If you’re struggling with a serious addiction to drugs or alcohol, long term rehab might be the best option for you. It’s more intensive than short, casual programs, and if you choose to check into something like a detox center, it can help you escape all of the bad influences in your life while you get your head on straight.
But what if you’ve never been to rehab before? How are you supposed to choose the right facility for you? How can you tell the good programs from the bad ?
Here are just a few tips for finding a long-term recovery program. While it isn’t an exhaustive list, it should be enough to get you thinking about the right things and moving forward in the right direction.
1. Look At Program Length
The biggest difference between short- and long-term drug programs is program length. While the short ones might only last a few weeks, the long ones can take months. If you choose an in-patient program, you’ll also eat, sleep and live at the rehab facility. This will ensure that you fully kick the habit before you’re released back into the world.
2. Research the Staff
What are their qualifications? Where did they go to school? What degrees and certificates do they have for things like addiction counseling? Take a look at their website. They should have their credentials listed on an informational “about us” page. If they don’t, that’s probably a sign that there aren’t any credentials to brag about.
3. Consider Its Activities
Rehab activities can range from painting classes to archery lessons, so it’s a good idea to take a look at their catalogue. You might find something that you really like or dislike on its activity schedule. You might also find something that you’ve always wanted to try! This can be a bright spot in your addiction recovery.
4. Ask About Visitation
Speaking of schedules, if it’s really important to you to have the support of friends and family as you fight your demons, you’ll want to check out the rehab’s visitation policy. Some of them have strict rules about outside contact; others have an open-door policy. It differs from place to place, so you’ll have to do your homework about each facility’s individual policy.
5. Consider Its Methods
There’s no “one size fits all” method of addiction recovery, so different rehabs will try different therapies and counseling techniques. For example, one facility might emphasize group talks while another pairs doctors and patients together in one-on-one sessions. If you think that you might benefit from a particular kind of therapy, look for a rehab that offers it.
6. Look Its Existing Patients
Are you uncomfortable with the idea of a mixed-gender setting? Do you hate the thought of group therapy with people who are much older or younger than you? Don’t be afraid to ask a rehab facility about its patient demographics. It’s important that you feel safe and comfortable in a space meant for recovery.
7. Reach Out
A good way to test a potential rehab facility is to call or email them as a prospective patient. You can tell a lot about the efficiency of their services by how quickly and courteously they answer you. If they’re late, rude, cold, judgemental or otherwise unpleasant, you’ll know that they’re not the facility for you.
8. Ask About Life on the Outside
What happens when you’re done with your recovery program? Do they boot you from the premises with your bags flying behind you, or do they help you transition back into the real world with things like outpatient visits, halfway houses and networked support groups? Ask the staff for more information.
9. Take a Tour
If you’re wondering what it’s really like at a particular rehab facility, request a guided tour. The staff won’t ask you to check in until you’re ready! Meanwhile, you can walk its grounds, look into its rooms, examine its buildings and see for yourself what the other patients are like.
These are just a few things to keep in mind as you think about long-term addiction recovery programs. As someone struggling with drugs or alcohol, you probably already understand the importance of addiction treatment, so let these tips guide you into choosing a good rehab facility. It <i>is</i> possible to kick the habit, but you’ll need to be smart about the people and places that help you do it !
