Choose Wisely

I am challenged often by the belief in our general community that Rehab does not work - an all too difficult belief to challenge being a drug and alcohol treatment center as it always seems to come across as though we are trying to sell our "business" or services - as though we do this for the money. In fact there are many people out there who resent the drug rehabilitation industry because they believe we exploit people in desperate situations. 

Let me assure you that most of us are in the business of saving lives - not making money. This belief that "rehab does not work" is founded on some real evidence as produced by the low success rates of treatment centers today but, the low success rates are not because rehabilitation centers are only in it for the money. The low success rates are based on outdated treatment programs, lack of resources, lack of integrated support services and most importantly - people who try to take short cuts in terms of their rehabilitation process. 

In today's society we want the quick fix, we want to get maximum results with minimal effort and investment. Our society is still stuck in the belief that this addiction is a moral problem - a poor decision on the "addict's" part - a problem that can easily be fixed if the addict would just choose to stop using. This belief is the very thing that makes addicts feel like worthless failures because despite their very real desire not to use they pick up time and time again - they must therefore be bad people with no hope of ever recovering.

It is this belief that drives the other very flawed thought that an "addict" must want help before treatment will work.  We have seen time and time again that those individuals entering treatment who desperately want the help quickly abort the process when they feel stronger - they believe they have cured their addiction and that their desire to never use again is enough to keep them clean. On the other hand the individuals who come into treatment reluctantly can just as easily realize once they have stabilized that in fact their addiction problem was worse than they believed and can quickly surrender to the process. 

Rehabilitation can be 100% successful if you firstly choose the right treatment center - do your homework, go to a support group like H.E.A.L. and find out which centers are producing success stories, choose a center not based on it's convenient location or shortened treatment times but based on evidence based research of what is working. Be prepared to go the distance - you may need to sacrifice your time, your job, your financial resources and perhaps even a relationship but ultimately this is what it will take to get your recovery - this is what it will take to save a life. 

Addiction is a complicated illness - a powerful, cunning and baffling disease - that kills. Don't allow your misconception that Rehab doesn't work to rob you of the only thing that may save your life or the life of your loved one rather do your homework and choose a treatment centre wisely.