Online addiction treatment – seriously? Yes, seriously. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains in its publication, “Principles of Effective Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide, “No single treatment is appropriate for everyone,” which brings us to the topic of today’s post explaining online addiction treatment by guest author, Kali Lux.

Kali is in long-term recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol and is especially interested in exploring the culture gaps between those in active addiction, those in recovery, and the medical community. She is the Head of Community for an online addiction treatment service called Workit Health.  As Kali explains it, Workit Health offers evidence-based, on demand, online treatment for addiction including counseling, coaching, engaging courses on overcoming addiction, and medication-assisted treatment when appropriate. She can be reached via email at kali@workithealth.com.

Why You Should Consider Online Addiction Treatment by Kali Lux

When I got sober 9 years ago, I hadn’t heard of online addiction treatment. I knew I couldn’t detox from the pain pills I’d been snorting on my own – I figured this out by trying, and repeatedly failing, to go “cold turkey.” I knew I didn’t want to talk to my dealer anymore, but they were the only person who ever mentioned withdrawal medication like buprenorphine to me. When I tried to check myself into the ER in Oakland, California, where I lived, for my withdrawal, I was told the wait would be over 24 hours.

I’m one of the fortunate ones – I had private insurance, and caring parents who didn’t give up on me despite constant relapses, and also had the financial means to pay for my treatment. Because of their involvement, I was able to secure a bed in a detox facility in Oakland.

9 years later, the stories we hear about the struggle to find help for addiction, even in the midst of the opioid crisis, haven’t changed much. Inpatient facilities often have long waitlists, and the treatment industry is poorly regulated. Family members and those new in recovery come home to countless bills. So what’s a solution?

One option is online addiction treatment, which is a version of telehealth. In a time when we can order food or alcohol delivered our doors 24/7 with our smartphones, it makes sense that recovery should be just as easily attainable. While inpatient treatment closes its patients off from the real world, online addiction treatment can encourage recovery as part of normal daily life and daily routine.

What Does Online Addiction Treatment Look Like

Online addiction treatment varies from program to program, and might include regular check-in’s with a counselor or recovery coach who keeps you on track. You can send a counselor or coach messages via text or an app, or meet up with them in a videoconference. Some programs offer online recovery groups that take place via video meeting.

Online recovery programs can also offer self-paced or timed courses. For example, Workit Health, the online treatment program I work with, offers a 6-part curriculum of evidence-based interactive online courses. You work through them at your own pace, then check in with your coach or counselor about your progress and insights. Just as a sponsor works through the steps with a sponsee, a Workit Coach or Counselor works through the online courses with each member.

Benefits of Online Addiction Treatment

Addiction treatment is most effective when you’re ready for it. Being able to sign-up and immediately message a coach or counselor online or work through online courses keeps momentum for recovery going. Whereas in our current system of care, often involving an inpatient stay, that momentum is stifled by a waitlist or an intake appointments weeks away.

12-step programs are successful for many reasons, but partially because they’re affordable (put a $1 in a basket, if you choose) and they’re everywhere – you can find meetings of different types in most cities. In the same spirit, online addiction treatment also is everywhere – it’s in your pocket on your phone, and it’s on your computer every time you login. It can be personalized to suit your needs and tastes. As technology evolves, the options will become endless.

Developing healthy habits feels simple when you’re away from home in a rehab. It gets a bit more complicated once you’re sent back to your old living situation. This is where online addiction treatment works. Positive long-term changes begin with small daily habits and thought pattern adjustments.

Not everyone can leave children or a demanding job for 30 or 60 days to get sober. Online addiction treatment is accessible for those with health issues, small children to take care of, or demanding jobs that don’t allow time off.

And finally, the costs of rehab are huge. Many people leave treatment to come home to countless bills, discovering their insurance wouldn’t pay for all of their inpatient stay. Addiction recovery doesn’t need to be this way. Online addiction treatment can be done from home, cutting costs dramatically.

Does it work? Studies have shown that telehealth outcomes are similar to those of in-person visits. A benefit of online treatment is that engagement and outcomes can be more easily tracked. At Workit Health, 80% of our graduates have reported a higher quality of life and a reduction of their addictive behaviors.

Our current systems of care are broken. Even John Oliver went on a recent rant about the state of the treatment industry. What do we do when we need to get sober? For so long, we’ve gone to rehab. It might be time to consider another option, though: let’s go online, instead.