Cedar Recovery opens Bristol location with methadone, counseling, and support services
BRISTOL, Va (WCYB) — Before Cedar Recovery opened its doors, patients facing addiction recovery treatment had to travel more than an hour, but now there’s an option right here at home.
Cedar Recovery’s Bristol location is the first opioid treatment program of its kind within 50 miles of Bristol, offering medical treatment, counseling, and support under one roof.
It’s not so easy to overcome addiction with willpower, you know, for some people it can be done, but realistically, substance disorder is a medical disorder, said Alena Oliver, Staff Counselor at Cedar Recovery.
Program Director at Cedar Recovery, Laurie Street, says each patient begins with a detailed intake process looking at medical history, substance use, blood work, and individual needs before treatment starts.
The intake process can take approximately two hours, so it’s a lot of information we’re gathering to make sure we can provide safe care for those patients, said Street.
For many patients, treatment begins with daily visits to help stabilize their recovery.
The first eight days of treatment, they’re going to be here every day, and then they will work up to some take-home doses so they’re not having to come to the clinic every day, said Street.
But staff say methadone treatment isn’t the end-all, be-all.
Medication is just one part of the treatment. It’s gonna treat their withdrawals and their cravings, but then you also have to treat the behavioral aspects as well, said Street.
Continued support includes connecting patients with community resources and helping them move forward on their own.
Being able to see people get confidence in themselves and feel good about themselves is the main thing for me, said Oliver.
Staff says that progress can reach far beyond the patient, helping families reconnect and allowing people to become productive members of their community.
It’s also better for the whole community. You know we’re connecting with resources. We’re having people who are able to go to work, said Oliver.
Staff tells News 5’s Yannia Nordelo that anyone facing addiction is welcome to seek help, and their main goal is to help people be the best version of themselves.
Source: WCYB
