Families: Residential Treatment

Sending a loved one to treatment for drug or alcohol addition is a tremendous endeavor for families — emotionally and financially. If you are like most family members, you are torn between the hope that things could change, and the fear that nothing will.

Welcome to Oxford Treatment Center

Your loved one is safely in our care.

Here are three things we want you to know right now:

• You are giving your loved one the best chance to find recovery. At Oxford Treatment Center, our clinical team will apply research-based approaches and decades of experience to help your loved one start a new life in recovery. We encourage you to trust our team’s care and guidance. Meet our treatment team.
• Recovery is a long journey, and this is just the beginning. Addiction does not have a quick fix. Research has shown that most addicted individuals need at least 3 months in treatment to significantly reduce or stop their drug use, and that the best outcomes occur with longer durations of treatment.
• Your recovery matters, too. Families suffer greatly when they have a loved one in addiction. You deserve to find health and wholeness just as much as your loved one does. We encourage you to seek support and to focus on your own rest and renewal while your loved one is in treatment. Find an Al-Anon or Nar-Anon meeting near you.

The First Few Days in Treatment

The first few days in treatment are critical for setting the foundation for a life in sobriety, which is why it is so important that individuals in treatment focus on their recovery efforts. During detox and the first 72 hours of inpatient treatment, patients have limited access to their personal cellphones.

This restricted period lasts for the duration of detox or for the first 72 hours in inpatient care. Our cell phone and electronics policy gives your loved one a chance to adjust to their treatment environment with support from our experienced medical and clinical staff.

Your loved one’s daily routine will depend heavily on their customized treatment plan. However, if the patient consents, our therapists will routinely reach out you and any other family to keep you updated on your loved one’s progress.

Generally, you can expect your loved one to receive daily group, experiential, and recreational therapies, as well as a minimum of one-hour of individual therapy a week. They will also be given any needed medications after every meal and before bed.

Starting on day one, your loved one will also be working to craft an aftercare plan with their treatment team so that both you and they will be prepared when they come home. 

Calling Your Loved One

After the restricted period, your loved one will be able to reach out to contact you during their free time, whether this is through facility phones or their own phone.

Please note: due to our structured treatment schedule, we cannot bring your loved one to the phone if you call. We will be glad to deliver a message for you.

Phone: 662.281.9992
Detox/Medical — Ext. 3
Residential/Receptionist — Ext. 1

Sending Mail

You may send mail to your loved one. If it reaches us after your loved one has left Oxford Treatment Center, we will return it.

Oxford Treatment Center
Attn: Patient Name
297 County Road 244
Etta, MS 38627

What if I Don’t Hear?

Not hearing from a loved one can be alarming, but all the staff here at Oxford are dedicated to your peace of mind.

If you’re not hearing from your loved one, or are just a bit worried, please give us a call anytime at 662-281-9992. (Extension 3 for Detox. Extension 1 for Residential.)

Can I Bring Gifts?

You may send gifts; however, any gift brought or sent to the facility must be checked by staff, especially if it is medical in nature. Any toiletries or tobacco products must be unopened.

Please do not send food, beverages, or any unopened products. All products are subject to search by Oxford staff.

Did you check that mouthwash label for alcohol?

For the protection of our patients and their sobriety, we will search all bags and packages brought onto our campus. Some common items that are not allowed are outside food or drinks, energy drinks, and anything containing alcohol (including toiletry products).

What Is My Role?

If the patient and their therapist agree it may be conducive to recovery, you are strongly encouraged to participate in structured family therapy at Oxford.

Join the Family Support Team on our Alumni App

Knowing what to do while your loved one is in treatment is challenging. Family members of those with substance use disorder also need a support network. That’s why we’ve created a resource specifically for you. When you join the Family Support Team on our Alumni App, you’ll gain valuable tools like:

• A support network of peers where you can share content and engage with other families.
• A gratitude journal to capture positive moments.
• Inspirational content that includes videos and podcasts.
• A recovery counter so you can keep track of healing milestones.

Don’t get lost in the woods!

Some GPS systems give bad directions to our campus, especially when coming from Memphis. Your GPS may say it’s a shortcut — but it’s actually a 12-mile trek down dirt roads through the uninhabited Holly Springs National Forest. Always go through Oxford or New Albany to reach our campus via Highway 30.

Download and print this map for directions to both our Etta and Oxford Resolutions facilities.

“I want to go home!”

Do not be surprised if your loved one wants to leave early, especially as he or she is settling into his or her treatment environment. Resistance to treatment is very common, especially among young adult patients. Our work in therapy includes a range of strategies for helping patients find motivation to engage in treatment.

After completing detox, your loved one may begin to feel a lot better. You may see them looking much more healthy. It’s easy to think the problem is solved. What’s not visible is the far slower process of rewiring that must take place in the brain.

Dealing With Pleas to Leave

Treatment can be hard and uncomfortable. But treatment is also where your loved one will learn:

• Why they haven’t been able to beat addiction on their own.
• How to cope with stress without drugs or alcohol.
• How to enjoy life in sobriety.
• How to draw strength and support from a community.
• How to avoid relapsing, or get back on track if they do.

If your loved one pressures you to bring him or her home Against Medical Advice, encourage them to remain in treatment and get the help they need. Let your loved one’s therapist know right away, so that the treatment team can provide support and intervention. We all want to see your loved one succeed in recovery — not just for a few days but for the rest of their life.

Remember, your loved one will be going through many emotions as they begin their recovery. Symptoms such as physical or emotional discomfort, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, anger, and insomnia are normal. Continue to encourage your loved one that they are doing the right thing by staying in treatment and getting the help they need.

Why Recovery Takes Time

Understanding the treatment process.

Oxford Treatment Center follows research-based guidelines by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).“We’re learning from research that it takes weeks to months for a person’s brain to recover and heal. To me, that’s the biggest barrier for people trying to understand the process of recovery.”

ASAM breaks down drug and alcohol problems into five different levels, and even more sub-levels in between. The goal in treatment is to see an individual to move down that scale, from needing intensive medical management to needing just outpatient care and maintenance. Clinical programs should apply the right amount of therapy and support at each step. From ASAM: What is the ASAM Criteria?

How long the process takes depends on each patient’s situation.

What Happens When Your Loved One Is Ready for Discharge?

The next step for your loved one will depend on where they are in their recovery journey. Many Oxford alumni move to our sober living facility, Resolutions Oxford, just a town away, where they can continue receiving treatment through our PHP or outpatient programs.

If your loved one decides their next stage in recovery is somewhere else, our discharge process will make sure they have the resources they need for success. We’ll work to connect them with local 12-step chapters or AA groups. Additionally, they will have the option of joining the Oxford alumni network, which will keep them in touch with facility staff and connect them to other alumni living in recovery from across the nation.

If your loved one is traveling home via air, we’ll make sure they get to the airport to make their flights.

How Can I Support My Loved One?

Supporting a loved one during the early stages of recovery can be an uncertain business. When your loved one comes home, you may feel nervous about broaching certain subjects. It’s important to maintain a healthy balance of empathy and boundaries.

On the one hand, you’ll want to be there for your loved one, whether in person at their recovery meetings, or in private, lending a nonjudgmental ear to their troubles. On the other, it’s important to take care of yourself as well.

Remember, you can be emotionally supportive to your loved one while also setting healthy boundaries and prioritizing your health and wellness. 

Discuss Relapse

It’s important to understand that relapse is not a failure but rather a recurring symptom of the chronic disease called addiction. Many people who find lasting recovery relapsed one or more times along the way. However, while relapses are common, there are ways to help reduce the risk.

First and foremost, during treatment at Oxford, your loved one will attend various relapse prevention classes and will learn to recognize triggers. Some of these topics, such as removing temptations from your home, are discussed in family programming.

When your loved one comes home, watch closely for signs of impending relapse and seek help if you notice your loved one’s resolve begins to deteriorate.

Stay Involved

Addiction takes its toll on everyone it touches, not just the addicted individual. Your involvement in therapy with your loved one will help to heal conflicts and address lingering issues that cause strain in your relationship and may contribute to relapse.

This involvement need not end when your loved one leaves treatment, either. Families are invited to attend alumni gatherings with their loved ones in order to be supportive.

How Can I Support Myself?

It’s tempting to want to try and fix your loved one’s problems, but, at the end of the day, recovery is something an individual must want to achieve and must take responsibility for.

The most important thing for a loved one of an individual struggling with addiction is to maintain your boundaries. You didn’t cause your loved one’s addiction, and you can’t control it either. But you can control how you care for yourself, and how you choose to support your loved one.

Finding meetings can be one of the best ways for you to establish those boundaries, learn to realize when you’re enabling vs. helping, and practice self-love and self-care, while also being a supportive force in your loved one’s recovery:

• Al-Anon – A 12-step support group for people who worry about the drinking of someone they care about.
• Nar-anon – A 12-step program for those whose lives have been affected by a loved one’s drug use.
• Co-dependents Anonymous – A support group for those looking to gain healthy relationships free from codependence.

Our 90-Day Promise

Getting a loved one into treatment is a tremendous step toward recovery. While a brief detox or a traditional 28-day treatment can be beneficial, research has shown that treatment for at least 90 days leads to a far better chance of long-term recovery.

American Addiction Centers offers a 90-Day Brand Promise. If your loved one completes 90 days of treatment with Oxford Treatment Center or another AAC facility — then relapses — he or she can come back to treatment for an additional 30 days at no charge. AAC is the only major treatment provider to offer such a promise.

Behavioral Healthcare: AAC outcomes study confirms industry efficacy

Learn More About Addiction Treatment

• Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Mississippi
• Medical Detox Centers
• Inpatient Treatment Centers
• Outpatient Rehab Centers