There are over 247 million people addicted to drugs throughout the world. In the US alone, drug addiction has reached epidemic status, with nearly 21 million citizens over the age of 12 dealing with a substance abuse problem.
This is clearly a widespread probably, but luckily enough the solution is widespread as well.
If you have recently discovered that a loved one is addicted to drugs, you’re probably overwhelmed. You’re experiencing a lot of guilt, panic, sadness, anger, and confusion. This confusion just tends to get worse the deeper you look into treatment options.
But finding the right rehab facility is key to a long-lasting treatment.
We’ve written this guild to help walk you through what you should look for in a rehab facility.
Why This Decision is Important
Addiction is expensive. Whether your loved one is in the active stages of addiction or is seeking help, there is a lot of money involved. The US spends over $420 billion a year for costs related to drug abuse and addiction.
Rehab can be expensive too. Which is why you need to make the right decision when it comes to this.
If you were diagnosed with cancer, would you just go to the nearest hospital and seek treatment there? Or would you do your research and select the cancer treatment center that offered treatment on your specific kind of cancer?
We should treat addiction the same way.
Location
There are over 14,500 treatment centers in the united states. This means that you have the option of in-state rehab and out of state rehab, urban areas or rural areas.
A good general rule of thumb is to take your loved one out of the environment that they’re in every day.
It’s also important to consider just how stressful and loud an addict’s life is. Solitude and peace are so important to be able to focus on the work that is required for recovery. They need time alone to process.
You need to remove your loved one from the people and processes that could trigger them to relapse.
Single Gender or Co-Ed
After detox, addicts tend to feel things that they haven’t been able to feel in a long time. Addiction numbs out feelings of desire and intimacy and sometimes when they return, they can interfere with recovery.
Romance just complicates the healing process. So single-gender rehab facilities are an amazing asset, especially for young adults. It’s important that they can focus on healing and not on their readjusting hormones.
Length of Stay
The length of every treatment program is different. Some require a longer detox routine than others, which lengthens a stay considerably.
Still, there is research that shows that the correct amount of time in treatment equates to better treatment success. A doctor who specializes in addiction should be able to assess your loved one and recommend a good length of treatment for them.
A good rehab facility will offer different lengths of stay for each unique situation rather than a set length of time for everyone who walks through their doors.
Staff
When you have a loved one in a treatment facility, there is an unmatched trust that you have to put into the staff that works there. In fact, that trust is just as important as their credentials.
This trust development starts from the minute you contact the facility and the intake case manager you speak to. They have to be empathetic.
You should feel listened to and supported and so should your loved one. Without that relatability and support, there will always be a barrier between them. In order for connections to form, those barriers have to come down.
Treatment for Other Disorders
The 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that roughly 40% of adults who deal with drug addiction also have a mental health disorder like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.
People who have mental health issues need to find a rehab facility that offers ways to treat these conditions at the same time as the addiction because one without the other just won’t work.
Accreditation
Treat rehab facilities exactly the same way you would treat an educational institution. Look for accreditations.
The Joint Commission Behavioral Health accreditation is the highest level for addiction service organizations.
This is like a rating from the Better Business Bureau. It tells you that the center is willing to be transparent and undergo review from a panel of outside experts. They look at and judge the care, treatment, and services that the center provides.
Approaches to Addiction Treatment
Every facility will approach treatment in a different way. Some are focused more on the spiritual aspect while others will base their methods on medication. There are even some places that place importance on the connection between people and nature.
This is one of the biggest factors to consider when looking at rehab facilities because if your loved one cant relate, they won’t connect.
Also, there are some rehab facilities that specialize in certain addictions. An addiction to alcohol, opiates, and methamphetamines are all very different addictions and they should be treated differently as well.
Finding the Right Rehab Facility
These are just some of the considerations you should think about before you enter your loved one into a rehab facility. This is a deeply personal decision, so do adequate research to make sure that they are placed in good hands.
This is just a basic guide, we didn’t have a chance to cover absolutely everything involved in choosing a rehab facility. If you would like to learn more contact (877) 322-2450 or continue reading more articles. And remember, you’re not alone.
Diana.teixeira. (n.d.). World Drug Report 2017: 29.5 million people globally suffer from drug use disorders, opioids the most harmful. Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2017/June/world-drug-report-2017_-29-5-million-people-globally-suffer-from-drug-use-disorders–opioids-the-most-harmful.html
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2017, April 24). Trends & Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Drug Addiction Treatment in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/drug-addiction-treatment-in-united-states
