Micah Raskin Discusses How Rehabilitation Centers Work and the Importance of Accessibility
Micah Raskin On How Rehabilitation Centers Work and the Importance of Accessibility
A rehabilitation center is a facility that provides treatment (often in-patient) for substance addiction. There are different programs for different types and levels of addiction meant to serve people exactly where they are in their recovery journey. Treatment may be in-patient or out-patient and long-term or short-term depending on the patient’s needs and preferences. Rehabilitation centers typically use a combination of different therapies, medications, and techniques to create a personalized addiction recovery experience.
Micah Raskin Explains What an In-Patient Rehabilitation Center Is
In-patient rehabilitation centers provide a place for the patient to live while they are receiving treatment for their addiction on-site. What works best for you will depend entirely on your situation, says Micah Raskin. But, generally speaking, in-patient care is the best option for most people recovering from addiction because it physically removes them from the people and triggers of their everyday life that facilitate and encourage self-destructive behavior.
There are inpatient rehab facilities that are built like luxury spas and there are rehab sites that feel more like a hospital. Most fall somewhere in between and strive to provide a homey feeling to keep patients comfortable during their stay and to engender a feeling of safety. When people feel safe, they’re much more likely to be open to recovery.
Inpatient rehabilitation allows someone to immerse themselves fully in the healing and recovery process. It’s a space outside of the stresses and dangers of everyday life that allow you to explore and reset. Everything they do is related to recovery – from daily therapy and nutritious meals to scheduled social time and walks outdoors. This is meant to encourage the replacement of self-destructive habits with healthier ones.
What Is an Outpatient Rehabilitation Center? Micah Raskin Explains
An outpatient rehab center provides the same treatments as an in-patient facility, but without the housing component. These programs include:
Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs)
Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs)
Outpatient rehab programs
Substance abuse counseling
Every level of counseling listed above requires less time commitment as you go down the list. You can participate in any or all of these addiction treatments. It will vary from facility to facility, but, generally speaking, treatments take place several days a week for a few hours every day. Times are often flexible.
This is often the best treatment plan for those who are able to hold down a job or who have small children–people who cannot be away from their everyday lives in large chunks while they recover. It’s also a popular choice for students who are struggling with addiction. While this is a great option for many patients, some people struggle in outpatient care because they are still surrounded by people and places that support or caused their substance abuse.
Examine your situation closely before choosing an outpatient facility, advises Micah Raskin. Often, outpatient rehab centers are used as a stepping stone for those who have graduated from inpatient rehabilitation.
Micah Raskin Discusses How Rehab Works
“There are many approaches and types of treatment available for addiction,” says Micah Raskin. “But the goal of every rehab program is to help someone overcome their addiction.” The focus of a good rehab center should be on healing the mind as well as the body and teaching that individual how to build a new, healthier life.
Micah Raskin says that the best rehabilitation programs start with a customized assessment that is used to inform your treatment plan. Every person is unique and deals with addiction differently. This means that your treatment plan should also be unique and customized to your individual needs.
If you are struggling with substance addiction (drugs or alcohol), your rehab experience will likely begin with detox. Detox is the process of weaning yourself off of the addictive substance in a way that is safe for your body. Usually, you will be prescribed medications to keep your system from going into shock and to lessen the symptoms of withdrawal. Detox rids your body of the influence of the substance, but it does not treat addiction. Addiction is an illness and a mental health issue.
If you are struggling with a behavioral addiction like gambling or sex addiction, you will be asked to abstain but you will likely not suffer the same physical withdrawals. The good news is, this means you’ll be able to jump into the therapy section of recovery much sooner!
After detox, you’ll likely go through a variety of therapies designed to help you deal with your addiction in a healthier way. Replacing addiction with positive alternatives helps equip you to prevent relapse even when you’re no longer in rehab.
The therapies you may encounter in rehab include:
Yoga
Meditation and Mindfulness
Thai Chi
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy
Art therapy
Animal therapy
Music lessons
Sports and recreation
Nutrition lessons
Personal finance and self-care education
Skills training for job re-entry
Many rehab centers offer dual diagnosis treatment. Because addiction often occurs alongside other mental health issues like depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, etc., it’s useful to treat both issues at once so the symptoms of one don’t trigger the other.
Accessibility to Treatment is Vital Says Micah Raskin
Rehab is an extremely useful tool for conquering many types of addiction. It’s a safe place for people to reset and rebuild their lives while replacing self-destructive behaviors with positive ones. “When one person in the community is able to overcome an addiction, it benefits all of us,” says Micah Raskin. But these benefits cannot be reaped if there is no consistent and easy access to rehabilitation programs and centers.
That’s why Micah Raskin hopes to contribute to the building and development of several rehabilitation centers on a nationwide basis. “I believe that investing in the health and wellbeing of our people means a stronger and more beautiful community,” says Micah Raskin. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report found that 1.2 million people aged 12 and up were classified as struggling with a substance abuse disorder in the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island MSA.
There are hundreds of rehabilitation centers throughout major American cities, but there is still a massive dearth of space. As it currently stands, only a small percentage of the 1.2 million struggling with addiction would be able to find help should they seek it all at once. This is a catch-22 phenomenon of supply and demand, says Micah Raskin. People aren’t seeking help because they think there is no way they can afford it or get in. And there is less access and development because people are not seeking help. This perpetuates the stereotype that drug addicts want to be in their situation and decreases overall public health.
“Bottom line, if there are more rehabilitation centers, more people will get help,” says Micah Raskin. “And that’s all I want. First comes education, and then comes development – which also strengthens the community by providing jobs! It’s all interconnected.”
Micah Raskin is a professional poker player whose success has allowed him to pursue his real passion, which is philanthropy. He has invested in and built several temples, hospitals, afterschool programs, and soup kitchens in the Queens and Nassau County, NY area. Now he hopes to continue that good work and expand communities further by investing in the construction and staffing of rehabilitation centers in the United States of America.