Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Johannesburg
If you need addiction treatment in Johannesburg, the first question is not which rehab has a bed.
It is: what level of treatment does this person actually need?
WeDoRecover provides pre-admission screening, treatment planning, family intervention and admission coordination in Johannesburg and Gauteng.
Call 082 747 3422. Available 24/7.
Fast Facts
| First step | Call and explain what is happening. You do not need to choose a rehab first. |
| Full treatment pathway | Detoxification, inpatient rehabilitation, psychiatric stabilisation, dual-diagnosis care, longer-term treatment and continuing recovery support can all form part of the care plan. |
| Medical aid | Qualifying inpatient addiction treatment may be funded, subject to clinical and scheme requirements. |
| If treatment is refused | The family can still get guidance and a professional intervention may be considered. |
| WDR reach | We coordinate treatment in South Africa and internationally where appropriate. |
What happens on the first call?
You do not have to select the treatment programme before contacting us.
The first call helps establish:
- what substances are being used
- last use and possible withdrawal risk
- physical-health concerns
- psychiatric symptoms
- previous treatment and recent relapse
- willingness to enter treatment
- medical aid
- location
- urgency
That information determines what needs attention next.
Does everybody need inpatient rehab?
No. The appropriate level of care depends on the individual.
Inpatient treatment may be considered where substance use is severe or difficult to interrupt, repeated attempts to stop have failed, the home environment is unstable, withdrawal requires medical supervision, psychiatric problems complicate the addiction, previous outpatient treatment has failed, relapse repeatedly follows short treatment, or daily functioning is deteriorating.
Someone with lower risk and a stable environment may need a different level of care.
Does detox come before rehab?
Sometimes.
Detoxification deals with withdrawal and medical stabilisation. It is not, by itself, addiction rehabilitation.
Alcohol, benzodiazepines and some other substances can produce potentially serious withdrawal. The decision about medical withdrawal management should be made by an appropriately qualified clinical professional.
Where detox is necessary, the treatment pathway should account for what happens after stabilisation.
What if there are psychiatric symptoms?
Addiction and mental-health problems often overlap.
The practical question is whether the person’s current psychiatric condition affects where and how they can be treated safely.
Examples can include severe depression, suicidality, psychosis, mood instability, significant anxiety, trauma symptoms, substance-induced psychiatric symptoms or an established psychiatric diagnosis.
Some patients may need psychiatric stabilisation before addiction rehabilitation. Others can receive addiction and psychiatric care within an appropriate dual-diagnosis programme.
What happens during admission planning?
Treatment planning should consider current clinical risk, detoxification, psychiatric needs, previous treatment, treatment duration, medical aid, family circumstances, location, transport and what follows primary care.
An admission should not be based solely on the fact that a facility has space.
Using medical aid for rehab in Johannesburg
If the patient has South African medical aid, investigate the treatment benefit before assuming that care must be paid for privately.
Qualifying alcohol and substance dependence is included in South Africa’s Prescribed Minimum Benefit framework. Actual cover depends on the clinical situation, scheme rules and the treating provider.
The treating clinic’s admissions team handles the formal clinical motivation and authorisation. This is routine work for them. The family does not need to understand medical-aid codes or scheme administration before asking for help.
What if the person refuses rehab?
The family can still get help.
A professional intervention may be appropriate where the harm is serious, repeated discussions have failed, the person minimises what is happening, promises to change repeatedly collapse, or the family is trapped in repeated crisis management.
Where possible, treatment is prepared before the intervention takes place.
What should we have ready?
| Practical | Clinical |
|---|---|
| Medical scheme and plan | Substances currently used |
| Membership information | Last use |
| Patient location | Withdrawal history |
| Contact details | Current medication and psychiatric history |
| Transport needs | Recent overdose, seizure or crisis |
Do not delay emergency medical treatment because some of this information is missing.
What happens after the initial inpatient period?
Treatment does not necessarily end because medical-aid funding or primary care ends.
Depending on the person, the next stage may involve outpatient treatment, individual therapy, secondary residential treatment, sober living, recovery meetings, psychiatric follow-up, family work or relapse-prevention planning.
Where the person will live after treatment matters, so aftercare should be planned around the support available near home.
A person with repeated relapse after short admissions may require a different plan from somebody entering treatment for the first time.
Get help in Johannesburg
Tell us what is happening. You do not need to know which treatment centre is right before you make the call.
Call 082 747 3422
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.