Many people who get sober do so in a rehab or treatment center. Many people are familiar with the idea of a rehab, but perhaps less clear about what happens there.
Most rehabs are residential, and most people stay there for an average of 28 days. Some rehabs are non-residential, and a wide variety of different treatment options are sometimes available.
Some of these will be specifically about detoxing someone, while others will be more about helping deal with the underlying emotional issues that can fuel someone’s alcoholism or addiction.
The availability of rehabs and day treatment options vary widely depending upon where you live, and usually whether or not there is any state or public funding for these treatments.
Addiction Rehab
A rehab, in the context of alcoholism and addiction, refers to a treatment centre where people go for a period of time in order to start their recovery. Most inpatient rehabs have a recovery program that is based on the AA model of recovery, which they will use to treat any type of addiction.
Also, some rehabs will list the narcotics they use to help people recover from, and may make a distinction between prescription and non-prescription drugs. These may be important areas to look at when deciding which rehab to seek admission to.
Several rehabs use alternative treatments to the 12-step program. Some rehabs will also have a particular focus, such as being exclusively for women, being LGBT friendly etc.
Alcohol Rehab
Many people will look to find an alcohol rehab, simply on the basis that their problem or addiction is alcohol. Most rehabs will deal with alcohol and drugs and most other addictions, they do not tend to specialise in one particular area.
Drug Rehab
As above, people will often look for a drug rehab because that is the focus of their problem. However, it is worth being aware that anyone entering rehab because of a drug problem is likely to need a clinical detox at the outset of treatment.
Rehabs will vary in the medical capability to undertake a safe medical detox, and this should be a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Cost of Rehab
Most rehabs are commercial operations, and the costs can vary widely. Hazelden, one of the biggest treatment providers, estimates that a 28-day stay in one of their treatment centres will cost approximately US $ 28,000.
Whilst this is only a guide, it is a useful indication. Other treatment centers, especially ones that style themselves as luxury rehabs often cost three or four times this amount.
It is worth adding that most of the cost of a rehab is normally covered under insurance, depending of course on what type of medical insurance plan or health insurance the person or their company has.
What happens in a residential rehab does vary widely depending upon the nature of the rehab, but there are many common factors.
Most rehabs do and should include some type of detox facility, as a precondition of being able to help someone.
12 Step Programs
Most will also base their recovery programs on the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, although they will adapt it significantly.
Some rehabs have a reputation for being very strict, while others have a reputation for being very lax.
What this normally refers to is a belief that some rehabs have that there is a need for a very rigid structure to help someone get sober.
This rigid structure normally refers to both the daily routine that people access whilst in treatment, and also the rigidity of rules that apply to what people can bring into rehab, what they can wear, phones, laptops etc.
Other rehabs have taken an opposite view, that people should be as comfortable as possible whilst in rehab, and beyond a fairly basic structure have no rules or regulations as such.
It is people’s individual choice as to which they feel is more appropriate for them.
Whilst in rehab, most people will be exposed to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and meetings of other 12 step fellowships.
These may take place at the premises of the rehab, or in the local area or vicinity, or the grounds where the rehab is located.
These meetings are normally seen as an integral part of someone’s recovery, both whilst they are in rehab, and once they have left as part of their ongoing programme of recovery once they have finished rehab.
