What To Consider When Looking for an Addiction Treatment Providers

• Question providers about their approach to treatment. Be wary of those who say they have had extraordinary success or have been able to return individuals to controlled use patterns.
• Question addiction treatment providers about which modalities therapists have been trained in. Ask whether individual therapy is available and how many sessions are provided. Be wary of programs that only use group therapy.
• Look for an addiction treatment program that treats patients on a psychological, physical, and spiritual level. Remember that drug and alcohol treatment is not a one-size-fits all experience. Addiction Treatments vary widely according to the addictive substance, the existence of co-occurring illnesses, the age, gender and cultural background of the patient and many other variables. They must be addressed together.
• When looking for help with Addiction from an addiction treatment program, ask if they have a family program and if so how it works.
• Effective treatment involves monitoring of substance use throughout treatment. Ask if the program provides random drug tests.
• Addiction not only wears down the individual suffering from the disease directly, it also affects friends, family members, and treatment staff. So, be sure that the treatment staff is not only taking care of the patients, but also taking care of themselves.
• When endeavoring to conquer addiction through rehab, look for a facility that is comforting. Your loved one will be spending some painful moments in this place, so the last thing you want is to put them in a place that is not welcoming in the first place.
• Find out about the programs that are offered through the treatment facility and research these modalities. Some programs use a treatment approach that’s based on shaming and berating the patient – while this approach was once widely accepted, experts now see that it is not the most effective approach. The fact is that shaming can increase the chances for relapse.
• Most forms of serious addiction require extended care beyond any formal period of treatment. This means you will want an addiction treatment center that provides follow-up care, at least through the 90-day point.
• Ask about continuing care options available to patients. Ask how long the continuing care continues and what form it is in. Ask about formal efforts to link patients with AA or other mutual help groups. Ask about linking the patient with their primary care physician to assure continuity of care.