“Archangels gave me my life back. Their team is the most amazing, caring people I have ever met. The housing they sent me to was amazing, the groups are amazing, and this whole project is amazing. If you're tired of being sick and tired, reach out and save your life.”
“This facility is run by some of the best people you could ever ask for. They are extremely professional and truly dedicated to helping those struggling with mental health and addiction. They truly saved my life. I will be forever grateful for everything they did for me.”
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Plain, fact-first answers about how care works here. Want to talk to a person? Call (888) 464-2144.
A 60-second walkthrough of the Tinton Falls clinic, the space where the program actually runs.
Prescription medications are the starting point for a significant fraction of substance use disorders in the United States. The path is usually not what people imagine: it is rarely a single decision to misuse. It is more often a gradual drift from "as prescribed" to "a little more than prescribed for a few weeks," then to running out early, then to filling at multiple pharmacies, then to buying online or from other people, then to whatever the original medication has become on the street. By the time the person notices, the original problem the medication was prescribed for is buried under the new problem the medication has created.
This page covers the prescription medication classes most commonly involved in use disorders, how to recognize when use has crossed into a disorder, and what treatment looks like across the continuum.
Prescription opioids include oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco), oxymorphone, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), morphine, codeine, tramadol, and methadone (when prescribed for pain). Originally prescribed for acute or chronic pain. Tolerance and physical dependence develop with daily use; for many people, use disorder follows.
The clinical features and treatment mirror what is described in opioid use disorder, with two notes: prescribed opioids can produce use disorder without any decision to "abuse" the medication, and the transition from prescribed opioids to illicit opioids (often fentanyl-contaminated) is a known and dangerous pathway.
Alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium), temazepam (Restoril). Prescribed for anxiety, panic, insomnia, alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. Physical dependence develops in weeks; withdrawal can be medically dangerous, including risk of seizures.
The clinical features and treatment are detailed in benzodiazepine dependence. The key point for prescribed-then-misused patterns: stopping suddenly is dangerous; a medical taper is essential.
Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), amphetamine-dextroamphetamine (Adderall), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), and similar medications. Prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy. When used as prescribed, evidence of misuse-driven addiction is much lower than with opioids or benzodiazepines, but it does occur, particularly in:
Patterns can escalate to misuse via crushing and snorting, injecting, or using doses well beyond prescribed amounts. Pharmacologically, prescription stimulants produce the same family of effects as cocaine and methamphetamine; the use disorder picture overlaps. See methamphetamine and cocaine.
Zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata). Sometimes called "Z-drugs." Act on GABA receptors similarly to benzodiazepines, though with different pharmacological profiles. Dependence and use disorder can develop, particularly with longer-term daily use.
Gabapentin and pregabalin (prescribed for nerve pain and seizures) are increasingly involved in use-disorder patterns, often in combination with other substances. Muscle relaxants (carisoprodol especially) have abuse potential. Some prescription cough medications containing codeine or hydrocodone are involved in misuse patterns.
The trajectory often looks something like this:
1. A medical event (back pain, anxiety attacks, sleep problem, ADHD diagnosis) prompts a prescription. 2. The medication works. The original problem improves. 3. Tolerance develops; the same dose stops working as well. 4. The person uses a little more, or a little earlier, "just to get through" specific situations. 5. The prescribing clinician is not aware. Or is aware and renews. Or refuses to renew and the person fills the gap from other sources. 6. The use pattern shifts toward avoiding withdrawal rather than treating the original symptom. 7. By the time the issue is named, the original condition is still present and now a use disorder is layered on top of it.
This is not failure of character. It is how the pharmacology of these medications interacts with how human beings respond to relief.
Group rooms, private therapy offices, the medical office, family programming rooms, and the wellness space, designed for clinical depth and nervous-system regulation.
The DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder apply identically to prescribed medications. Two or more of the following in twelve months indicates a use disorder, with severity graded by the count:
The "not counted" footnote on tolerance and withdrawal is important. Physical dependence on a prescribed medication, used as prescribed, is not a use disorder by itself. The other criteria distinguish dependence from disorder.
The treatment depends on the medication class.
Same as opioid use disorder: medication-assisted treatment (Suboxone, Sublocade, Vivitrol; methadone not in our formulary), CBT, trauma-informed care, relapse prevention, and the outpatient continuum. Often a coordinated medical detox is the right starting point. See medical detox in Tinton Falls or medical detox in Charlotte.
Underlying chronic pain, where it was the original reason for the prescription, needs ongoing management with non-opioid strategies. The Archangel team works with the client's pain medical team.
Same as benzodiazepine dependence: medical taper supervised by the medical provider, treatment of underlying anxiety with non-addictive medications and CBT/exposure therapy, and the outpatient continuum.
Behavioral treatment as the cornerstone (contingency management, CBT, the Matrix Model), assessment for ADHD and re-evaluation of medication strategy with the medical provider, and the outpatient continuum.
Medical taper, treatment of underlying insomnia using CBT for insomnia (CBT-I, an evidence-based non-pharmacological treatment), and the outpatient continuum if appropriate.
If you are a clinician concerned about a patient's pattern of use, or a family member concerned about a loved one's prescribed medication use, this is a clinical conversation that benefits from a coordinated specialist consult. Call (888) 464-2144 to discuss without committing to a treatment course. The admissions team can talk through options and refer if Archangel is not the right fit.
Treatment integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, and trauma-informed care with EMDR available in individual therapy. The medical provider manages MAT (Suboxone, Vivitrol, Sublocade) and psychiatric medications when indicated.
Intake uses the full evidence-based battery: ASAM Criteria, LOCUS for mental health acuity, PHQ-9, GAD-7, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, plus biopsychosocial, nutrition, and pain screens. The assessment drives the treatment plan from day one.
See Our Modalities“I came back from rock bottom. I'm here because I want to show others they can too. This isn't just a business. It's my mission.”- Mike Sorrentino, Founder
Mike and Lauren Sorrentino did not set out to build a generic treatment center. They wanted a recovery-grounded program that mixes lived experience, licensed clinical expertise, and family programming that actually moves the needle for the people who love someone in active addiction.
The clinic that resulted is small enough that each client knows their primary therapist by name, but resourced enough to deliver the full ASAM continuum from Partial Care through outpatient continuing care, with MAT and EMDR available when clinically indicated.
Read the Full StoryMost clients leave the first admissions call with a clinical assessment, an insurance verification, and a scheduled start date. Recovery starts with a decision, not a commitment. The admissions line is staffed around the clock.
Confidential, 24/7 admissions. Same-week placement is often available. Verify your insurance free of charge before any commitment.
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