By Savannah Eley
Castleview Hospital has partnered with StepOne Services to provide an inpatient, hospital-based, three-to-five-day acute withdrawal management service. This service is available to adults requiring medical management of withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and/or opioids.
According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol use is responsible for 88,000 deaths in the United States each year, equating to 1 in 10 deaths among working-aged adults ranging from 20-64 years old. Estimates also suggest that over 500 Utahns die from alcohol-attributable causes each year and Utah is ranked seventh in the nation for alcohol poisoning deaths.
Excessive alcohol use is also associated with many health and social harms, including liver cirrhosis, certain cancers, unintentional injuries, violence and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Excessive drinking cost the United States $249 billion in 2010. In 2014, the cost of excessive alcohol use in Utah was estimated to be $1.2 billion.
Alcohol is the most popular addictive substance in the world because it’s affordable and easily found. Some people can control how much they drink, whereas others have risk factors that prevent them from drinking in moderation. A person who relies on alcohol to function may have a substance use disorder (SUD). Some people with alcohol and/or opioid use disorders are high-functioning, meaning they’re able to keep track of their daily responsibilities and maintain a steady job. However, most individuals with SUD experience negative consequences because alcohol can serve as a depressant.
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic medical condition. It can lead to long-term changes to your brain. Luckily, early treatment interventions can help you avoid some of the long-term medical conditions associated with OUD. Medically-supervised opioid withdrawal, also known as acute withdrawal management, involves the administration of medication to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms that occur when an OUD patient stops using opioids.
SUD triggers the brain’s pleasure and reward center, and a person may drink every day to experience the rewarding effects. When a person becomes dependent, their brain is chemically rewired to depend on alcohol and/or opioids. Some people are more likely to develop SUDs because their brains are more vulnerable due to genetic or mental health predispositions, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA). An alcohol use disorder (AUD) that exists alongside a mental health disorder is known as a co-occurring disorder, which is why substance use treatment is so important.
The first phase in the recovery process is the StepOne Service provided at Castleview Hospital. It is for adults who are in the impending or early stages of withdrawal from alcohol and/or opioids. Individuals seeking treatment through the StepOne Service must be committed to staying in the hospital and must be motivated to continue substance use treatment.
For more information or to start a telephone pre-screen, call StepOne at (435) 636-4808