So you have admitted to yourself that you have a drinking problem. You have weighed up your options on how you want to quit and you have decided that a rehab center is the right fit for you.
Getting to this stage is a great achievement and you should be proud of yourself for admitting you have a problem and seeking help.
Now there’s just one last thing for you to do. Decide which rehab center is right for you.
There are over 500 treatment facilities in the UK and an estimated 15000 centers in the US. So you really are spoiled for choice.
That’s why in this post I am going to be going through all of the different options so that you can make the right choice for you.
Disclaimer: While I do live a sober life and did formerly have a drinking problem I did not actually go to rehab to sober up. I detoxed at home. Something that I would only recommend as an absolute last resort when rehab is not an option. And only after discussing with a trained medical professional. I have done a lot of research into this field and through my volunteer work have actually helped numerous people find placements in rehab. So while I have not actually stayed in a rehab center you can rest assured that the below is accurate and helpful. Having said that just to be sure I asked my friend Joe (who wrote a previous post about his experience with rehab) to edit and to add his thoughts. Any callouts he wishes to make will look like this:
Joe: Hi!
With that out the way lets dive into how to pick a rehab center
Contents
What do you hope to achieve
Every rehab is different and will specialize in different things. The first step you need to take is to decide what it is you want to get out of rehab. Do you just want to detox, do you want to “dry out” for a month or more, do you want help for any underlying mental issues you may be suffering from that contributes to your drinking disorder?
When you know what your goal is you will be able to better match up with a rehab center.
Joe: When I was thinking about going to rehab I wanted a place where I could detox from the booze and then stay for a few more weeks to get to terms with sobriety before “rejoining the world”.
What type of facility is best for you
Onsite Detox
Some facilities have their own detox programs. This is where they medically assist you as you come off of the booze. Other facilities will expect you to have gone through this already before joining the rehab.
Joe: The facility I went to had their own detox center. It wasn’t up to much if I’m honest. The detox takes a few days and is generally the hardest part of the process so looking back I wish I had found a place with a better detox program.
Inpatient vs Outpatient
The two major forms of organised rehab. Inpatient is when you check into a rehab facility and stay there throughout the program. Outpatient programs typically have you come in through the day for treatment and therapy and then you leave and stay in your own home the rest of the time.
Joe: I was told that inpatient treatments have a higher success rate but are often pricier or have longer wait lists for a bed.
Specialities
A lot of centers will not just be for alcohol recovery. They will also intake people who have problems with drugs, or other types of addiction such as porn addiction or eating disorders. If you have multiple issues you are looking for help with then some of these centers might be for you. Otherwise you might wish to look for centers that either only take people with alcohol disorders or who have a focus on alcohol.
Treatment/Therapy styles
There are a number of different treatment types and different therapy styles that are in use in rehab centers. The main ones are:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
12 Step Programs (Alcoholics Anonymous)
Biofeedback Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Holistic Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
You should inquire about what therapies and counselling are offered in the rehabs you look into and see if they are right for you.
Program Length
How long is a piece of string?
Rehab programs can be anything from a few day detox all the way upto a few month long inpatient treatment with a lengthy stay in a sober house and continued outpatient treatment.
So basically anywhere between 3 days and forever.
When you are looking into rehab centers inquire about how long their normal “stay” is. Ask what the usual follow up treatment process looks like. Some places may advertise a high success rate but that might only be for patients who complete a much longer stay than you are able to do.
Joe: I chose to do a 28 day before I had even detoxed. My thinking process at the time was that it would take a week to get the alcohol out of my system and then I could take 3 weeks to get used to it before I went back out. I feel this was a good length of time. I don’t think I would have got much more benefit out of staying any longer.
Location
Nearby facilties will be the first place you look. Purely for convenience factor. A lot of people, however, will recommend that you go far away for rehab as it completely disconnects your brain from your former drunk life.
Joe: The place I went to was about 2 hours out of my city. I thought this struck a nice balance between convenience in being local but was also far enough away that there was nothing around that would remind me of people or places that I associated with drinking.
Cost
Probably the biggest factor for most. It is true that rehab centers can be pretty pricey. And if they are free then you better believe there is going to be a long waiting list. When you are looking for centers check on their website for prices. A lot of centers will not share this information so you may need to call them up and see what it will cost you (or how long the current wait for a bed is). If you carry private insurance you should ask if the center is within network for you to be able to attend on your insurance.
Joe: I had to fight with my insurance company as they originally said they would only cover the detox portion of the treatment plan. After some back and forth I finally had the whole thing covered. I would recommend you speaking with your insurance company first and see if they have a list of centers that you can choose from.
Facility Amenities
Most centers try to keep you busy with meeting and therapies. But there are always shared group activities that they will encourage you to take part in. These will vary based on the particular facility you choose. Think pools, basketball courts, table tennis and so on. The recreational activities available probably shouldn’t be at the top of your list when deciding but it is something to keep in mind as you will likely have plenty of downtime if you choose an inpatient program.
Joe: My facility had a bunch of recreational activities available. They were rarely used by the residents however. The T.V room was always full and we had group basketball quite often. But I never saw anyone play table tennis the entire time I was there.
Family Involvement
Some facilities/treatment programs will restrict the contact you can have with friends and family. This is more likely to happen if it is believed that contact with these people will cause you to relapse.
Joe: We had phone privleges which could be withdrawn by our therapist. I was allowed to use the phone any time I wanted as my therapist didn’t believe my drinking would resurface through contact with my family. There was also visiting allowed a few days through the week. If you were to go further away from home in-person visiting would obviously be more difficult.
Talk to an addiction specialist
Now that you have a general idea of what you want to get out of rehab. It is time to speak with someone who can point you to rehab options. The first step should be to your GP or primary care physician. They should be able to put you in contact with an addiction specialist who will be able to provide you with your options.
Research your Options
Now that you have a list of options, that hopefully match your preferences for cost, location and all the other factors talked about before, it is time to whittle that list down to 1.
Look at the website – Does the website confirm that the center has everything that you are looking for? If you have been told the center offers a specific treatment type check this is confirmed on their website.
Look at any reviews online – What do past patients have to say about the center? Try a google search “Center Name + Review”. Also look at any social media profiles the center may have setup.
Look at any accreditations – What qualification do the members of staff hold? Also look into the qualifications themselves. Not all accreditations are equal.
Reach out to the center for more information – Have any other questions? Just give the center a call. Most will be eager to talk to prospective patients.
Enroll
Once you have chosen the center for you all that is left is to enroll.
Joe: Don’t overthink things. Pick a center that feels right and get in there.
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