There are 20 million Americans over the age of 12 suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction.

But not all addictions are the same.

And if not all addictions are created equal then it follows, naturally, that the same treatment plan or addiction treatment service won’t work for everyone the same way. You’ve got to find a rehab, treatment plan, or service that works for you.

Your addiction treatment services should be tailored to you and your needs and the addiction from which you suffer.

So how do you find the right treatment for you? Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss.

Read on to discover our tips on how to pick the right addiction treatment services for you.

What Is Addiction?

The first thing that’s important to know is the difference between addiction and substance abuse. People with a substance abuse problem use a substance (alcohol, painkillers, etc.) too much or in the wrong way – but they can quit or change their behavior. Addiction is a disease and it means you can’t stop using even when your condition causes you harm.

There are also many different kinds of addiction. There is shopping addiction, gambling addiction, sex addiction, gaming addiction. You should pretty much know that if it’s out there then there’s probably someone addicted to it.

Addiction has two basic qualities:

1. You use more of the substance than you want to or would like to. Instead of having a drink or two, you drink until you’re drunk. Every time.
2. You continue to use the substance even though it has harmed your relationships, job prospects, family, etc. You don’t stop even when there are negative consequences.

Addiction is defined by having three or more of the following symptoms:

Tolerance: The need, over time, to use more and more of the substance to achieve that “high”.

Withdrawal: Experiencing physical or emotional withdrawal when you are away from the substance for a period of time. This can show itself as anxiety, irritability, shakes, sweats, nausea, and more.

Limited Control: A loss of self-control or impulse control that keeps you from being able to stop using and/or abusing the substance.

Negative Consequences: Continuing to use the substance even though it’s negatively impacted your relationships, job prospects, family, mood, etc.

Neglect. If you avoid your social activities or don’t do your household activities because of your substance abuse then you might be an addict.

Spending Significant Time/Energy: If you’ve spent significant time and energy obtaining and using the substance – or concealing your use of it – then you may be suffering from an addiction.

The desire to Cut Down: If you’ve thought about cutting down on your use or lessening your use of a specific substance and have made failed attempts to do so then addiction may be the cause.

Finding the Right Addiction Treatment Services for You

Now that you know what addiction is let’s talk about finding the correct way for you to treat it. As stated above, not all addiction treatment services are created equal – and what works for one person may not work for you.

You’ve got to make sure when you’re looking for a rehab center or treatment program that you’re looking for the right things for you. You need to make sure that you ask the right questions. And that you know what you need.

Otherwise, you may end up in a program that doesn’t help you the way it could.

Check out this post to figure out how to prepare for addiction treatment and then read on below to discover five things to remember when searching out addiction treatment services to help you with your recovery:

1. Get an Assessment Before You Do Anything Else

You want to start out the process by being assessed by a doctor certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. An assessment by a licensed clinical social worker or a psychiatrist experienced in treating addiction and substance abuse will also work.

This is important because you may not need full-on inpatient rehab – or, alternatively, that may be the only option that will work for you. Sometimes intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, or a good old 12-step program might be the right fit.

Assessors make this determination based on whether or not you’re still able to perform activities of daily living. If you’re able to provide yourself some stability already – can still interact with your family, can still go to work, etc. – then a less full-on program may work for you.

Additionally, if you’re addicted to something that leads your assessor to believe you’ll suffer from difficult withdrawal symptoms (such as opioids) then they will recommend inpatient rehab so that the program can help with that.

2. Do You Need Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

A dual diagnosis means that in addition to suffering from an addiction you’re also suffering from something like depression or anxiety. It means that your treatment will need to be tailored to account for both behavioral health problems to make sure that you have the greatest chance of success.

There are approximately 7.9 million people with dual diagnosis conditions – so it’s important to make sure you get that assessment (as mentioned above) to make sure you’re treating everything you need to treat.

And since mental illness and addiction often go hand in hand, you want to avoid treatment centers that don’t offer resources such as counselors specifically trained in dual diagnosis treatment.

It’s important to ask and to make sure if you’re suffering from mental illness, that the treatment program you’re considering will help you treat this because not many treatment programs specialize in both addiction and mental illness. Dual diagnosis treatment is a rare thing to find.

But it’s out there!

And if your assessor recommends something less intense – like partial hospitalization or a 12-step program, then make sure you’re seeking out mental health resources on your own, such as therapy specifically designed to help you deal with that.

3. Check Whether Medication is Offered

This applies specifically to opioid addiction. If you or your loved one is suffering from that and seeking treatment for it then you may want to use medication to help you treat withdrawal symptoms.

But again, not all rehab centers are equal.

Some rehab centers believe in the “cold turkey” method – where they follow the abstinence model to treat opioid addiction. Others, however, do offer medication to help ease withdrawal symptoms.

So if you want medication to help then you’re going to want to make sure that you pick a treatment center that offers that. If you’re unsure, call to ask. They’ll be more than happy to answer your questions.

4. Luxury Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Quality

This is an important thing to remember. Because if you’ve got swimming pools and plush couches and huge TVs, it doesn’t mean that the rehab center is any good.

There are three tiers of rehab facilities:

• High-end programs that typically cost $50,000 to $75,000 a month
• Middle market programs that typically cost $25,000 to $35,000 a month
• Traditional inpatient programs, which range from a few thousand dollars to $20,000 monthly

But again, because there’s a higher price tag doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s got quality.

You want to make sure you’re picking your rehab facility based on the level of care they offer, the type of counseling they have, and how hard they’re going to work you to make sure you stick to your program.

A rehab center with 800-thread count sheets isn’t any good if you can get away with skipping group or not following the 12 steps.

5. Watch Out for Guarantees of Success

This is a huge red flag. Any rehab center that guarantees success is plain lying.

There’s no such thing as a guarantee of success with addicts because the addict is the one who decides if things are successful or not. It’s up to the individual to follow their discharge plan once they leave the treatment center.

In order to guarantee success, the individual addict needs to make the decision every single day to stay clean. The rehab center has nothing to do with that and has no control over that.

The only person who can guarantee success is the addict.

Final Thoughts

Addiction is a terrible disease to live with or to watch your loved one wrestle with. But you can get help. With these tips, you can find the right rehab and addiction treatment services.

For more information on what to look for in a drug and rehab facility check out this post.
And if you’re looking for a rehab facility and want to talk with us then feel free to contact us to discuss your options and what we can do to help you.