St. Petersburg, Florida — A patient is praising the care he has received at WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab. He was so grateful for WhiteSands’ post-rehab aftercare program, he left an appreciative five-star review on Google.
“I was struggling with alcohol and started here but needed a higher level of care,” wrote the former patient, Steve. He praised two staff members, Patty and Steve, saying they “were phenomenal at helping me get into White Sands treatment center and are providing excellent aftercare.”
WhiteSands is a comprehensive addiction program that has successfully guided patients to recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. In 2022, Newsweek magazine named it Florida’s top treatment center for the third consecutive year. It operates several luxury residential and outpatient facilities in Florida cities, including St. Petersburg, where Steve has attended aftercare.
Treatment is designed to meet the individual needs of each patient, with numerous options for the therapy that fits. Programs include inpatient medically assisted detox, residential intensive inpatient treatment and day/night treatment, a transitional program for residential patients moving to outpatient care. Staff are highly trained and include physicians and nurses skilled in the diagnosis of psychopathology. All staff members are cross-trained to deal with addictions and substance-related disorders.
WhiteSands also offers a comfortable, nurturing physical and social environment where patients can heal physically and emotionally. When not in treatment, they are treated as guests, not patients.
While these programs are critical for helping patients succeed in their struggles with addiction, aftercare is essential for maintaining sobriety after the patient returns to the “real” world and may face the same pressures and issues that brought on their addiction.
WhiteSands developed its aftercare program as a response to what it calls “abysmal” relapse rates for recovering addicts after formal treatment. The program begins with the patient completing a customized relapse prevention plan, which identifies areas that might put them at risk of resuming their substance.
The plan includes accountability strategies to ensure that the patient keeps medical appointments and other continuing care. They can continue seeing the same doctor or therapist they worked with in rehab, eliminating the need to build up trust with new providers; just having to tell their addiction story again can be surprisingly discouraging to continued care, especially if their story causes them to feel shame.
Further raising the odds of success for aftercare patients is a 24-hour hotline. In addition, multiple alums and check-in meetings offer daily support.
One of the most successful aspects of WhiteSands’ aftercare strategy is the Life Skills program, which helps the recovering addict live independently without the artificial support of alcohol or drugs.
The program assigns a Life Skills guide to each patient, who assists in creating a balanced, healthy, happy lifestyle through a regular, consistent daily schedule. Weekly therapy sessions and daily check-ins keep the patient on track and accountable. Participants learn to identify their successes and challenges, identify and complete healthy goals, and find balance in all areas of their life.
Not every patient accepts the Life Skills program when it’s first introduced, but once they understand it, they usually embrace it; Life Skills has become one of WhiteSands’ most popular programs. The most exciting aspect is the patient’s involvement, giving them ownership of their own sobriety rather than passively accepting treatment dictated by someone else. In addition, consistently following the program can dramatically increase the likelihood they will succeed in building their new life once they return home.
Anyone seeking comprehensive treatment for a substance use disorder can visit WhiteSands Alcohol & Drug Rehab or call 877-959-2008.
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For more information about WhiteSands Alcohol & Drug Rehab St. Petersburg, contact the company here:
WhiteSands Alcohol & Drug Rehab St. Petersburg
(727) 513-1640
5749 38th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710
