How to Choose a Drug Rehab Center and Begin Your Recovery Journey

Addiction is a medical illness that requires medical treatment in order for lasting recovery to take place. It is essential that your drug rehab center works from this perspective in order to create treatment experiences that address the true nature of addiction and its psychological, physiological, and neurological impact. This includes not only the use of critical relapse prevention medications, but also treatments that engage your brain’s neuroplasticity to heal from the damage of addiction by replacing damaging patterns with new, healthy behaviors.

The detoxification process is one that many people fear, but with today’s advances in both pharmacological and psychological treatment, detox doesn’t have to be frightening. In a medically supervised detox environment, you will be given vital medical and emotional supports to minimize or eliminate withdrawal symptoms in a safe, comfortable environment. Unfortunately, many addiction treatment programs don’t offer these programs, or only offer off-site detox. By choosing a rehab with on-site detox, you can ensure that you begin the process of integrating and participating in the treatment program as soon as possible while establishing vital relationships with your treatment team.

Mental illness and addiction often go hand-in-hand and have a complex, interdependent relationship in which each potentiates the other. According to the Center for Mental Health and Addiction, “people with substance use problems are up to 3 times more likely to have a mental illness” than the general population and these disorders must be treated together in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. As such, it is critical that your treatment center offers in-depth psychological testing to identify any co-occurring mental health disorders and provides treatment according to a dual-diagnosis model that addresses the full scope of your needs.

Not only have researchers found that dual diagnosis treatment improves outcomes, studies also indicate that integrated dual diagnosis treatment yields “greater client satisfaction than standard treatment.” It also gives you greater insight into the roots of your substance abuse, helps you make connections between your emotional state and your addictive behaviors, and opens up accessible pathways toward healing. This process of learning and self-discovery can be instrumental in your recovery.

Your experience with addiction is unique and your treatment should be too. A high-quality addiction treatment program recognizes that each person has individual needs and creates personalized treatment plans that draw on your strengths to help you achieve your goals. This treatment plan should incorporate evidence-based individual and group-based treatment modalities along with holistic therapies to provide comprehensive treatment experiences that speak to you as a whole person, not just as an addict. These therapies work in concert to ensure that your mind, body, and spirit all have the opportunity to heal in a way that is meaningful and transformative for you. Your length of stay should also be tailored to your needs.

Addiction is often said to be a disease of the family and addiction rehab programs must not only treat the client, but the family as a whole. As the Family Mental Health Alliance notes, “Analyses across studies demonstrate the effectiveness of spouse and family involvement in treatment for [addiction],” improving both long and short-term outcomes. By choosing an addiction treatment program that encourages your family to participate in your treatment and provides dedicated family programming, you can begin to heal—both individually and collectively.

Through family and couples therapy, psychoeducation, and workshops, each member of your family can begin to more fully understand their role in the dynamics of your addiction. With the guidance of experienced clinicians, you can establish a common language of recovery and begin to repair the relationships that are so often damaged by substance abuse. This is vital not only during residential addiction treatment, but is also crucial for ongoing sobriety when you return to your everyday environment.

At some addiction treatment programs, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. By choosing a small, intimate drug rehab center, you can be sure you get the personal attention you need throughout the healing process. Small programs also foster a sense of community, belonging, and camaraderie that encourages you to share more freely and participate more fully in the therapeutic milieu. This not only helps build trusting relationships with your clinicians, it also allows you to experience the positive effects of peer support as you navigate your recovery journey.

Recovery doesn’t end when you leave treatment. Rather, recovery is an ongoing process that requires continuous re-commitment to ensure long-term sobriety and nurture personal growth. With this in mind, your drug rehab center should offer a variety of continuing care services to help you preserve and build on the gains you have made in residential treatment. This may include an Intensive Outpatient Program, weekly relapse prevention and process groups, and continued availability of family programming.

Ideally, your treatment program should provide an alumni coordinator specifically tasked with helping you as you transition out of residential care. They will also make themselves available to you at any time if you need additional resources or referrals.

Drug rehab is a time for serious medical treatment, but a few creature comforts can go a long way toward making you feel relaxed, comfortable, and at home. Features like private accommodations, private chefs, and serene surroundings can make a real difference in your treatment experience and help you fully focus on the work of recovery. If you have special requests to make your time in care more comfortable, productive, or compatible with your professional obligations, your drug rehab center should be happy to work with you. This includes measures to protect privacy and confidentialityabove and beyond the norm.