Choosing a drug or alcohol rehab can be overwhelming. With many treatment options all proclaiming their value, and the often short window of time that an addict is willing to consider rehab, it can be tempting to just choose one at random. However, taking time to weigh the options available and choosing a rehab that offers high-quality treatment that also fits your personal needs and preferences can increase your likelihood of success.
The first decision will be whether you need outpatient or inpatient drug and alcohol rehab. Generally, the longer and more severe an addict’s drug or alcohol abuse has been, the longer and more intensive treatment will need to be.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Rehab
Inpatient treatment.
Inpatient, also known as residential drug and alcohol rehab, provides a safe place for clients to fully focus on their addiction recovery. Here, you will reside in rehab for 30-90 days and learn about the disease of addiction, address underlying issues, and start to build skills to live drug and alcohol free.
Some addictions, including alcoholism, will require medically supervised detox which many inpatient treatment centres provide. After detox, patients will enter directly into a programme to address their psychological addiction. Detox alone almost never results in long term recovery, so it is imperative that treatment continues beyond detox.
There are a wide variety of inpatient treatment centres that offer different specialities, length of treatment, and treatment methods. As inpatient alcohol and drug rehab can be expensive, you may want to consider travelling overseas for your addiction treatment.
Due to lower overhead costs, treatment centres such as The Cabin Chiang Mai’s drug and alcohol rehab in Thailand can provide the highest quality treatment and facilities for a lower price. This means you may be able to afford a longer stay which will increase your chances of entering long term recovery.
Attending treatment overseas will also get you far away from your addiction triggers, which will allow you time to build the skills necessary to have a successful recovery upon your return home.
Outpatient treatment.
Intensive outpatient drug and alcohol rehab consists of attending treatment for just 2-4 hours a day, so clients can often continue to work or study and return to their own home each night. Outpatient treatment offers flexibility and is especially suitable for high-functioning addicts who have not yet lost it all, but whose addiction is significantly impacting their quality of life and relationships.
While outpatient rehab programmes may incorporate some aspects of the 12 Steps, do not be under the impression that they are merely equivalent to attending AA meetings. Outpatient treatment centres provide intensive therapeutic intervention that will help clients address the underlying causes of addiction while also learning new skills to live a sober life.
Outpatient rehab has many benefits, but is not suitable for everyone — especially those whose addiction is severe and will require detox, as well as those who have chronically relapsed in the past.
Not all rehabs, whether inpatient or outpatient, are created equally so it is important to review each of your options for additional information and consider the following factors to help you make the best decision.
Questions to Consider when Choosing an Alcohol or Drug Rehab
1. Do you need medically assisted detox?
Medical detox is necessary when the body has developed physical dependence on a drug or alcohol. For some severe addictions, withdrawal symptoms can cause medical complications and death, so medical detox is imperative. Ask your potential treatment centre about their detox process.
2. What type of addictions does the facility treat?
While some rehabs treat a wide range of addictions, others are more specialised. If you are struggling with drug addiction, attending a rehab that mainly treats alcohol addiction is not the best choice. This is especially important to consider if you are struggling with a process addiction. You will want to find a rehab that has experience in treating food, sex, gambling, or other behavioural addictions.
3. What type of clients does the centre cater to?
Many programmes are inclusive, but some will offer groups and treatment specific to different populations, such as LGBTQ, high-level executives, gender or culture specific services. Ask yourself if you identify with a certain group and if it would be helpful for you to attend treatment that caters to that group.
4. What is the treatment method, and is it evidence-based?
One of the most important things to consider is the type of treatment the alcohol or drug rehab uses. Treatment should be evidence-based — meaning that the treatment methods have been studied and shown to work.
Treatment should include significant time in individual counselling as well as in groups. Everyone experiences addiction differently, so the more individualised the treatment plans are the better. Ask about what a typical day looks like to help determine the level of individualisation in the programme. Are there different group and activity options to suit different people’s needs and preferences?
5. Is there a family programme?
 Addiction affects the whole family and treatment with a family component has been shown to have better results. These days many of the better rehabs offer family programmes but with different levels of family involvement — find out also whether the programme is a charged option or inclusive in the client’s treatment fee.
6. What type of aftercare services are provided?
Actual treatment lengths may vary. However, in order for recovery to be successful, long-term support is necessary. A good alcohol and drug rehab will have a well-established and comprehensive aftercare programme.
7. Do you need dual-diagnosis treatment? Does the facility provide it?
If you suffer from other mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or have experienced trauma, you will want to find a drug and alcohol rehab that will be able to treat these disorders alongside addiction.
8. Does the rehab measure its success rate?
Good programmes will keep a record of their clients’ recovery progress. Ask about how the programme defines success and what statistics they have about their success rates.
9. What level of privacy/confidentiality do they uphold?
While all inpatient and outpatient rehabs have standards of confidentiality, similar to what is expected when receiving medical care, some centres offer higher levels of privacy than others. Some inpatient rehabs may appear more like resorts, and outpatient clinics may not bare any sign of being an addiction treatment centre — so that clients can keep their treatment as private as they like.
When deciding on a drug and alcohol rehab, it is important to be thorough. Consulting a doctor or addiction specialist is recommended to help you determine what level of care you need. The more tailored the treatment is to your specific needs, the better your chance at getting it right the first time and living a long healthy life in recovery.
