program: the high costs, the time away from family and work, and the potential lack of privacy are common deterrents. For these clients, I create customized at-home programs that are simple to use, and can take place alongside someone’s usual routine. Besides, at-home programs have the advantage of bringing treatment into the environment that once enabled the person’s addiction, helping people re-learn how to flourish without substances, in that same environment.
I offer several different plans, tailored to fit the client.
At-Home Detox
As long as they’re under the care of a physician, most people can safely detox at home. A safe alcohol detox may require a few days of around the clock monitoring, which can be scheduled over a weekend. The remainder of the detox protocol can be carried out through remote monitoring, also by a physician. An at-home detox allows clients to continue working with minimal interruption.
At-Home Rehab
You can have the most important elements of inpatient treatment brought to you in your home. Successful at-home treatment is an intensive process. In the beginning, individuals have daily meetings with therapists and coaches, which taper over time, part of creating a structured program of recovery. Successful at-home rehab programs typically require a 4-6 month commitment.
At-home rehab allows for crucial emotional work in “real life” situations, addressing the root causes of an individual’s addiction and problematic elements of the family dynamic. My patients often find this work to be very rewarding, even deeper than experiences doing similar work in a faraway office. The advantage, here, is that reintegration into the individual’s life, work, and family begins immediately and is a crucial part of the process. People leaving treatment centers often find that maintaining recovery at home is challenging.
Opiate Dependence
We have a few different strategies for treating opiate dependence in the home. The first is Suboxone, or buprenorphine: opiate dependence can be treated with Suboxone very quickly. The first step towards Suboxone treatment at home is an assessment of the individual’s current level of use and recent history of use. The assessment visit for at-home detoxification from opiates is done over video chat, and it’s okay to be under the influence during that video chat.
Depending on the level of your use, a transition to Suboxone can be scheduled for the same day or the next day. To start Suboxone treatment, an individual needs to have 24 hours off of opiates. They will certainly be feeling sick. Some people choose to transition off Suboxone on a Friday and take the day off of work; others choose to do it first thing Monday morning and go to work that day.
Tolerance
As long as the person hasn’t used opiates at all in the preceding 24 hours, they should be feeling better in a matter of 20 minutes. Most people feel normal within an hour. We understand that getting 24 hours free of an opiate is a big accomplishment. We’ll work with you to schedule a good time and support you to get to the point that you can start Suboxone. Once you do, we’ll monitor your reaction closely for the first week.
Some patients are on long-lasting opiates, and so the detox protocol may take longer than 24 hours. This is part of the video consultation, as well, and if a patient needs a long detoxification they will be prescribed medication to keep them comfortable during that process.
For many people, starting Suboxone was the first step in recovery. Suboxone treatment can be life-changing, freeing up the time that was once spent trying to find money for and buying drugs, and instead allowing the individual to use that time to focus on recovery. Some patients choose to be on Suboxone for a long time, others want to come off it quickly, and we have experience helping individuals in both situations safely taper their use of the medication. This depends on a number of lifestyle factors, and we advise that patients step down from their Suboxone treatment with help from mutual aid groups, therapy, intensive outpatient treatment, or a combination of all of the above.
There are, however, alternatives to Suboxone. Vivitrol and Sublocade are both long-acting (28 day) injections, and some patients chose to begin their journeys with these medications. Others start with Suboxone treatment and transition over to one of the long-acting medications.
Alcohol Dependence
Detoxing from alcohol at home is a more complicated process than an opiate detox. At-home alcohol detoxes do start the same way as an at-home opiate detox, with a review of your current level of use and your long-term drinking history. For some people, an at-home detox is not appropriate, and in those cases we will recommend that you detox in a medical facility.
For others, we will be able to process with the at-home detox. These detoxes take between several days and a full week, with the first few days being the most intense. It is unlikely that a patient will be able to go to work during the first few days. We can begin a detox on Friday afternoon with the intention of the patient returning to work on the following Monday.
Some patients are able to safely proceed with an outpatient detox, which involves visiting the office on the first day and checking in each subsequent day of the detox. Your medical history and recent drinking history will determine the safest and best way for you to detox from alcohol.
About Adam Banks
Adam Banks is a certified interventionist and the owner of Adam Banks Recovery. After receiving an MBA from the University of Chicago, Adam built a company acquired by United Health Care. His discipline and attention to detail comes from his former career as an airline pilot, holding an ATP, the FAA’s highest license.
Today, Adam is dedicated to helping others achieve long-term sobriety. His work has guided executives, pilots, and physicians on paths to recovery. Adam brings families together through a loving and inclusive approach.
Adam has authored four books on addiction. His recent work, Navigating Recovery Ground School: 12 Lessons to Help Families Navigate Recovery, educates families on the entire intervention process. He also offers a free video course for families considering an intervention for a loved one.
Adam is available for alcohol and drug intervention services in New York, Long Island, the Hamptons as well as nationally and internationally.
