RELIEF AND RECOVERY

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain usually lasts for a period of six months or more. It is much different than acute pain, which happens in response to a specific problem like a broken bone. Chronic pain can occur from conditions such as back injuries, migraine headaches and arthritis. Chronic pain can also cause severe depression because of the limitations and hopelessness it brings.

What is Addiction?

Addiction is a loss of control over a substance, like pain medication. This can cause you to think about the medicine constantly and cause you to take the medication even though you experience emotional, physical, legal or social consequences. For example, you may have received a DUI or your family may have asked you to stop taking the medication but you continue on with the addictive actions.

What Help is Available?

Many people with chronic pain and addiction are afraid that if they ask for help, all of their medication will be stopped and they will be forced to live in pain.

Our program is different.

The first step is to talk with your physician to be referred for an assessment. During this time, we will work with you to determine:

• What your pain management needs are
• That you are receiving the most appropriate pain management treatment
• If you show traits of addiction or simply physical dependence on your medication
• If any other medical or psychiatric issues are present

After the assessment is complete, we will meet with you and your physician to go over the results and discuss the next steps in your treatment.

For Healthcare Providers

FRN Atlanta offers a compassionate and effective assessment and treatment program for chronic pain patients with co-occurring addictions. Recent research suggests that up to one in four chronic pain patients also struggle with addiction; however, when these patients begin to show signs of addiction they are very difficult to assess and treat appropriately. It is at this point that many patients begin to violate their medication contracts and are discharged from their physician’s practice.

Our goal is to work as a strategic partner with each provider to ultimately return the patient back to the referent’s practice. Our team will work directly with each provider to gather initial referral information and to communicate patient progress effectively throughout the assessment and/or treatment process.

Once a referral is made, the patient is assigned to our assessment manager, who will provide them with step-by-step instructions to guide them through the assessment process. Foundations Atlanta may be able to offer ambulatory detox services for patients entering our program, if medically appropriate.

Our addictionologist continues to follow the patient after leaving treatment, if requested. If a patient completes our program successfully, we offer relapse prevention programs to support them during any type of surgery or procedure that may occur post treatment.

To refer a patient, contact us at 770-594-3060.