The Intake Appointment Final Part 3

You did the business in Part 1. Saw the Addiction Counselor in Part 2. Now the last part is seeing the nurse. It is usually the Nurse Manager, Charge RN or seasoned staff RN who interviews you in this last stretch of the Intake appointment. All this is in preparation to see the doctor for your first medication dose. If you have any prescription medications that ARE PRESCRIBED TO YOU then bring them in for the nurse to log into your chart. Don't bring old bottles from last year and don't dump the new prescription pills into an old prescription bottle to condense it. The nurse needs current prescriptions in the current bottles, if possible. Please don't try to deceive the nurse and bring only some of your medications. Believe me, a nurse just knows! If you doctor shopped, say so. A history of doctor shopping or fraudulent prescription writing will NOT get you rejected from being admitted into the program. This is why you are here, right? Honesty is needed. By the way, programs do NOT report you to the police for such crimes. Consider it in the past. Just don't continue such behavior since it is counterproductive to your recovery and sets a bad example to other patients who are doing their best. Criminal behavior might get you kicked out if you choose to continue and get arrested. It is all about choices. Back to the nurse: the nurse will take a medical history such as diseases, injuries and surgeries. Please be sure to report any heart or respiratory issues, concerns or problems. Detox medications are serious business and the doctor needs to know of any heart or lung problems before prescribing your suboxone or methadone. It is his doctor's license on the line and he deserves to be informed. Methadone in combination with certain medical conditions and medications needs to be given with caution. Methadone and suboxone can affect your breathing and oxygen level in your blood, especially when combined with other prescription medications and medical conditions. If you have a medical history and are followed by a specialist then you will be asked to sign a "release" for that specialist. The same goes for your Primary Medical Doctor, your Psychiatrist and your Pharmacy. Why? It is coordination of medical care. Methadone and suboxone are actual prescriptions and all prescribing doctors need to know what the other doctors are prescribing, for medical safety. You might think it is overboard until something happens, some interaction of medications and medical conditions that go awry, and harms the patient in some way, including death. Most treatment centers also ask you to sign a form saying that you will tell any provider you are on methadone and you agree to use only one pharmacy. That is standard practice. After the medical history the nurse will ask about your mental health history, including asking if  you are suicidal or homicidal. Again, be honest. They are just getting the details to better serve you in your recovery process. Next step is actually seeing the doctor for admission into the recovery program of an outpatient clinic. It could be the same day or most likely it will be a few days later at the next available appointment. Again, do not come in impaired, sedated, drunk or high on anything in any way. **you must be in withdrawal when you see the doctor for admission. Enough withdrawal to make it safe to give you a low dose of methadone (or total withdrawal for suboxone). If it is methadone treatment then be in mild to moderate withdrawals and do not use after 8 pm the night before! Seriously, you might not be medicated if you use too late in the evening the night before. If it is suboxone treatement then you have to be in total withdrawals and not have any opiate of any kind for 2+ days. Sounds terrible, I know, but it is the nature of suboxone. If you do not follow the instructions that the clinic tells you, then you will be putting yourself in the worse withdrawals ever on admission day when you take your first dose of suboxone. You will do it to yourself! It is all about choices.

Recovery: The Intake Appointment Part 2

So you already gave you address, phone numbers, emergency contact, paid your fees and have been told countless of instructions and rules. Don't worry about remembering all that. You can always ask and most likely you will be reminded by both staff and other patients. The mindset of patients in recovery seems to vary according to what state or part of the USA you live. I have been told countless of times by "visiting" patients from other states how this is true. So this is straight from the patients themselves. (By the way, in NH, we are very friendly and helpful to all.)
So the Addiction Counselor is the next professional you will see after the business part. This is a long detailed meeting but it is very important! Please do NOT use right before this Intake appointment and do NOT use in the bathroom in between seeing professionals! You nod off, and you have to reschedule! You are cranked up and can't sit still, you have to reschedule! and that postpones your first medication appointment with the doctor so it is pointless. Now, we don't want you vomiting either so plan accordingly....you know what I mean. The appointment is at least 2 maybe 2 1/2 hours. When you see the Addiction Counselor you will be asked everything from the first day you ever used in your life until present day. Questions about every drug you tested including cigarettes and alcohol. Please be honest but don't embellish. No one will be impressed. They will ask about your childhood, your family, employment, legal stuff etc...all this plays a significant role in your recovery. If Uncle Brian beat you every Christmas morning, we aren't going to ask you how your Christmas was. If your friend overdosed in March, we will be on the alert for depressive behavior and possible alcohol/drug use near springtime. All the questions are for a reason. We don't like paperwork that much. A big thank you for being patient with all the questions! The last professional you will see is the nurse in The Intake appointment part 3.
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Recovery Program: The "Intake" Appointment part 1

You made the phone call and have your first appointment. It is commonly called the "Intake" appointment. This appointment is the most important! From my experiences, this appointment is where all info on you is gathered by MULTIPLE healthcare/addiction professionals. These professionals have heard every story so don't leave out any details and please BE HONEST & precise. After all, this is YOUR life! First piece of business is getting your address and a reachable phone number such as your cell number. If you give a second phone number, please specify if it is OK to leave a message. Don't worry, no one will call you mindlessly or call to check on you. It is needed in case your counselor has the flu and has to cancel counseling, in case of fire and the place of business is in a temporary location etc....in other words, for something very important. You will also be asked for at least one emergency contact name and phone number. This is in case you have a medical emergency or injury, so someone close to you can be told. Otherwise, an emergency contact is NEVER called. Confidentiality is taken seriously. The other piece of business is the payment. Programs can't run on love and good intentions. There should be an "intake" fee or it could be called an administrative fee for the admission process. You will also be asked for the first week's payment up front. Yes, that is a big blow to someone who spends all their money, and other people's money on drugs. But it is necessary for two reasons: 1) It is common for addicts to act on impulse by being admitted to a program then not showing up or paying. It is a lot of work to admit someone into a program. It is considered a waste of time and money when this happens. Someone else who is ready for recovery could have come to that appointment. and 2) If you pay a week in advance with your money or borrowed money, you will be sure to show up that first week to get your money's worth, right? Commitment it what it is. That commitment of one week in treatment opens the door to maybe another week, maybe even another month and bingo! You are on your way to a BETTER life and loving it!