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Waismann Method® Treatment Process

Authored by Clare Waismann

What to Expect During an Intake over the Phone with a WAISMANN METHOD® Team Member?

When you call the office, our admissions team will answer fundamental questions regarding the Waismann Treatment Process. We will also offer you to fill out a short intake by phone or email. The information provided in the intake provides Dr. Lowenstein, our medical director, some knowledge of your specific situation and history so that when he calls you for your preliminary individual consultation, he has a better understanding of your needs.

 

Individual Evaluation

Let’s start by understanding that the Waismann Method’s success is essentially based on the results of your treatment. Consequently, to provide the best outcome, we first need to hear your story, understand your health needs, and answer all your questions. Additionally, the medical director needs to evaluate if we can provide you the treatment you want and, more importantly, the treatment you need. This conversation will provide you with treatment information, length of inpatient stay, and cost.

Individualized medicine, also known as personalized medicine, is the concept of prediction, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention- a combination of factors that harmonize the patient’s genetics, health, environment, and lifestyle. Individualized care offers new hope for those struggling with substance use because when treatment is adjusted to each patient, successful results are historically much more prominent.

Having one single protocol for different patients often yields disastrous results. Sadly enough, promises of overnight cures, or should we say miracles, have lately been used by less than legitimate medical professionals to mislead patients who are so desperately seeking hope. This practice is not just irresponsible and but also cruel. It is unfair to promise full recovery, especially in a brief period, because drug use can have a wide range of short- and long-term, direct and indirect effects. The extent of these effects depends on several factors, including the specific drug, other substances in-play, how they are taken, how much is taken, the individual’s metabolism, health history, current mental and physical state, and so many other factors.

Speak Confidentially

with an opiate detox treatment expert.

It is essential to the safety and outcome of an opioid treatment that during intake the patient:

  1. Is upfront about medical, emotional, and dependence history and any current conditions, even if it may not seem relevant.
  2. Ask critical questions about available treatment options, risks, benefits, length of time under inpatient care, and recovery expectations.
  3. Find out what type of medical facility in which treatment will take place. Does the facility have JACHO accreditation? Is additional medical support readily available if needed for a consultation or an unexpected event? Although adverse reactions are not expected, it is undoubtedly much safer to be prepared if emergency resources are required. In most medical procedures, receiving adequate care without delays differentiates a secure treatment program from a risky one.
  4. How long are you in the hospital? Can you stay longer if needed? Is there any extra charge?
  5. Get straightforward answers on the level and amount of care you are receiving for what you are paying. Some centers try convincing you that faster is better, which is more profitable for them. As we discussed above, there are no overnight miracles, and your loved one should not be responsible for you when you are in your most fragile state. After detox, endorphins are hardly activating. Additionally, there is the usual anxiety of what life will be without opioids and the natural hypersensitivity of a body that has felt dormant for so long. Having inpatient care for a few days post-detox is necessary to prevent unnecessary discomfort, crisis or worse, immediate relapse, and overdose.
  6. Most importantly, ask who is the treating physician. What are their current licenses and board certifications? Also, it is essential to know the length of experience the treating physician has with sedation-assisted detox.

Remember, the more you know, the less anxiety you will feel. Knowing your options allows you to make an educated decision in choosing not just the best treatment program for you and the safest.

It is also crucial that the health care professional evaluating the complete intake is:

  1. A medical professional with a clear understanding of the plethora of possible effects opioid use can have.
  2. Discussing with you several treatment options that best suit your unique medical needs.
  3. Establishes all expectations based on reality and not hopes or unrealistic sales pitches.
  4. Putting the patient’s interest ahead of profits and is honest and humble enough to know when the case is not adequate for the available options.

The doctor must give you the necessary time and attention to truly listen to you. Understanding your story allows him to learn what’s the “matter with you” and also “what matters to you.”

The Treatment Process

Once You Decide to Undergo Waismann Method®

You will be calling the office to discuss a convenient and available admission day. Once your date of admission is chosen, we will help you with arrangements. If you are flying in, a representative will be waiting for you at the airport. If you live in the area, a car can pick you up at home. Whatever the case may be, we will help you with the arrangements, making your experience as smooth and pleasant as possible.

WAISMANN TREATMENT™ Admission Day

Although there is no set rule and for the treatment and things can change based on your specific needs or circumstances, we will give you an idea of most patients' experience on the day of admission.

On the day of admission, you will be arriving early morning at the hospital, where a Waismann Method representative will greet you and direct you to your private room. Upon admission, you will be given medication to prevent withdrawal and keep you comfortable. You will start a comprehensive medical evaluation, including lab work, X-rays, ECGs, or other prescreening tests. Throughout that first day, you will receive iv therapy with fluids, nutrients, and electrolytes that your system has been deprived of due to your opioid use. You will meet our medical team to evaluate the need for additional cardiac evaluation or any other specialized consultation.

If you are a candidate for sedation-assisted detox, being in the hospital a day before the procedure is critical for safe and smooth detoxification. The additional time allows the medical team to understand how your metabolism responds to certain medications that will be key to a successful detox. While some patients’ reactions to some medicines might be low blood pressure and slow heart rate, others with the same dosage might have precisely the opposite physiological response. For this reason, getting to understand each patient’s response to medications, plus the knowledge of what they have used or ingested before sedation, is vital to a safe and successful outcome.

WAISMANN DETOX™ Procedure: Step-by-Step

Medical professionals providing responsible and effective procedures cannot possibly describe a detox treatment step-by-step. Instead, medical treatments, especially opioid detoxification, should always be tailored and modified to best fit each patient’s unique health needs.

Those receiving medically assisted opioid detox remain in their hospital private rooms for approximately 2 to 3 days, where different medications are given to blunt the withdrawal response. For those undergoing rapid detox, they are transferred early morning to their private room in the ICU, where Dr. Lowenstein sedates them for a period of 1 to 2 hours. During this period, medications, including antagonists, are used to induce and speed the detoxification while the patient sleeps.

Usually, the morning after rapid detoxification, patients have breakfast, start walking around, receive intravenous fluids, and regain strength. At that time, Dr. Lowenstein provides patients with Vivitrol monthly injections or oral naltrexone therapy. Physicians assess the patient’s readiness for discharge to our exclusive recovery center, Domus Retreat, where they receive further personalized, around-the-clock assistance.

Opiate dependence causes numerous changes in brain chemistry and organ functions. Therefore, after rapid detox, it is paramount that patients be carefully monitored for at least a few days to regulate essential functions and prevent medical complications or immediate relapse. After the doctor approves discharge from the hospital, patients spend a few days at our exclusive recovery center, Domus Retreat.

The significant difference between Waismann Method® detox treatments and other medical detoxifications is that we place our patients’ safety, comfort, and success above all else. Every person has a different profile and deserves to be treated as an individual with unique needs. For that reason, at Waismann Method® the medical team individually tailors every treatment protocol to the specific person.

After Opioid Detox: Recovery Process

Hurried care incurs hidden costs and offers a false sense of completion. In other words, it might sound great or even an opportunity to save money in the short term, but over time, not receiving enough care leads to a much higher chance for risks and failure.

Professional inpatient care for a few days after detox is essential to help individuals successfully navigate the adjustment and recovery phase, including support for regulating sleep patterns, hypersensitivity, and gastrointestinal function.

Long-term opioid intake raises hormonal activity, which plays a primary role in stress. After detox, people are more vulnerable to anxiety-related issues, leading to cravings and eventually relapse. At Domus, however, our guests receive much-needed, around-the-clock emotional and physical support required through this new and challenging phase. You will also receive a combination of therapeutic services and nutritious meals prepared by professional chefs.

The additional support provided at Domus Retreat helps people gain further physical and emotional strength before facing the world opiate-free. We also offer extended-stay options at Domus, based on availability.

The Waismann Method® drug and alcohol treatment program offers patients several medically managed withdrawal options. The description above is merely an example of a typical rapid opiate detox treatment process. Please don’t hesitate to call us with additional questions or additional treatment options.

Contact us and learn more about the best treatment options available for you!

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