If there’s one thing you learn from working a recovery program, it’s this simple adage: “It works if you work it.” Seems simple enough, right? Just do what your 12-step program recommends, stay active in the community, keep busy with work or school, stay on top of about a dozen other things is all you have to do to stay sober… but somehow, over time, staying on top of that mountain of tasks is no longer so simple. Priorities shift as you get more recovery time under your belt. Whether it’s the pink cloud or the very real recovery fatigue that sets in after a while, it can become increasingly difficult to not slip back into old habits, let a few things go, and before you know it, you’ve relapsed. There is wisdom in seeking a more efficient way to manage your mental health in long term recovery. Though the pandemic has wreaked havoc on our lives, it has offered one gracious benefit to people maintaining sobriety: greater access to virtual treatment. Telehealth supports long term recovery by lifting some of the burden of taking care of yourself by making help more accessible and making that mountain of tasks to maintain a bit more manageable.
Telehealth supports long term recovery
One of the main reservations people have about telehealth is that they won’t get the same quality of care one can expect from meeting in person. But clinicians are trained how to adapt to video chats and phone visits, and certain areas of medicine are more affected by the lack of close vicinity than others.
Behavioral health is one of the disciplines that thrives with telehealth as a means of care. Diagnoses don’t typically require medical instruments or readings, and research has shown that using telehealth for outpatient recovery care provides the same level of care as in-person medicine.
Doctors can send prescriptions to your pharmacy
Access to medication is critical for both medication-assisted treatment plans and people in recovery who are suffering with mood disorders. Luckily, telehealth providers only need to know where you pick up your prescriptions, and they can send orders to that pharmacy without having to meet in person.
During our current pandemic, finding a telehealth provider is a smart way to avoid potential COVID exposure. But even once all of this has passed and it is safe to meet in person, telehealth as a means of long term recovery maintenance takes a few steps out of the process of staying well. One of the easiest ways to fall off the wagon is to stop outpatient care because it has become inconvenient or you don’t have the energy to drive all the way to a Suboxone doctor. This is a non-issue when visits are done through telemedicine, especially as they can easily done over the phone and don’t require a desktop or laptop setup.
If you or someone you love is struggling with a substance abuse problem, our addiction counselors are available 24/7 by phone: 714-455-3409