Addiction

How to Choose: 7 Things to Look for In Drug Rehab Centers

rehab centers

Do you know someone who is or has been addicted to drugs?

If not, consider yourself lucky. A survey done at the end of 2017 revealed that almost 50 percent of Americans have at least one close friend or family member who has dealt with drug addiction.

As a result of this, there are rehab centers popping up all over the place aimed at treating addicts. There are more than 14,000 rehab centers in the United States as of right now.

If you have a drug problem or know someone who does, it’s important to get help at a rehab center. But you shouldn’t trust just any rehab center for treatment. Instead, find one that’s going to give you the best chance to break your addictive patterns once and for all.

Here are 7 things to look for in a drug rehab center.

1. Is It in the Right Location?

If you’re planning on checking yourself into a rehab center, it’s usually a good idea to check yourself into one that’s outside of your normal environment. It’ll remove you from the place that’s causing you problems and increase your chances of succeeding.

If you live in New Jersey, take a look at rehab centers in Florida that might be a good fit for you. Or if you live in Colorado, consider heading to one of the rehab centers in Iowa for treatment.

The change of scenery might work wonders for you. If nothing else, it’ll make it more difficult for you to leave a rehab center early when you’re not checked into one that’s located a short drive from your home.

2. Does It Cater to One Gender or Both?

There are some rehab centers that only cater to men as well as some that only cater to women. Additionally, there are some that cater to both men and women at the same time.

While a co-ed rehab center isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world, there is a chance it could make it harder for you to complete your drug addiction treatment program.

Often times, when men and women are both thrown into a rehab facility together, romantic relationships creep up. Those relationships can stunt your growth in rehab and take your focus off your ultimate goal.

That’s not to say that co-ed rehab centers haven’t worked for others. But if you can find a rehab center that caters directly to your gender, it might be your best bet.

3. Does It Treat Your Specific Addiction?

Most rehab centers in America offer treatment for a wide range of addictions. They provide options for those with alcohol addiction, opioid addiction, cocaine addiction, and more.

But not all places will offer the same addiction treatments. So you might find that the rehab center you picked out for your crystal meth addiction isn’t actually qualified to treat you at all.

Before you agree to check yourself into a rehab center, take a look at the addictions they’re capable of treating. If they don’t treat the one you’re dealing with, it’s best to look elsewhere for a rehab center that has experience with your specific addiction.

4. How Long Will It Ask You to Stay?

Treating addiction takes more than a few days. In most cases, it takes more than a few weeks. There are even some instances in which people will spend months in a rehab center.

All rehab centers operate a little bit differently, though, when it comes to how long they ask people to stay to receive treatment. Some make an attempt to get people in and out quickly, while others will allow them to stay for as long as they’d like.

Ask the rehab center that you’re interested in about how long they’re going to recommend you to stay for treatment. The time may change based on how you respond to treatment, but it’s good to know approximately how long you can expect to be in a rehab center.

5. Does It Have Enough Staff–and Is the Staff Trained and Highly Skilled?

This is a big one.

The rehab center you turn to for help needs to be able to provide you with the help you need. And they won’t be able to do that if they don’t have enough staff working in their facility.

Check with rehab centers to see what their patient-to-staff ratios look like. Ideally, you want the ratio to be as low as it can be since that’ll ensure you get plenty of 1-on-1 time with different treatment specialists.

You should also ask about what kind of training a rehab center’s staff has undergone. This will allow you to get a sense of what the staff is like at a facility before you check into it.

6. What Kind of Treatment Options Does It Offer?

These days, rehab centers are trying out all kinds of treatment options to help people deal with addiction.

Some work with addicts 1-on-1 to address both their addiction and their other mental health needs. Others believe in the power of support groups and stick people into these groups once they check in.

If you require detox, there are also some rehabs that specialize in setting you up with drug and alcohol detox to keep you safe.

You have the right to know what kind of treatment options you’ll face in a rehab center. Look for one that offers a wide range of options just in case you don’t respond well to the first one or two.

7. How Much Does It Cost?

Cost shouldn’t be your only concern when choosing a rehab center. But it will obviously be a major factor.

There are private facilities that might be right for you if you have a health insurance policy that will cover your stay. There are also state-funded facilities that can provide free inpatient drug rehab in some situations.

Cost might limit the types of rehab centers you have access to. But you shouldn’t allow cost to stop you from trying to get the help you need.

Begin Looking for the Right Rehab Centers Today

Now that you know a little bit more about what to look for in rehab centers, it’s time to get out there and start searching for one.

Begin by browsing through some of the options in the state in which you want to go to rehab. Then, narrow down your search by checking out what kind of treatment they provide, how much they cost, and more.

Read our blog for more information about choosing the right rehab facility. Or reach out to us for more help at (877) 322-2450.

About the author

Dr. Michael Carlton, MD.

Leading addictionologist, Michael Carlton, M.D. has over 25 years of experience as a medical practitioner. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and returned for his MD from the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona in 1990. He completed his dual residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and his Fellowship in Toxicology at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

He has published articles in the fields of toxicology and biomedicine, crafted articles for WebMD, and lectured to his peers on medication-assisted treatment. Dr. Carlton was a medical director of Community Bridges and medically supervised the medical detoxification of over 30,000 chemically dependent patients annually.

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