Choosing the right drug rehab

Let’s be honest. realising that someone you love may have a problem is hard enough, deciding how to help them is utterly overwhelming. Most families have a flawed perception about rehab and so generally don’t want to go that route believing that there has to be another way. There is such a bad stigma attached to the word “addict” and “rehab” that most people will do everything in the power to avoid having to make this tough decision.

Making the decision to send your loved one to rehab is tough enough, finding the right rehab even tougher. Many people would have first tried psychologists, doctors and/ or psychiatrists in their attempt to help someone out of addiction believing that their loved one cannot be an “addict”. 9 times out of 10 it is generally a massive crisis that brings the individual to a point of choosing rehabilitation and it is in this time of crisis that one of the most important life-changing decisions needs to be made.

Most people look for the quickest solution - the one they feel will interrupt their lives the least. They cannot see their loved ones addiction as being that bad and therefor it does not warrant an intensive long-term treatment. When they phone around they discover that rehabilitation can be between 21 days and 12 months and cCan cost between R4,000.00 - R130,000.00 a month. The overwhelming amount of rehabs available does not make matters any easier and to make it worst most people have no idea what they are even looking for.

You are generally lucky if you know of someone who has been down this road before and can steer you in the right direction but even then rehab is not a one size fits all. Generally people keep their addiction a secret and so are not forthcoming with information and more importantly the one looking for rehab is still full of shame and so not publicly asking for advice and guidance. It is a terrible place to be needing to help a loved one but having no clue where to turn and even worse if you have no available resources to help.

Top tip #1

Join a local support group immediately. They are generally free and they have experience with many rehab options out there. You will find families in similar situations who will happily help and guide you and more importantly you will find support from people who have been where you are. H.E.A.L. is a great place to start (www.healministries.com). They have no affiliation with any specific centre and will help assess what kind of rehab is best suited and within your budget.

Topi tip #2

Do not look for the shortest option. Your loved one has an illness that requires comprehensive psychological treatment that takes time. A short term program may work for you but generally longer term is better - this again depends on the person needing the help but allow the “professionals” to help you assess this. Trying to get this all behind you as quickly as possible is not the best way to approach this decision.

Top tip #3

Do not look for the closest option. It is often better for the individual to be further away from their place of resource and their family in order to have the space and time to focus on their treatment. If you do choose long-term treatment visits are generally only allowed every 4-6 weeks and so the family do not have to be close by. The location can provide a very tranquil and peaceful setting for healing and should be somewhere that promotes this.

Top tip #4

It is crucial that you get the best value for the money being invested. If you cannot afford rehab but have a medical aid there are treatment centres that will assist you with a 3 month program. There are some good rehab centres out there for approximately R7,000.00 a month but again it is not a one size fits all and certain people require specific types of treatment. One has to view rehabilitation as a medical expense for a medical condition and as we know this is often not cheap. It is an investment being made into the future of the individual and should be seen as such. Many people will invest lots of money into studies, vehicles, flats etc all in the hopes that these will get the individual on the straight and narrow. If the individual does not receive the best possible treatment any further investment into their lives will most likely be wasted.

Top tip #5

Do your homework and phone around. Evaluate the type of program, find out how many patients they have at any given time, find out how many counsellors they have (there should be no more than 10 patients per counsellor - less is alway better), find out about their medical department and what their stance is on psychiatric medication. Ask how many hours of labour do they do a day, how many group sessions they have, how many lectures do they have a week. Get as much information as you can so you can make an informed decision. Although gratitude, humility, hard work and spirituality are all required for recovery there are many ways of achieving these things. A program only focused on spirituality or hard labour is not going to achieve the desired outcome.

Top tip #6

Make sure you feel comfortable with the centre and the feedback and advice given to you. If you can go and check the place out and see what you feel about it. If you don’t get a good feeling trust your gut. This is one of the most important decisions anyone will have to make - ensure that you feel as though you are making the right one. Find the right people to help you with this decision - you are not alone.

No centre can guarantee success. Any rehab centre should have a good balance between psychological treatment, spiritual Treatment and physical treatment. One cannot make one more important than the other. Your best option at this point is to ask for help from a support group or to phone a support group and get some direction.

We are always happy to talk you through the different options and to give you some guidance and direction during this difficult time. Please do not hesitate to call us no matter what your circumstance is and one of our counsellors will happily assist. You may not be able to come to Jahara but that does not mean we can’t help you find the right option.

You can call us anytime on 0711001639.