There are many clinics that treat alcoholism and other addictions in South Africa but which are truly South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres?
Answering this question should be done carefully because it is possible that a clinic that works for one person might not be the best choice for another person. Drug addiction treatment programs, lengths and amenities are all different. Care must also be taken when using the word “best” so this article will also address what this means in the context of drug addiction rehabilitation.
As a very minimum to be considered one of South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres a clinic must:
- Be registered with the Department of Social Development. This means inter alia that they meet basic Health and Safety requirements but does not imply anything about their actual drug addiction treatment program.
- Have a medical staff that is able to fully supervise the drug detoxification process. This includes having doctors to prescribe the detox regime and nurses to monitor and assist where needed.
- A family program to help the family members of drug addicts to adopt the healthiest stance in relation to the patient.
- A well thought out relapse prevention program that teaches patients how to identify early warning signs and how to take action to avoid a relapse.
- Staff who are specifically trained to diagnose mental health (“dual diagnosis”) concerns.
- An administrative staff complement who are specially trained to deal sensitively with the issues around drug addiction treatment, such as confidentiality.
This is just a start to the factors involved in choosing South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres. In addition you should check if they offer amenities such as a swimming pool, gymnasium, gardens, tennis, yoga, Pilates and other facilities that will ensure your comfort. Luxury rehab centres will sometimes look more like a spa than a hospital!
Let’s take a moment to consider the goals of a treatment program and how they are accomplished. This will give us another yardstick against which to measure up the clinics wanting to be considered among South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres.
One might think that the goal of a rehab is to help an addict stop using drugs. In fact this is just the start of what they hope to accomplish. The real goal of South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres is to provide RECOVERY.
The difference between recovery and abstinence is huge. Abstinence does not bring about any changes in the addicts life – they simply stop using drugs and never change their behaviour. Drug addiction recovery is about stopping using alcohol and other drugs and additionally working on a program of self-growth.
A successful treatment outcome is one which halts the cycle of drug abuse and also promotes healing in a variety of areas of life. South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres can be measured up by the length of sobriety of their graduates as well as their quality of life in recovery.
As mentioned before drug addiction recovery comes about as a result of consistently working a program of self-development. This involves inspecting potentially problematic behaviour and modifying it to be more in line with behaviours associated with recovery.
This sort of program can be worked within the context of a 12 step fellowship. The 12 steps promote an ongoing process of development and the fellowship holds regular support meetings for addicts. South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres will introduce the 12 step fellowships to their patients.
We can see that it is not a simple matter to decide which are South Africa’s best drug addiction rehab centres. There are many factors to decide and ultimately you need to find the one which will be best for YOU – the one which will meet your needs best.
If you would like more information about finding South Africa’s best drug addiction treatment centres then please contact one of our intake coordinators for a free assessment. They will help you identify what to look for in a rehab centre and then give you independent advice about potential options to consider.
Our network includes only the best rehab centers for personalised high quality addiction and mental health care. We guide you to a center that not only is a right fit for you or your loved one but that offers expert proven care and support. Start your healing today by choosing a rehab that cares about your recovery.