When considering a place for you or a loved one to go to receive treatment for substance or alcohol abuse, make sure to ask as many questions as you can. Try to understand what kind of program a counselor is suggesting.
Things to ask the counselor:
- What is the success rate of this program?
- What kind of environment will the program be in (e.g. Hospital Setting, Inner-City, Remote Location)?
- How many other people will be there recovering also?
There are many questions you may have and the only way to get the answers is to call and speak with someone familiar with the various programs out there. Success rates often can be the most deciding factor when selecting the right program. If a second or third timer to a rehab still cannot stop using drugs or alcohol then maybe a new approach needs to be taken. The success rates of a 12-step program may be lower for someone who is not religious and could maybe relate closer to a secular or holistic treatment center or rehab program or vice-versa with the more religious person with a need for drug rehabilitation.
Some treatment centers are located at a busy hospital where many people are traveling to and from with lots of traffic. Some treatment facilities are in the middle of a city where there is lots of moving things that can be a distraction for students/patients in a program. When a place is in a remote location, it can have an effect of isolation. On the other hand, the location may need to be a in a remote location due to distractions. It may need to be in a hospital setting because it is more comfortable to have that safety net when detoxing.
Having to many people at the location you are considering may have an effect on the outcome of your time at treatment. If many people are receiving treatment at the facility, it means there is less one on one time available. There are lots of over crowded drug rehab centers and it’s hard to find out for yourself how many people are at a certain location due to confidentiality laws. A counselor that works closely with different treatment centers will be familiar with the counts of people at a place and will be taking the number of occupants into account when selecting a program for you.
Be sure that you are totally aware of the programs that are available and make sure you work with a counselor to select the right drug or alcohol treatment programs. The more information you can obtain the better prepared you are when ultimately making the decision and walking through the front door of the treatment center. It’s never a good idea to attempt on your own to solve this kind of problem. The damage that abuse of drugs and alcohol can have on a family is devastating and the ones that get through it are the ones that apply the most care and concern to the situation.