When deciding on the best treatment center for an individual, there are some steps that need to be considered. Not considering these factors can mean the difference between being on the road to a successful recovery or the road to relapse.
Perhaps the first, and most important step, is the individual’s desire to maintain sobriety. It’s highly likely that the addicted individual spent years under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other vice as a means of escaping the issues that have plagued the individual’s life for a long time. The addict needs to come to the understanding where he/she realizes that the former way of living is damaging to not only himself/herself, but also to loved ones. It is only when the problem is recognized that real healing can begin.
Once the need to seek treatment is seen and agreed upon, the next step is choosing the best treatment center. In order to do this, one must practice “due diligence”. Now what does that mean? There are thousands of rehab facilities across the country, but not all of them will have the best interest of the addict at heart. Rising addiction rates have caused many unlicensed and unprofessional places to open up with goals that will never be beneficial for the recovering addict. Though the Affordable Care Act had made treatment more of a possibility, there are treatment centers whose primary purpose is to capitalize on the growing market. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That is why it is vital to do some research beforehand when choosing a treatment facility.
Once research has been done, the next step is to choose a few treatment centers as possible options. When contacting these facilities, it would be helpful to have a list of questions ready to be answered by treatment staff.
Such questions that may be asked include:
- Is the treatment facility certified by an addiction treatment regulatory agency?
- Do you offer a full continuum of care?
- What treatments do you provide to clients?
- Do you offer support for families and partners?
- What aftercare services do you provide?
- What are your accommodations like and what amenities do you provide?
- Can I schedule a tour?
- Is my insurance accepted or do you provide a sliding scale for payment?
The most common forms of treatment are inpatient and outpatient. At an inpatient center, the patient will stay at the rehab facility. In an outpatient facility, the patient stays at home, but attends treatment during the day. However there are costs and benefits to consider, For example, inpatient facilities have higher success rates, provide around the clock medical and emotional support, and limit the distractions of everyday life. But inpatient centers are also more expensive, cause disruption to daily life, and are designed to treat more serious addictions so someone identified as having a mild addiction problem would not benefit from an inpatient program. Outpatient programs are more affordable, create an opportunity for patients to maintain a normal daily routine, and allow the patient to return home after daily treatment. But outpatient programs have lower success rates.
One thing to keep in mind is that every treatment center has different types of addictions they specialize in treating, such as a specific drug or dual diagnosis. Some treatment centers have better success rates with some addictions over others. So it is important to choose a treatment center that both specializes in and has a positive track record of treating the specific needs of the intended patient.
Location is another aspect to consider when choosing a treatment center. This has been a debatable topic with treatment professionals in recent years as to whether or not to choose a rehab facility that is in close proximity to where the addict actually lives. Although a nearby treatment center is convenient and may be an only choice for individuals with commitments close to home that prevent them from being away for an extended period of time, it is more beneficial for an addict to be as far away for rehab because it breaks the connections more between the addict and their former life, which includes toxic relationships and routines that promote addictive behavior.
As with anything that is of value in life, an addict who desires to maintain sobriety will need to practice hard work and perseverance. The same is true in finding the right treatment center. Each addict is unique and no one treatment approach will work for all addicts. Choosing the treatment center that will best fit the needs of the addict will not only benefit the addict now in recovery, bit also the family and eventually society in general.