A Better Today

Dangers of Leaving
Against Medical Advice

Why is Leaving Against Medical/Clinical Advice Life Threatening?

The opioid epidemic has done nothing but plague families with sorrow and loss. More than 52,000 people will die from overdoses this year and opioids account for over 33,000 of those deaths per year. In our pursuit to providing quality treatment to combat this epidemic, we also put lives in danger when they leave our care before they complete their treatment plan.
Leaving Against Medical Advice (AMA) during a treatment episode comes with great risks, while completing your treatment program to the satisfaction of our trained Medical Doctors and Clinical Professionals comes with great benefits.

It is so important to us that ABTRS communicates these risks to patients and loved ones when confronted with the issue of considering leaving AMA. Learning to control cravings is one of the most challenging parts about be in treatment and having loved ones watch their recovering addict struggle is part of the journey.

Below, please read closely so that ABTRS can be certain that you have been made aware of the heightened risks you will incur should you choose to leave treatment against medical advice.
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People leaving treatment AMA are 10 times more likely to relapse within 30-days.

Risks of Leaving Against Medical Advice(AMA)

Injury/ Death: Relapsing addicts have a greatly increased chance of traumatic injury/ death by falling, head wound, drowning incidents, and/or motor vehicle crashes. Among people ages 15-49 alcohol and substance abuse is the leading risk factor for permanent injury/ disfigurement and/or premature death.

Over 15,000 Americans per day end up in the ER owing to alcohol and substance abuse related accidents. Withdrawal can be fatal when not overseen by medical professionals. Substance abuse over time causes increasingly severe damage to all organs of the body.

Loneliness/ Isolation: Substance abuse over time causes increasingly severe damage to all social relationships, especially loving ones. Stop hurting yourself and those who love you. Fully commit to your treatment plan today, don’t give up.

Emotional/ Financial Instability: Continued alcohol and substance abuse progressively destabilize emotional and financial stability with each passing day of active abuse.

Incarceration: Nearly 50% of the over 5 million currently incarcerated Americans were intoxicated at the time of their arrest.

What Are Some Common Reasons that an Patient Decides to Leave Against Medical Advice?

Cancers: Alcohol misuse and substance abuse significantly increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, lungs, liver, stomach, colon, kidneys, pancreas, and breast.

Infection: When people relapse they are more likely to get severe infections that can cause heart /liver/ kidney failure. Chronic drug abusers are more susceptible to bacterial-resistant infections, such as MRSA and Flesh-Eating Bacteria.

Overdose: More than 200,000 emergency-room-treated overdoses will occur this year. Other illicit drugs account for over 19,000 of those deaths per year. 100,000 Americans die from Alcohol Related Causes per year. 95 Americans die each day from opioid overdose. 125 Americans die each day from opioid and other forms of drug overdoses combined.

Another 275 Americans die each day from Alcohol Related Causes. For a grand total of approximately 400 Americans dying each day from intoxicant-abuse-related causes. Don’t be one of tomorrow’s 400. Recommit to your treatment program today.

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Benefits of Your Loved One Remaining in Treatment

Watching your loved one struggle with their addiction is an emotional rollercoaster. Torn between the love for your recovering addict and sticking by your boundaries can cause stress and anxiety. There are plenty of reasons why your loved one should remain in treatment. The most important reason is the medical supervision of their withdrawal process.

Access to medication that could improve abstinence and sobriety, infection, pain, blood pressure, etc. as indicated for treatment of depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, Bipolar disorder.

Behavioral therapies can help people improve communication skills, relationship skills, parenting skills, and vocational skills, as well as family dynamics, thereby helping to restore the addicted individual to productive membership in the family and society.

During active addiction, a concern for one’s health and safety can be replaced with drug seeking behaviors. These behaviors can jeopardize and endanger their life or well-being. In treatment, your loved one has access to medical testing equipment.

Radiological Imaging : Such as: CAT scan, X-rays, Ultrasound (sonogram), SPECT Scan, Fibroscan.

Laboratory Testing: for monitoring of health, wellness, and sober-living progress.

Safety: Separation from active intoxicant users, abusers, and dealers.

Stabilization: Bio-chemical rebalancing enabling sane and sober decision-making requires months to obtain.

Learning the Tools for Long-Lasting Sobriety

Clinical Counseling: Cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment of depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, Bipolar, disorder, etc. Group therapy for treatment of addiction and co-occurring disorders. Group therapy provides an indispensable, intense, and unique context for the learning and practicing of new tools, insights, and behaviors.

A variety of therapeutic approaches that help engage people in treatment, provide incentives for them to remain abstinent, modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug abuse, and increase their life skills to handle stressful circumstances and environmental cues that may trigger intense craving for drugs and prompt another cycle of compulsive abuse.

Individual therapy aimed at uncovering the emotional dynamics and history that led to the development of substance abuse, and will lead to the continuation of substance­abuse if not addressed. Family-centered therapy aimed at uncovering dysfunctional dynamics and perceptions that may have been the foundation for the initial. development of substance-abuse, and will lead to continuation of substance-abuse if not addressed.

Education: The learning and practicing of the new patterns of thought, coping behaviors, and life skills that enable a satisfying sober life requires months of treatment. The development and implementation of tools and strategies for identifying triggers, managing urges, and letting them pass. The development of new peer groups, recreational activities, hobbies, and positive distractions.

Practice: An intensive therapeutic atmosphere compels the practice, exercise, and honing of learned tools and coping-strategies within a drug-free, temptation-free, environment.

Rewards: Interval of abstinence and learning in a controlled environment free of easily obtainable intoxicants and temptations enables the addicted individual to begin experiencing the psychological, social, and familial rewards associated with abstinence. Realizing these rewards takes time, patience, enhanced impulse control, and thus months of treatment.

Get the Right Type of Treatment that Suits Your Loved One’s Needs

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The Facts are Vital When Your Life is on the Line: Don’t Make a Mistake that Could Cost You Your Life

When it comes to seeking substance abuse treatment, the research you do will directly impact you or your loved one’s future. ABTRS feels it is important that the sources you get your information from should be with you or your loved one’s best interest in mind and unbiased.

Treatment for an addiction is life changing and without reputable sources to point us in the right direction, it can be discouraging navigating treatment options and insurance eligibility. To empower you with the knowledge needed to leave active addiction behind, we provide our sources we used to make our webpages, printed material, and statistics. Our reputable sources might be a dry read but it is worth it when it comes to your future.

Alfandre D. J. (2009). “I’m going home”: discharges against medical advice. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 84(3), 255-60.

Crane, E. H. Patients with emergency department visits involving drug-related suicide attempts who left against medical advice. The CBHSQ Report: September 13, 2016. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD.

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