How To Choose The Right Rehab

When deciding which treatment is right an early consideration is whether outpatient or inpatient rehab is best. Learning as much as you can about the different treatments and approaches will make deciding easier.

Our professionals will assess:

• Duration, type and severity of addiction
• Age and general health
• Other medications
• Mental health

1) Inpatient Addiction Treatment.

The first phase of rehab is detox. This will be medically managed to ensure it is safe and comfortable. Some addictions can be severe and even life threatening. Withdrawal symptoms must be medically managed in a professional clinic allowing medication to slowly wean the patient off the drugs or alcohol and normalise their sleeping and eating routines.

Behavioural addictions like sex, gambling or eating disorders normally don’t require a medical detox.

Then it’s time to treat the underlying causes of the addition to alcohol, drugs or other compulsive behaviours. This will involve a tailored treatment plan being developed by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, counsellors, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers. The treatment plan in continually evolved to meet patients changing needs.

Treatment needs to be comprehensive using evidence-based therapies that allow the patient to reintegrate back into society, family and work.

Adolescents have different needs and will be treated in a separate facility. Mixing the two populations is not best practice.

2) Outpatient Rehab Options.

Outpatient programmes are suitable for with less severe addictions that do not require a detox. Different out-patient rehabs can provide treatment varying between 2 and 8 hours a day. This allows patients to sleep at home and some to continue working.

Out-patient rehab uses similar treatment modalities such as individual counselling, group therapy, lectures, medication-assisted therapy, conjoint family therapy and aftercare planning.

Random alcohol and drug tests are necessary to ensure sobriety outside of treatment. Should this less intensive outpatient route fail, in-patient treatment is recommended. Patients with a dual diagnosis (mental health issues and addiction) or severe, long-standing addictions generally require inpatient treatment.

3) Positive Treatment Experience.

Evidence shows that a positive group therapy experience plays a significant role in treatment and its success.

Group therapy reduces feelings of shame and isolation, instilling hope and a connection to sober peers. Shared recovery wisdom allows patients to encourage one another and model sober behaviour. This includes confronting each other on “blind spots” about the effects of addiction or other negative behaviours.

Some important facts to know about treatment.

• The sooner someone with an addiction gets help, their better their chances of recovery.
• The patient does not have to want to be admitted for treatment to be successful.  Addiction has been proven to be a brain disease and addition itself often makes patients last to realise the severity of the problem.
• Families and friends can be co-dependently enabling.
• Costs: Unless you’re on a medical aid or some form of private medical insurance, paying for treatment can be expensive. However, the cost of not getting treatment is much higher.
• Time: It’s one of the oldest truisms in the addiction treatment field: the best friend a patient has in treatment is time.  Individuals say, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly be away from home and work for 30 days.” But the reality is that if you die from this disease, you’ll be away a lot longer.  While some patients stay for a detox only, stays of 30 days to 90 days allow patients to focus on recovery as well as psychological issues, improving success.

Every patient’s needs must be assessed to formulate an individualised treatment plan that is evidence-based and continuously adapted during treatment to meet their changing needs.

4) Extended Treatment and Long-Term Rehab.

Continued care takes place in a variety of settings, from ongoing inpatient treatment at a secondary care centre, a halfway house, weekly aftercare groups, meetings with therapists and various 12 step self-help groups.

Invariably patients that choose to have more support are better able to maintain sobriety.

Some patients can reintegrate into a healthy sober lifestyle with aftercare support and some need long-term rehab before beginning the reintegration journey.

Halfway Houses are the most cost-effective way of extending treatment long-term. They’re useful for reintegration or when the living situation doesn’t support sobriety.

5) Getting Help.

Finding the right addiction rehab for you or a loved one may seem like a scary task but it doesn’t have to be.

Treatment professionals are on hand to help you every step of the way.  Speaking to your doctor or mental health professional may be a good first step in determining the best type of addiction treatment to suit your needs.