Preferred Barbiturate Addiction Treatment Center in Memphis, Tennessee

Delta Specialty Hospital helps individuals struggling with alcohol or drug addiction build a strong foundation for long-term recovery. Serving Memphis, TN, Delta is the preferred provider of substance abuse recovery.

Learn More About Barbiturate Addiction Treatment

Learn more about barbiturate addiction treatment at Delta Specialty Hospital in Memphis, TN

Barbiturates are a group of medications that fall into the sedative-hypnotic class of drugs. These drugs, known on the street as “downers,” “yellow jackets,” “goof balls,” and “blue velvet” are named after the anxiety-reducing and sleep-inducing effects they cause. First used in medicine in the early 1900’s, barbiturates became popular as anxiety, insomnia, and seizure disorder medications in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The growing popularity of barbiturate use in the medical community led to widespread abuse of the drug. After the negative side effects of barbiturates were made common knowledge, physicians stopped prescribing them, instead using a newer class of anti-anxiety drugs, the benzodiazepines.

Individuals abuse barbiturates because of their ability to reduce anxiety, inhibitions, and treat the effects of illegal drugs. Individuals who abuse barbiturates often do so by crushing the pills and snorting them or mixing them with water and injecting them into the veins or muscles of the body to produce immediate effects. Unfortunately, barbiturates are very dangerous drugs – the dose needed to induce feelings of sedation and anxiety relief is very similar to the dose that can lead to coma and death. Barbiturates are also dangerous because they are highly addictive – addiction and tolerance can develop from using high doses of this group of drugs for as short of a period as a single month. If barbiturates are abruptly discontinued, a life-threatening withdrawal symptoms may occur.

Many individuals who abuse barbiturates opt to mix them with other types of drugs. Some will combine barbiturate abuse with other downers, such as opiates, alcohol, or benzodiazepines to increase feelings of intoxication. Others will combine barbiturates with stimulants (“uppers”) such as methamphetamines or cocaine to reduce the unpleasant side effects of these drugs. These combinations are particularly deadly – mixing downers can lead to marked respiratory depression and death while mixing downers with uppers can lead to cardiovascular complications such as heart attack or stroke.

Why Consider Treatment

Why consider treatment for barbiturate addiction at Delta Specialty Hospital in Memphis, TN

When you’re addicted to barbiturates, you may feel trapped in a vicious cycle; you may want to quit using the drug, but you know that you must be properly detoxed under the care of trained specialists in a rehab. You may realize that your relationships with loved ones have become strained and uncomfortable as many shy away from you. You may be dealing with mounting financial and legal problems and can’t see a way out. You may feel alone, desperate, and unsure of how to fix this mess. Let Delta Specialty Hospital help you get clean and stay clean.

At Delta Specialty Hospital, we offer individuals who are addicted to barbiturates and other drugs of abuse the unique ability to receive both psychiatric care and medical care under the same roof. Our combination of treatment approaches has helped many individuals struggling through substance abuse get clean and learn the appropriate skills needed to maintain their sobriety. Our committed team of professionals will treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve as you come face-to-face with your addiction demons.

Our Philosophy

Delta Specialty Hospital philosophy and treatment benefits

At Delta Specialty Hospital, we’re proud to be a beacon of light to all members of our community. We selflessly devote our time to helping individuals just like you overcome their addictions and begin to see the future in a whole new light. The unique inclusion of our behavioral health center inside of a major medical center will allow us to gain an understanding of the challenges you face as well as treat them as they arise. We aim to do right by each person who comes to us for help and continue to support them long after they’ve left our rehab center. We’ve helped many men and women just like you get sober and develop ways to maintain their sobriety and continue their healing journey long after they’ve left our center.

Types of Treatment

Types of barbiturate addiction treatment offered at Delta Specialty Hospital in Memphis, TN

When you come to us for help for your barbiturate addiction, you’ll first undergo a series of medical and psychological examinations. The medical evaluation will be performed in order to provide us with a picture of your level of physical dependence upon barbiturates as well as any other drugs you may have in your system. We’ll also assess your medical needs to determine if your drug use has caused negative health consequences and develop an appropriate treatment plan. The psychological examination will allow us to learn more about you, the level of psychological dependence on barbiturates, reasons you may have become addicted, as well as the presence (or absence) of co-occurring mental illnesses.

If it has been determined that you are in need of detox before joining our rehab center, detoxification will be your first step. During the detox process, we will safely and effectively remove all the drugs in your body, ensuring comfort and around-the-clock care. We know the anxiety that can be associated with detox, so we work hard to explain everything that happens to you before it happens so that there are no surprises. When you are medically stabilized, you will then transfer to our inpatient addiction rehab center.

Medication may be used at the beginning of your treatment in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms and slowly tapered down as you learn more appropriate coping strategies. Others may require long-term medication management to help treat any co-occurring mental illnesses. The usage of medication will be up to you and your treatment team.

Individual therapy is used to help you work through some of the emotions surrounding your addiction. We’ll focus tightly on problem-solving behaviors so that you can emerge from our rehab center ready to tackle the challenges in your life.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a technique we use that challenges the negative ways in which you view the world and seeks to replace them with more positive ones. This can, in turn, change your behavior for the better.

Group therapy is our main therapeutic method as it allows you the opportunity to work with individuals struggling with related problems so that you can work through them together. We offer both process-based groups and psychoeducational groups on a daily basis. Process groups are designed to allow you the chance to explore your feelings about topics related to your diagnosis. Psychoeducational groups allow us the opportunity to teach you ways to cope with your addiction, handle problems, prevent relapse, and learn coping mechanisms.

Addiction is a family disease and we want to include your family in your treatment. Addiction rehab is far more successful when you have the support of your loved ones. We’ll offer family sessions to allow you the time to work through the problems addiction has caused in your relationship as we seek to mend any broken ties. We’ll also provide your loved ones with community resources such as A.A. and N.A. in order to allow for their continued healing.

We also are proud to offer a number of complimentary therapies to help heal the whole you – mind, body, and soul. These experiential treatments include:

  • Recreational activities
  • Spiritual guidance
  • Nutrition and wellness counseling
  • Therapeutic activities

Continuing Care

Continuing care and levels of treatment for barbiturate addiction

When it comes time for you to move onto the next phase of your treatment, you’ll work closely with your treatment team to develop an aftercare plan that addresses your ongoing sobriety needs. Some of our patients opt to continue in a heavily structured environment, such as found in a residential treatment center. Others decide that one of our two amazing outpatient options are exactly the right fit for them. Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) meets Monday through Friday for twenty hours of therapy a week. Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) meets three days a week for four hours a day. Both treatment options offer similar therapies as our inpatient rehab center. Others find that they feel ready to return to a safe home environment and continue their progress on an outpatient basis. In the event you’re returning home, we’ll provide referrals to outpatient therapists and connections with community resources to help maintain your hard-earned sobriety.

I have been in and out of treatment for years and could not remain sober for more than a couple years sometimes no more than 60 days. I finally found Delta Specialty Hospital and they saved my life -- please go here if you want the best care and the most amazing staff!

– Former Patient
Trusted Excellence
  • Memphis Chamber of Commerce
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
  • Professional Network on Aging
  • Tennessee Hospital Association
  • Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network
  • The Jason Foundation
  • The Joint Commission (JCAHO) Gold Seal of Approval