For people who can’t or won’t leave their homes or are unable to attend traditional therapy programs, internet-based drug treatment is an increasingly popular option. It has a global reach, can access user groups not currently addressed by specialist drug services, and provides therapeutic help in the comfort of participants’ homes. It can also be used for incarcerated individuals, which is particularly important as most prisons don’t offer much in the way of mental health or substance abuse treatment.
Therapeutic Education System, or TES, is one model of internet-based treatment. It consists of 62 interactive modules that teach patients how to achieve and maintain abstinence from drug use. It includes prize-based motivational incentives to encourage continued treatment. According to one study, patients given TES were less likely to drop out of treatment than those in the control group, and the web-based intervention helped patients stay abstinent from drug use, even those who were not abstinent at the beginning of the study.
These modules cover topics such as learning how to decline offers to use drugs, learning healthy ways to deal with negative states of mind, and learning how to improve social and personal interactions with others. Participants in TES go at their own pace and choose their own path through the available modules. TES offers family-centered individual counseling, substance avoidance training, vocational training, healthy social network development and voucher-based incentives.
In a randomized trial of opioid-dependent adults in methadone maintenance treatment, some individuals participated in TES while others received more traditional therapy. Participants in the TES program were abstinent a significantly greater percentage of weeks compared to those in the control group. TES participants also had significantly more weeks of continuous abstinence from opioids compared to those in the other group (27% vs. 20%). Participants in the TES program were two times more likely to be abstinent from opioids than those in the typical treatment.
For those with underlying mental health conditions, there is also therapy available online. Online therapy doesn’t cut into your workday or time at home the way that traveling to and from a therapist’s office would. This is particularly true in rural communities, where the nearest psychologist might be hours away. The price can also be much lower, particularly if you don’t have insurance. Some online programs or apps offer unlimited use for a weekly or monthly fee. For those with anxiety about leaving the house or dealing with new people, it can be more comfortable or easier than talking to someone in person.
There are some concerns with these online options. There may be no way to know for certain who you’re talking to and whether they are actually licensed in your state, or even at all. Also, it’s important to make sure that the site is secure and your history will remain confidential.
If you or a loved one need help to quit drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949-438-4504).
