| How long does it take to "cure" someone abusing | | | | -What is the program's success rate and how |
| drugs or alcohol? 21 days? 28 or 30 days? And what | | | | effective is the program? Look for a rate of success |
| if you send your loved one to rehab for 3 or 4 weeks, | | | | no less than 60%. |
| and they return home to their same habits? What | | | | -What is the program's treatment methodology? Is the |
| program is the right program? There are so many on | | | | root of the drug/alcohol addiction going to be sorted |
| the internet nowadays, it's almost impossible to know. | | | | out, or will it be masked with prescription drugs? |
| The most important thing to remember when looking | | | | -Does the program include individualized treatment and |
| for a good treatment program is that addiction is | | | | life skills classes for the addict, or are there simply |
| generally not cured in 30 days or less. If you walk into | | | | meetings and discussion groups? |
| the woods a certain distance, it could be safely | | | | -Does the program address the addict's biophysical |
| assumed that the distance walking back out of the | | | | addiction to drugs or alcohol? |
| woods is going to be about the same. Drug/alcohol | | | | -How long does the program generally take? Look for |
| dependency is not a walk in the forest, but if you have | | | | programs that are 3-5 months in length. |
| become dependent upon a substance to get you | | | | -What is the setting of the rehab? Is it a hospital-like |
| through the day, to solve your problems or simply to | | | | facility, or will the addict be made comfortable in a |
| make you happy-the chances of recovering from this | | | | more home-like setting? (Be careful that treatment |
| in a few weeks are slim to none. | | | | facilities don't sell you on their program solely based on |
| These 21-30 day programs were developed not | | | | amenities like Egyptian cotton sheets, yoga and rock |
| because someone said addiction could be cured in that | | | | climbing.) |
| time, but because that's the time frame most insurance | | | | -What is the location of the facility? In many cases, |
| companies would pay for. And statistics show that | | | | out-of-state rehabs are beneficial. A change in |
| only 10 or 20% of the attendees of these short-term | | | | environment can be very therapeutic. However if |
| programs stay sober for any length of time. Long-term | | | | because of legal or other reasons the addict is not |
| drug and alcohol rehab has proven to be more | | | | able to leave the state, look for a remote location |
| effective, as the addict is given the time he or she | | | | away from one's "old stomping grounds," and away |
| needs to really sort out their life. | | | | from major cities. This will allow for recovery to occur |
| Things to look for in selecting a long-term treatment | | | | in a distraction-free environment. |
| facility for yourself or a loved one: | | | | |