At The Star—the men’s rehab center at Lakeview Health—we understand what it takes to overcome addiction and our team of difference makers have the experience, understanding, and dedication to help you recover. We also understand the importance of gender-specific care for our clients. Our gender-responsive, integrative addiction treatment programs go beyond the fundamentals of abstinence and 12-step meetings to address eight additional core aspects of recovery:
By providing this type of focused care, we are able to provide effective substance abuse treatment programs for those in need.
The simple answer is this: when men participate in gender-specific addiction treatment, they tend to stay in treatment longer. It’s a well-documented fact the longer a patient stays in treatment, the less likely they are to relapse. Therefore, gender-specific programs can reduce relapse rates and increase the chance of lifelong, sustained sobriety. But that’s true for both men and women – so what is it about gender-specific treatment that encourages men to stay in treatment longer? When men participate in a men only rehab program, they drop the macho act, admit they need help, own their fears, and start sharing their experience with one another.
More than 11% of adult men in the United States meet the criteria for a substance abuse disorder annually. Overall, one out of every seven Americans ages 12 and older has a substance or alcohol abuse disorder. While addiction afflicts tens of millions of Americans each year, less than half complete treatment. Since addiction is a chronic, incurable disease, treatment is necessary in order to ensure you fully recover.
The risk of experiencing a fatal overdose continues to increase, as overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental death in the country. Addiction can cause personal, career, and relationship problems. When you become addicted to drugs or alcohol, your decision-making process and judgment are impaired, making you more likely to make poor or risky decisions. Therefore, finding the appropriate treatment as early as possible is one of the best ways to prevent substance use disorder or addiction from claiming any more lives.
When it comes to substance use disorder, women and men have different experiences. Men experience cultural stressors differently from women. Similarly, there are expectations presented to men about how and when to use drugs or alcohol. In gender-specific rehab, patients are able to focus exclusively on these kinds of issues. By learning how to identify their unique stressors, how they have developed unhealthy coping mechanisms, and how the abuse of substances has negatively impacted not just themselves but those they care about. Coming to terms with how addiction has affected their work life but their personal life as well is vital in making a lasting recovery.
Research indicates significant differences in the rates and types of drugs men use. For instance, statistics show men are more likely to:
Men also seek and/or avoid treatment for different reasons than women. Men are more likely to:
These factors – almost all of which are enmeshed with issues of masculine identity – cause men to seek treatment later in the course of their addiction, which contributes to the progression of the disease and exposes them to increased physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences.
Gender-Responsive Treatment
Gender-separate treatment is beneficial for men. Group therapy can focus on specifically male issues, and experts suggest that the absence of women may allow men to be more open about their experiences and feelings. It also frees them from the possible distractions of romantic and physical attraction that can be experienced by men as the drugs and alcohol leave their systems and long-repressed feelings are allowed to surface.
Men, Trauma, and Co-Occurring Disorders
Men come to treatment with histories of trauma and often discover co-occurring mental health disorders once they complete a men’s detox program and experience a sustained period of sobriety. On average, men present fewer incidents of trauma and receive dual-diagnoses less often than women. Trauma common to men in treatment is typically rooted in emotional neglect, physical abuse, violence, and experiencing grief or loss early in life. Co-occurring disorders in men are most often ADHD and depression, but it’s not unusual to uncover other mental health disorders. In these cases, dual diagnosis treatment programs can help heal both issues.
At our men’s rehab center in Florida, we offer a variety of amenities as well as programs and services to help our residents feel comfortable and at home while they work through their treatment plans. At Lakeview Health, we understand that by pairing comfortable amenities with comprehensive addiction therapy services and programs, our clients will have the tools they need to succeed.
Many aspects of men’s social lives involve the use of substances, particularly alcohol. Sporting events, guys’ night out, and other men-only events can center on drinking – part of men’s recovery must focus on redefining these experiences. Men with substance use disorders need to learn how to participate in these activities without the use of drugs and alcohol.
When entering rehabilitation, some people have an image in their mind of a very clinical or austere facility. At Lakeview Health, we’ve gone to great lengths to create a facility that is comfortable for patients providing them with not just the treatment resources they need but the amenities to feel comfortable.
An example of Lakeview’s approach to redefining male experiences is the dining facilities of the Star program. The men’s dining room resembles a sports bar, with big-screen TVs and dark wood decor. Because such an environment would normally be a trigger for substance use, it is important men learn to enjoy such spaces without feeling the need to drink. In our dining room, they discover it is possible to watch and enjoy a football game without consuming alcohol. How patients feel in their program at our facility can go a long way to helping them make progress.
Semi-Private Rooms:
We don’t want men who come into our men’s rehab program to feel alone. For this reason, we offer semi-private rooms where men can connect with others going through a similar journey. Isolation doesn’t foster healing. For many men, being isolated or apart from others can contribute to resistance to therapy or make the urge to use more intense. While every patient is treated as an independent person with the right to privacy and all therapy is confidential, sharing space and being around others encourages healing and gives patients the support necessary to get through difficult times.
Jacksonville Beach Bistro:
The Jacksonville Beach Bistro is a restaurant-style setting where men can share meals together. Our dietary team can create personalized nutrition plans to help ensure you’re eating as healthy as possible. Socializing is important in recovery. Most individuals find sharing meals together to be the most natural feeling time to build bonds, get to know one another, and learn more about themselves and how treatment works for everyone. Here at Lakeview Health, we embrace this. Our bistro delivers an engaging environment with quality food.
Recreation Area:
At the Lakeview Health men’s rehab center, we offer both indoor and outdoor activities for men to unwind, including:
Staying active makes recovery easier to work through. Not only does recreation allow individuals to blow off steam, it also provides a feeling of normalcy. Recovery is not about being locked down or restricted in some kind of hospital-like setting. Our treatment programs and facility are designed to give patients the space they need to learn who they are without drugs or alcohol. We encourage patients to embrace their hobbies or learn new ones.
Atlantic Lounge:
The Atlantic Lounge serves dual purposes for men. Not only can men relax and hang out, but they can also participate in My Brain Solutions, which is a computer-based learning and retention program that helps with memory recall and concentration. Addiction can have subtle effects on the mind. For individuals who have been struggling with addiction for a long time, whether drugs or alcohol, working to improve one’s memory and retention is key. It lays a foundation for being able to re-integrate into everyday life without too much difficulty. Similarly, our Atlantic Lounge provides a space to reflect after a long day of treatment or post-therapy.
Our Florida addiction treatment programs are tailored to the unique needs of men during recovery. Men can, at times, have a more difficult time expressing and sharing complex or embarrassing thoughts, feelings, and emotions during therapy. Because of how our society has been formed, men are conditioned to keep these feelings buried and work through their problems alone. This type of pressure can often result in the abuse of substances. At Lakeview Health men’s rehab center, we craft specialized treatments to improve your ability to communicate and benefit from therapy.
Our clinical team meets regularly to discuss their experiences working with our patients. Therapists in our men only rehab program observe that when women aren’t present, men:
Taken as a whole, these factors lead to a more open, honest, and reflective treatment experience for men. They open up to one another, share things they never thought they would say out loud to anyone, and delve deep into issues they never thought applied to them. There’s also the fact that men’s only treatment groups remove the potential romantic distractions presented by members of the opposite sex.
Across all our addiction treatment programs, patients can take advantage of numerous therapeutic programs. For example, our male patients can take advantage of group therapy where they can work alongside their gender peers to explore not just their own issues but how others have approached similar issues or situations. Group therapy can serve as an excellent support to individual counseling giving patients the ability to explore in private and with others particular feelings, ideas, and experiences. Some other therapies we offer include:
These therapeutic approaches allow our team of difference makers help patients get at the core of their issues surrounding substance abuse. We pride ourselves in how we work with patients to make sure everything in their treatment is geared towards their goals in recovery. Achieving sobriety can be daunting but with the right support patients can heal and make a lasting recovery.
PHILIP WARRICK
Clinical Manager
“We’re a community at Lakeview Health, a fellowship of patients and employees. Our goal is to create a healthy foundation for recovery. During the first days of your stay, you’ll learn a lot about the disease of addiction as you get comfortable with your surroundings. Then you transition to the counseling phase of your treatment, which is when you’re assigned a primary therapist. That’s when the good stuff happens! Listening, discussing, and learning.”
Mornings at Lakeview are usually spent in various group therapy sessions. In the afternoon, you have access to our wellness center and fitness programs with certified personal trainers. After dinner, we provide 12-Step meetings often featuring guest speakers sharing their story and providing a positive influence from someone who was once in their shoes.
Group sessions are where people in recovery begin to address the root causes of their addiction. You work with licensed therapists to address past trauma, emotional issues, and personality disorders. Psychotherapy and psychoeducation groups allow men to share thoughts and feelings, support their peers, and learn new skills and tools to cope with life’s challenges in healthier ways.
Attending to your health and wellness through physical activity contributes to recovery. A healthy body provides greater energy and concentration, stabilizes emotional states, and can reduce cravings for substances. Instead of being in a place to bulk-up, our state-of-the-art gym focuses on getting men in shape as an aspect of their recovery.
Various programs help patients focus on their overall wellness. Time spent in the gym introduces you to both strength training and cardio workouts, with enough variety in the sessions that everyone will find something he enjoys. Men also attend yoga sessions where they learn to achieve physical and spiritual balance.
Twelve-Step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are available at Lakeview Health to provide encouragement, support, and fellowship to those in recovery. We also offer Celebrate Recovery meetings focusing on an intentionally Christian approach to the 12-Step tradition.
Educational opportunities focus on issues related to recovery. Lectures on nutrition, fitness, aftercare, and overall wellness complement the skills learned in other aspects of the program.
Expressive therapies provide you with ways to begin to reconnect with emotions suppressed by drug and alcohol use.
Music therapy gives patients the opportunity to be introspective about lyrics, tempo, and beat. This, in turn, gives them permission to explore and become more comfortable with feelings.
Residential treatment program:
When many imagine rehab, they are picturing residential treatment. In this addiction program, patients live at our facility for the duration of their treatment. Doing so allows them to focus solely upon their recovery.
Partial hospitalization program:
For some patients, structured treatment is necessary but they still need freedom to pursue their work or personal responsibilities. When this is the case, PHP is an excellent option. Patients come to our facility for a set block of hours every day. Sometimes referred to as day treatment, PHP gives flexibility as it also delivers the necessary structured treatment to heal from addiction.
Intensive outpatient program:
An IOP is designed for patients with a more mild addiction or who have already completed a treatment program and need support to maintain sobriety or return to the path of recovery because of a relapse. Similar to PHP, this treatment program is condensed delivering high-quality treatment at our facility but built around the patient’s schedule. Patients leave the facility after treatment giving them the ability to continue working, school, and stay engaged in their family life.
Aftercare program:
Once patients leave a treatment program they still may feel they need some kind of support. Our aftercare program at Lakeview Health is designed to provide those in early recovery with the resources and personal support they need to make their recovery lasting.
Alumni program:
When patients have been able to successfully manage the chronic disease of addiction, participating in our alumni program is a way of giving back. It also allows patients to stay engaged and keep their own recovery strong.
When you are battling addiction, alcoholism, or a substance abuse disorder, you can feel trapped. Finding help from our men’s rehab center in Florida is the first step in your recovery. We have the expertise, understanding, and dedication necessary to help you reach your recovery goals. Contact Lakeview Health today at 904.677.5010 to learn more about your treatment options.
We currently accept Aetna, Cigna, and United Healthcare. We do not currently accept Medicare, Medicaid, or Florida Blue.
Taking the first step towards recovery can be daunting, but knowing your options for care is paramount to your success. Fill out the form below and one of our team members will reach out to help you get started.