Most people who are looking for drug treatment do so under a lot of heavy stress. In most cases their loved one has either recently told them that they have been using drugs for an extended period of time and would now like to get help, or they are trying to get help themselves. When choosing a drug and alcohol treatment program, it is vital to know some basics about those programs, as this information will ultimately become the deciding factor for you or your loved one.
First, the biggest thing is, does the person actually want to be helped. No matter how much you want someone to get better they need to be the ones who are reaching to change their life. A treatment program can be the best one in the world, but if a person is not willing to change their ways then you’re in for an uphill battle to get the person into treatment. A common phrase you will hear with counselors on this subject is that a person has to hit their bottom before they can be helped. There is some truth to this in that the individual has to be able to see for themselves that they are the cause of their current condition or state. Once this occurs, the person is more likely to ask to get into treatment. Once again they need to want it, you cannot force treatment or give a person an ultimatum, if done it will not work out in the long run.
Second, now that you have their agreement to get help, you need to find a program that will take them. This is the tricky part, now that you have the person’s agreement to go into a program you only have a small window before they start withdrawing and then need to go out and find more drugs. So time is crucial in being able to get a person into a program. I want to give you a little bit of a background on drug rehabilitation programs as a business, because after all they are businesses, and like most businesses offer various services. There are two main types of treatment, there is outpatient (where a person visits the rehab program, but does not stay there physically) and inpatient (where the individual is enrolled and stays until they have completed the program). Historically, people suffering from addictions have had much better results with long term inpatient programs lasting a minimum of 90 days than that of outpatient programs.
Now, here comes the confusing part, both outpatient and inpatient programs offer a whole myriad of different types of services. The question becomes “Well which services should I be interested in enrolling my loved one or myself in?” That answer may be determined by your faith, there are a lot of faith based programs that are excellent, it may be decided by the method in which was told to you that works, like twelve-step programs or holistic programs. The method is important because in order for the individual to get better they need to feel comfortable wherever they end up going.
This method is important, but there is something even more important to look at in making this decision, let me break it down for you. Most programs throughout the United States apply what we could call substitution treatment, which is when a person is coming off of a drug, another prescription or pharmaceutical drug is prescribed as a substitute. Though this will offset the withdrawal symptoms it will take longer and be much more difficult in recovering them from addiction.
It has become more and more known that the dangers prescription drugs are having in getting people addicted, so in my own personal experience, I would strongly advise you to look for programs that do not use substitution treatment. Do not be afraid to ask them if they administer drugs to their clients, you are well within your rights. Now, depending on the severity of the addiction to drugs like heroin, Oxycontin, alcohol, methadone, etc… medical detoxification may be needed to safely wean the person off of that particular drug. Medical detoxification consists of using substitute drugs, medically administered on lower and lower doses. The case in which a person needs medical detoxification is such that if they decided to quit “cold turkey” as they say, there is a potentiality that it could be life threatening. Please know that medical detoxification is not a solution to addiction, it is merely what is required so that the person can safely enter a treatment program thereafter.
Once it has been established either by a counselor or doctor how sever the persons addiction is you can begin to figure out which type of program method is best. As mentioned above, non-narcotic programs can create a faster change in the person who is recovering, but both are readily available. A good indicator of whether or not a treatment program is a good fit is by speaking with the admission counselors. If they are quick to get your insurance number or start talking money, then you know that this is the motivation of the business in which you are calling. If the person takes the time to talk to you and actually learn about the person that they are trying to help, this is a really good indicator. Homework is good to do, but again with the time factor going against you, trust your instincts. Be honest with the counselors and be honest with yourself. If the conversation is not going the way you would like or you feel that it is not working well then, thank them for their time and move on.
Once you have decided on a program, costs then become the next thing to confront. Some of the most expensive and luxurious treatment programs in the world are only 30 day programs and offer substitution treatment. Amenities are important if you or your loved one are going to be away, but do not neglect the structure of the program in making this decision either. After all you are trying to help your loved one free themselves from addiction. Therefore the program that they will do, should define the tools and life skills that they stand to acquire, it is okay to pick their mind on these subjects, you want to make an informed decision.
Lastly, in making a final decision on where to send your loved one, please take into consideration the environment. If your loved one enters a program that is down the street, one town away, or even an hour’s drive this is still within the area in which they used, in which case they will find away to get drugs or do something that interrupts their progress. The reason for this is because that particular environment is extremely restimulative of times when they were using. A suggestion, look outside of your state, other parts of the country if you can afford it, it will make it a lot easier on you or your loved one.
This advice should serve you well if you are ever in the market for drug rehabilitation programs. Obviously it is not an industry like buying a car or furniture, that you might do once every couple of years. However, when you do need it, please be thankful that it is there. Professionals who work in the drug rehabilitation field, to a large degree have had their own past experience with drugs and alcohol, which makes them stronger counselors and solidifies their purpose. We truly care to help the individual repair his past decisions and so that they can look forward to a prosperous and successful future.