Admitting you have a problem with drinking is a great first step. But it is only the first step. The next step is to decide what help you need. I always recommend rehab for those where rehab is an option – for some rehab isn’t an option either because some areas do not have any spaces or any that do are too expensive.
Rehab allows you to detox from the booze in a safe place monitored by medical professionals. Rehab also gives you a chance to step back from the pressures of life and just get to grips with your issues. During rehab you will learn the skills that you will need to resist the urge to drink and how to live a happy, pro-active life without alcohol.
Basically rehab gives you the best chance of getting sober and more importantly remaining sober.
Contents
Finding rehab centers
https://www.google.com/search?q=local%20rehab
A quick google search is a great place to start. Google’s integrated local search will pull up and showcase all of your local rehab centers (that are on Google Maps). From there you can see what is available locally for you.
Try expanding the search to your wider area or for the whole state/county (e.g. search for “Rehab Kentucky”). Or maybe you have something specific in mind (e.g. search for “Rehab centers with a swimming pool” or “Rehab centers that use hypnotherapy”)
You should also ask your Doctor for their recommendation. They will have contacts with rehab centers or should at least know of a rehab counselor that you can go to.
If you start going to meetings before you enter rehab then you should ask around there to see what people ‘in the know’ recommend.
Once you have you list of potential centers you are likely to have a bunch of facilities that are local and a few facilities that are much further away.
You will need to choose whether you want to travel to rehab or if you feel more comfortable staying close to home.
Pros for traveling
More Options
Simply put your local area will only have a few rehab options to choose from. The further afield you search the more options you are going to find.
More options means you will have more of a choice. More of a choice on price, quality and even the style of rehab center. If you have a particular vision in mind for what your rehab should look like travelling will make it easier for you to find.
Fresh start mindset
Putting distance between yourself and the people/places triggering you to drink can help when trying to get into the mindset required for quitting.
Less likely to just walk away when it gets tough
Going sober isn’t easy. No matter how good the rehab facility is you are still going to have moments where you want to drink. It’s in these moments that we do not want to give ourselves an ‘easy out’. If we are miles away from home it is not as easy for us to just run back.
More private
The facility itself may not be as private as local ones but the sheer fact that it is further away makes it more private for you.
Being further away from home makes it that much more unlikely for you to be recognised. So if that is important to you consider a center far away from home.
Pros for staying local
Able to do outpatient treatment
Obviously if you are looking at doing outpatient treatment then you will need a facility close to home. (No point doing outpathient treatment and then going back to a hotel room!)
Staying local is therefore good for those of you who are looking at doing treatment around your current commitments. Maybe your job will not allow you time off, or maybe you need to care for loved ones. If that’s the case outpatient treatment locally would be a good solution for you.
Easier for loved ones to visit
This one is a bit of a double edged sword in that it could be a pro or it could be a con depending on your loved ones. If you find comfort in seeing your loved ones and they are supportive toward your sobriety then being close to home and close to them will be beneficial.
If on the other hand your friends and family are a trigger for you. Or if they are just general negative influences, then going further away might be the choice. (Also consider cutting any toxic family members out of your life especially if they threaten your sobriety)
Easier for the rehab to setup an aftercare plan for you
The treatment you receive during rehab is just the start. (sorry!). Some people can come out of rehab and be fine and never think about drinking ever again. But most people need some kind of aftercare. Whether it is regular therapy sessions, AA meetings or some other type of counselling it is going to be easier for the rehab team to build your aftercare program if it is taking place in the same area as rehab.
Cheaper (maybe)
Staying local means you wont have to pay for airfare, gas, train tickets or whatever other relocation costs you incur during the checking in process.
I say maybe because as mentioned above it could be that your local rehabs are all more expensive than the choice offered. It is always worth keeping in mind though that the cost of rehab isn’t the only cost that you will have to pay. There’s the travel fees, the additional bills, the missed time off work etc.
What to choose
This isn’t a choice that you should make lightly. A good experience in rehab forms the foundation blocks for the rest of your sober life. If you have a bad experience or if you fail to complete your time in rehab then the chances of a relapse go way up.
Talk to your friends, your family, your Doctor. Really think about the options and pick the one that’s right for you. The one that has the best chance at getting you on the sobriety track.
Leave a Reply