For most people, the decision to get help with a drug or alcohol problem isn’t easy. Considering the chaos and destruction that addiction brings, it’s worth the time and effort to find a good rehab program once one chooses to embark on a recovery journey. There are many different rehab programs to choose from, so it might feel overwhelming at first, but you can find the right place for you to overcome your substance or alcohol addiction. Knowing what qualities the most successful rehab programs possess is a good first step toward finding a program that’s right for you.
What Does Rehab Success Look Like?
Drug and alcohol addictions impact almost every area of a person’s life. The damaging effects of substance use disorder change you from the inside out, leaving a shell of a person in its wake. The good news is addiction is treatable. The best drug rehab programs help you confront addiction’s effects on your life and develop the types of coping skills that can support a drug-free lifestyle.
As important as stopping substance use disorder is, it’s only one aspect of recovery. Addiction lives inside your mind, directing your thoughts, desires, and behaviors. For someone caught up in the throes of addiction, the old saying, “can’t see the forest for the trees” describes the addict’s predicament and inability to see the problem. The most successful rehab programs help you pull back the veil of addiction so you can see the problem for what it is.
Qualities of the Most Successful Rehab Programs
As successful as any, one program may be, finding one that best meets your treatment needs helps ensure your success in recovery. The best drug and alcohol rehab programs offer a vast range of treatment services and settings, each of which addresses different aspects of the recovery process. Outpatient programs, short-term residential programs, long-term residential programs are just a few of the different treatment options.
While it’s important to look for qualities of the most successful rehab programs, it also helps to know which type of programs will best address your treatment needs so keep that in mind during your search.
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Find help nowLicensing & Accreditation
Rehab programs provide medical and mental health services, making licensing and accreditation essential qualities to have. To become accredited, a program must undergo a rigorous evaluation process by a respected third-party organization. This process works to ensure a facility offers a high standard of care. The Joint Commission Accreditation for Addiction Treatment (JCAHO) and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehab Facilities (CARF) are two prominent and respected accreditors to look for when choosing a program.
With an accredited program, you can expect the following:
- Licensed staff
- HIPAA-compliance
- High safety standards
- Your rights to be protected
- Employs evidence-based practices that are science-based
Provides Mental Health Services
For many struggling with addiction, mental health problems play an active role in driving drug-using behaviors. Whether they be issues that existed before you started using or problems that developed as a result of substance use disorder, the effects of mental illness only feed the addiction problem. In fact, conditions involving depression and anxiety tend to co-occur with substance use disorder. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 50 percent of people affected by mental illness also struggle with substance use disorder problems and vice versa.
With numbers like these, it’s no surprise that the best drug rehab programs offer mental health treatment as part of their addiction programs. This line of treatment takes different forms and includes a range of services:
- Cognitive behavior therapies
- Group therapy
- Relapse prevention counseling
- Motivation-based therapies
- Stress reduction training
Personalized Treatment Planning
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to treating addiction. Addiction affects different people in different ways so treatment must accommodate a person’s specific needs. For these reasons, the best drug rehab programs employ a rigorous treatment planning process where you play an active part in creating your path to recovery. Staff will help you create a treatment plan that lists out your daily challenges along with your recovery goals and how you’re going to achieve them.
Medication Therapy Options
For individuals recovering from chronic opioid and alcohol addictions, withdrawal effects tend to persist well past the detox stage. Severe depression, anxiety, and an overall loss of passion for life become the norm during the first couple of years of recovery due to the damage left behind by drug use. Medication therapies help provide relief from these long-term effects so you can feel “normal” again. The most successful rehab programs will incorporate medication therapies as part of your overall treatment.
Financing Options
Medical care is expensive, nowadays, and drug rehab is no different. While financial limitations can narrow the field when it comes to rehab centers, many programs that would otherwise be out of reach try to go the extra mile. The most successful rehab programs actually care about people getting well and do what they can to make treatment affordable. They do this by offering financing options, such as sliding scale payments and also assist you with handling insurance provider paperwork.
Aftercare Planning & Services
Going from a live-in rehab program back into everyday life can be jarring. Unless you have the right supports in place, the risk of relapse runs especially high. Ensuring recovering addicts have the supports they need to maintain sobriety after they leave treatment is one of the things that makes a good program successful. For each program you consider, make sure they offer the following aftercare services:
- Outpatient treatment
- Ongoing one-on-one therapy
- Ongoing group therapy option
- Sober living option or a referral to a sober living facility
- 12-Step support group meetings
Finding a Rehab Program That’s Right for You
Now that you know what qualities to look for, you’re in an even better position to find a program that’s suited to address your treatment needs. Rehab can be tough and no one wants to stay in treatment any longer than necessary. The problem with that is relapse has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. For these reasons, it’s important to work with a program that knows how to determine the intensity of treatment care that will best meet your needs. The most successful rehab programs can get the job done as long as you’re willing to go the distance. If you find yourself asking more questions about addiction rehab when it comes to the cost of rehab, can you smoke cigarettes in rehab, what to bring to rehab or some of the most frequently asked questions about rehab we’re here to help!
Sources:
- drugabuse.gov – Types of Treatment Programs
- drugabuse.gov – What is comorbidity?”
- samhsa.gov – Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- .sunshinebehavioralhealth.com – Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centers
Medical disclaimer:
Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.
Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.