What Should a Person Consider When Choosing a Drug Treatment Program?
For many, the idea of going to a treatment facility because of alcohol or drug addiction is a sign of defeat. People can convince themselves that it’s easier to continue down the spiral of addiction and self-destruction than ask for help. While taking that initial step is one of the hardest aspects of the recovery process, it’s the choice that will change your life for the better.
No matter how tough you think you are, substance use disorders make your life harder and put a serious strain on your physical and mental health. If you’re ready to take the jump and explore your treatment options, read on to discover 10 tips to help you find the right addiction treatment program for you.
1. The Rehab Program's Location
If you’re wondering what a person should consider when choosing a drug treatment program, you might think success rate should be the first thing to look at. However, because there’s no standard way to present this information or categorically define success, it’s not particularly helpful. Most drug and alcohol rehabs self-report success, making it more of a marketing ploy than data-driven information.
The best way to choose a drug addiction treatment program is to pay careful attention to the details. However, perhaps the first point to consider is whether you start a rehabilitation program in your local area or travel to a distant location.
Benefits of Traveling
- Traveling to inpatient rehab is more logical than to outpatient.
- You get a unique opportunity to hit the reset button with a complete change of scenery.
- You avoid the risks of seeing someone you know.
- You distance yourself from triggers and temptation.
- You reduce the risk of quitting early.
- You get access to treatment modalities that aren’t available locally.
You can enjoy the beauty of a remote location.
Benefits of Staying Local
- Local rehab is more appropriate for outpatient programs.
- You save time and money on transportation.
- You get support from friends and family.
- You’ll attend aftercare locally with the same treatment provider.
- People with anxiety or other mental health issues might need to remain local to avoid stress.
2. Staff Qualifications
Drug and alcohol addiction treatment is a matter of health care, so staff qualifications are of the utmost importance. Helping individuals overcome alcohol and drug abuse disorders requires years of training, specialized knowledge and recognized postgrad certification. Always read the section on a treatment provider’s website that introduces you to the team so you can make sure the treatment plan is staffed by experts.
3. Price-to-Quality Ratio
Rehab centers can charge an exorbitant amount of money and, provided the facilities are attractive, call themselves a luxury treatment facility. Be incredibly wary about attending a program that focuses on style over substance. If you’re paying above the average, not only should the clinic be state of the art, with a resort-like look and feel, but it should also offer a wide range of treatment modalities and have a very small intake.
Likewise, if you’re looking for a budget rehab, make sure you don’t choose a substandard facility. Alcohol and drug treatment should be affordable but offer an abundance of tools and resources to help you overcome your current situation and reshape your future.
4. Evidence-Based Treatment
When you’re considering which rehab facility to attend, therapy and counseling should be at the forefront of your decision. The main portion of your time in treatment is spent attending group and individual counseling sessions that help you understand your motivations for alcohol and drug use. Even more importantly, these sessions help you stay in the present moment so you can develop new coping mechanisms and tools to help you stay sober.
The 12 Steps
The 12-step modality has been practiced for nearly 100 years, with its beginnings in Alcoholics Anonymous. The creators of this method understood that for people to overcome addiction, a full transformation is required. Each step helps attendees make the necessary changes to let them regain control over their future and choose a different path than substance abuse.
Group Psychotherapy
In addition to 12-step meetings, group psychotherapy is a highly successful evidence-based treatment method. During these sessions, the group explores the reasons for their behavior with a small amount of focus on the past and a big focus on how to impact the future. Hearing about other people’s experiences is one of the most soothing and insightful aspects of attending rehab.
Individual Counseling
Although many people think one-on-one therapy is the most effective method, it’s actually more effective when delivered in combination with group therapy. You get the opportunity to explore your own motivations and history in greater detail, with guidance that’s specific to your needs. When choosing the best rehab facility for you, make sure it offers a combination of group and individual therapy from qualified counselors.
If you’ve experienced trauma in your life, you’re more likely to develop a substance use disorder. Therapy such as EMDR, CBT and psychotherapy can be incredibly helpful in working through and overcoming trauma.
5. Holistic Therapies
Science’s understanding of addiction evolves every year, with new types of treatment becoming available faster than the regulators can verify them. Plus, there are some activities and daily habits that support and enhance the therapy process. Fitness, nutrition and sleep health are absolutely essential during the recovery process — and as part of maintaining long-term sobriety. Some of the most effective holistic therapies for addiction include:
- Yoga
- CrossFit
- Hiking
- Satori Chair
- Alpha-Stim
- Mindfulness
- Art and music therapy
6. Length and Type of Stay
One of the main things most scientists agree on is that there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to addiction treatment. Everyone responds differently depending on their needs and backgrounds. As such, the most important thing that a person should consider when choosing a drug treatment program is how well it suits them as an individual.
Avoid Short-Term Substance Abuse Treatment
When it comes to the length of stay, timeframe matters. It takes at least 28 days to develop a new habit, and overcoming addiction is all about reframing your lifestyle and changing your habits. Going for a detox, then attending rehab for a week or two, is unlikely to help you achieve long-term sobriety unless you’re coping with a very new and mild substance use disorder.
To achieve your goals, you need a strict routine and a deep understanding of why you need to make the necessary changes. Trying to cram all of this into a short space of time simply isn’t practical and increases the chances of relapse.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
If you already have a diagnosis for a condition like anxiety or depression — or you’re concerned that you have symptoms — you might need dual diagnosis treatment. It’s important to address any underlying mental health problems and treat them separately, so anyone with more than one condition must choose a facility that offers this type of treatment.
Inpatient Treatment
If you’re struggling with a moderate to severe substance use disorder, the most effective type of treatment is likely to be residential. When you sleep away from home, you get the chance to totally redefine your lifestyle. Addiction rewires the centers in your brain that are responsible for motivation, pleasure, reward and excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters.
Rebalancing all these chemicals requires more than just a few weeks substance-free. Mental health, lifestyle, nutrition, exercise and consistency all contribute to the healthy functioning of your body and mind.
Outpatient Treatment
If you have a mild substance use disorder, outpatient rehab might be the most appropriate treatment for you. The main difference between outpatient and residential rehab is the fact that you sleep at home for the former. In some cases, a mild SUD could be the beginning of a more severe problem, so residential treatment would also be appropriate under these circumstances.
7. Small Intake
A factor that’s guaranteed to make your time in rehab more valuable is a small number of attendees. Lots of treatment programs accept between 50-100 people at any one time, which makes getting personalized treatment harder. Due to the fact that treating substance use disorders depends heavily on customized care, the fewer people there are in a program, the better.
Recovery Works is an affordable residential rehab center in Canada that accepts no more than 10 individuals at one time. We offer a broad range of therapies and go the extra mile to help each person in our care find the best ways to overcome addiction.
Get Advice About Choosing a Rehab Facility
Making the decision to get sober is huge, and you should be incredibly proud that you’ve taken the first step on your recovery journey. Make sure you conduct thorough research on any treatment providers you’re considering so you find the right treatment program for your needs.
The Recovery Works program offers everything you need to develop a lifestyle that’s conducive to long-term abstinence. Call us today at 778-430-1212 to find out more.
Fitness Training – We view physical fitness as one of the pillars of recovery. That’s why we train twice-weekly at Cross Fit Vic City with instructors that train elite Canadian athletes. Additionally we hike in the forest and on nearby beaches and take advantage of the wide range of recreational opportunities that Victoria has to offer.
Psycho-education – A big part of recovery is learning about the disease of addiction to alcohol and other drugs and how to recover – stay clean and sober. The Recovery Works psycho-education program is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention. Our program includes lectures, videos, guest speakers, reading and written assignments on the disease of addiction and recovery from it.
One on One Counselling – Individual counseling is exactly what it sounds like. It is one of our therapists working one on one with a resident. They meet and agree on some goals for their work together. The great thing about Recovery Works’ one on one therapy is the individual is able to have a safe and confidential environment to talk about difficult things and get unbiased, objective feedback and suggestions from our therapists.
Group Therapy – Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. At Recovery Works we employ psychodynamic group therapy where the group context and group process is used as a mechanism of change by developing, exploring and examining interpersonal relationships within the group.