drug treatment
  • Table of Contents
  • Signs of a Drug Problem
  • Levels of Care
  • Financial Options
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Find Drug Treatment

Content Overview

It’s not easy to find the right drug treatment center, especially when there are thousands of them available and minimal information on how to narrow the possibilities down to the best fit. Choosing the right rehab requires lots of information and answers to tricky questions many people have of the recovery process, such as the difference between inpatient and outpatient programs and how to pay for rehab. While it’s possible to find this information by doing the legwork oneself, the best option is to utilize Drug Treatment Center Finder’s comprehensive guide to choosing the right rehab from our recovery network of the highest-quality drug treatment facilities in the country.

As a race, we face a various of serious issues today, including crime, depletion of natural resources, terrorism, and global warming to name only a few. However, there are few issues that affect humanity at such a personal, intimate level as well as on a global scale.

Recently, a number of international scientists began to collaborate on a rather momentous undertaking, which was to approximate the number of people who are suffering from addiction worldwide. Compiling data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), researchers have estimated that nearly five percent of the global population meets the criteria for alcoholism, roughly equivalent to the entire United States population.

It was also estimated that approximately 15 million adults are currently using or addicted to injection drugs.

In the United States — which has the highest addiction rate in the world — there are 40 million people over the age of 12 who meet the criteria for tobacco, alcohol, or drug addiction with another 80 million people considered to be risky substance users, which means while they’re not chemically dependent, they’re using chemical substances in ways that threaten either their own safety or the safety of others. Unfortunately, whether it’s because they’re unable to recognize their addictions or being unsure of how to address their treatment needs, only one in ten Americans experiencing substance abuse problems are receiving treatment.

With more than 14,000 rehabilitation facilities located across the U.S., it’s clear the disparity isn’t due to a lack of treatment availability. But how is a person supposed to sift through the many different treatment options and choose a rehab from the bunch?

Most people aren’t in treatment due to a lack of guidance through the process of finding and choosing the right rehab for their needs. If you’re currently searching for a rehab for yourself or looking into treatment options for a loved one, you’ve come to the right place. Your perfect recovery solution is out there, and the purpose of this guide is to help you find it. By using our comprehensive guide, we’re confident that you or your family member will have a smooth, successful recovery.

15 Million

adults are currently using or addicted to injection drugs.

40 Million

people over the age of 12 who meet the criteria for tobacco, alcohol, or drug addiction

80 Million

people considered to be risky substance users

Signs of Drug Addiction

The essential precursor to looking for a rehab is to determine whether or not you’re actually experiencing a drug problem. Although substance abuse and a drug problem would seem to refer to the same thing, there’s a slight distinction to be made. Substance abuse simply refers to the misuse of a mind-altering substance, which is exhibited by anyone who overindulges. One the other hand, a drug problem implies that a person’s misuse of a substance has become problematic, or has begun causing problems in other areas of his or her life. Additionally, people who develop substance abuse problems typically experience some of the same effects, whether it’s an effect on their person, on their relationships, or some aspect of their overall life. So if you’re trying to determine whether you have a drug problem, it’s a good idea to look for some of these trademark signs of problematic drug use and dependence.

1. Effects on Self

As a substance abuse problem progresses, a person begins experiencing the aftereffects of a substance abuse session — known as a “hangover” — during more and more of his or her sober time. Soon it becomes more than just a hangover. There’s a lingering feeling of physical unwellness during the times when one isn’t under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which is the first indication of withdrawal. Similarly, a substance abuse problem has a quick effect of a person’s spirituality. Due in part to guilt and in part because of a preoccupation with substance abuse, most people who develop drug problems become detached from their beliefs and spirituality, triggering feelings of emptiness and a lack of fulfillment.

An alcohol or drug problem is also known to cause a growing disinterest in many of the things in which a person used to be involved or interested. Additionally, people with drug problems become much less social, especially when they’re not under the influence. There’s also a decreasing concern about physical appearance and oftentimes hygiene as well. Meanwhile, since substance abuse alters neurochemical levels to cause feelings of happiness and euphoria, people with drug problems often feel sad, depressed, aggravated, or anxious when they’re not under the influence. It’s also characteristic to feel emotionally flat and unaffectionate toward others, which compounds feelings of loneliness, isolation, and emptiness.

2. Effects on Relationships with Family

After the change in behavior and other personal effects, a substance abuse problem will have a profound impact on a person’s relationships with family members, spouse or partner, and other loved ones. Because of a general disinterest in anything that doesn’t involve alcohol or drugs, people with drug problems inadvertently become distant and non participative in their relationships. This emotional distance can result in losing the closeness that one previously had with loved ones. In many cases, being emotionally distant escalates to dishonesty and, when combined with a growing sense of desperation, will culminate in a person taking advantage of loved ones, even resorting to stealing from them if it’s deemed necessary.

It’s the unfortunate reality that a drug problem leads to many poor choices. In many cases, those poor choices will also have a direct effect on a person’s family, putting their health and well-being at risk. This will even cause relationships between other family members to deteriorate. It’s common for the parents of someone with a drug problem to have to kick him or her out of the home in order to protect the remainder of the family. Moreover, being kicked out of the home often means being cut off as well, no longer able to rely on the family that had reached their breaking point.

3. Loss of Job

Being an independent, self-sufficient adult in today’s society requires an income, which people maintain by working in their careers and jobs. For many people, the jobs they hold are the result of many years of hard work and maybe a college degree; however, it’s very unlikely for a person to develop any sort of career or hold a job that offers a level of security if he or she has a substance abuse problem. In fact, it’s almost impossible to have a drug problem and hold any job at all, even one that’s entry-level. If you develop a substance abuse problems while employed, your drug problem is inevitably going to lead to a decline in your performance or attendance and cost your job.

Depending on the industry in which a person works, the result of going to work while hungover or under the influence could be catastrophic, causing grievous injury to oneself or others. The inherent risk involved with an employee who goes to work while intoxicated is one that virtually no employer will take. Moreover, it’s increasingly difficult to find a replacement job when you have a substance abuse problem. Therefore, losing a job or being unable to find a job because of your substance abuse is a good indicator of the presence of a drug problem.

4. Loss of Friends

After blood relatives and spouse, a person’s friends are some of the most important people in his or her life. In some cases, they might be people you grew up with and who accompanied you through all the awkward phases of adolescence. For such people, there’s probably nothing you wouldn’t do for them, but when alcohol or drugs come into the picture, something changes. Before you’ve even realized that it has happened, you’ve reached the point where there’s nothing you wouldn’t do to get some distance from those nagging friends so you can enjoy your alcohol or drugs in peace. Like the flip of a switch, a person’s friends fall much further down on his or her list of important things, and the worst part is that the person’s friends will surely sense how unimportant they’ve become.

Alternately, a person’s substance abuse problem could be so off-putting to his or her friends that they actually take it upon themselves to weed the substance abuser out of their lives. There aren’t many wake-up calls as effective as realizing that one’s alcohol or drug habit is such that one’s friends don’t want to be around him or her. In short, a drug habit will cost someone many of his or her friendships, whether it’s because they’re less important than substance abuse or because they couldn’t be friends with someone who has such a serious substance abuse problem. When a person is spending much of his or her time abusing alcohol or taking drugs and can’t remember the last time that he or she wanted to speak to any friends, it would be a good idea to find treatment for a substance abuse problem.

Levels of Care at a Drug Treatment Center

Once you’ve decided that you need treatment for addiction, it’s time to consider the different types that are available and choose the one that’s most effective for your needs and preferences. Each form of addiction treatment represents its own level of care, which basically refers to the intensity of the treatment. While the essentials of addiction rehabilitation are available in basically any type of program, there are certain features or characteristics that distinguish one level of care from the others. Determining the right level of care begins with assessing your history and inferring your needs: How long have you been experiencing a substance abuse problem? To which substance are you dependent? Will this be your first time in treatment? Is there a history of substance abuse or addiction in your family? By comparing your answers, you can identify the optimal level of care and treatment.

Detox Program

For many, detox is the first step of the recovery process. It’s during detoxification that people make the initial transition from physical dependence to sobriety, but with the benefit of a team of medical professionals and recovery specialists monitoring them to ensure their safety and alleviate any physical or psychological discomfort. However, a detox program isn’t necessary for every type of addiction; in particular, people addicted to alcohol, benzodiazepines, or opioids like heroin and painkillers will be in need of a medical detox. A medical detox program takes place in a residential-type rehab, which is a facility that can accommodate patients during a prolonged stay. For most people, the detoxification process takes about a week, but it’s not uncommon to need a few more or a few less days than that. The length of time a person needs to complete a detox program depends on certain factors such as the length of time he or she has been chemically dependent and the substance to which he or she is dependent.

Since a person suffering from addiction will experience withdrawal upon cessation of alcohol or drug intake, the goal of a detox program is to help the chemically dependent get through that period of withdrawal in order to cleanse their bodies of alcohol, drugs, and any other toxins; however, as withdrawal symptoms are known to be unpleasant, people in medical detox programs will typically be given so-called “comfort medications” to alleviate their physical discomfort. Some of the medications commonly offered in detox programs include mild benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants, and sedatives that help if a person is having trouble sleeping. By the end of the detox, the individual will be sober and no longer physically dependent on alcohol or drugs.

Inpatient Rehab

Anyone who’s looking for the most effective form of treatment with round-the-clock care will find inpatient rehab to be the best fit. These types of facilities offer residential accommodations that allow patients to live on-site for periods ranging from several weeks to several months; however, the majority of those enrolling in inpatient treatment will receive between 30 and 90 days of continuous care. Each inpatient rehab will have its own unique offerings, which typically includes a number of elective treatments from which incoming patients can choose for the purpose of individualizing or customizing the inpatient curricula. Depending on the focus or methods employed at any given inpatient rehab, patients may be able to choose from holistic treatments, luxury services like massage therapy, or even a number of demographic-specific options, which might include faith-based treatment or group sessions for women.

While there’s much potential for personalization, there are a number of treatment essentials offered in most if not all inpatient rehabs. In particular, there’s near-universal emphasis on individual counseling and its modalities in addition to group therapy with sessions consisting of groups of patients, peers, or one patient and his or her family. Moreover, there are more focused groups that are often staples of inpatient treatment, including life skills training, relapse prevention, and even nutrition or hygiene sessions when necessary. Inpatient rehab is optimal for those who feel uncertain about their ability to remain sober without a safe, supervised, alcohol- and drug-free environment. What’s more, inpatient rehab is effective not just because it of the temptation-free atmosphere, but because patients receive much more treatment than they’d get in other programs and because inpatient rehab removes people struggling with substance abuse from the places, circumstances, and individuals that may have contributed to their becoming addicted.

Partial Hospitalization

It’s very common for a person to need a more intensive treatment regimen, but due to being unable to reside in an inpatient rehab for the duration of treatment, he or she assumes that recovery isn’t a feasible or realistic option. Alternately, if a person with a drug problem has a stable, supportive living situation where there’s no risk of relapse, he or she might prefer to continue living at home rather than to enroll at an inpatient rehab; however, if there’s a need for an inpatient-level of care and supervision, such an individual would need something that could offer a comprehensive treatment curriculum in the form of an outpatient program. Fortunately, a partial hospitalization program (PHP) is an ideal compromise for just such situations.

Partial hospitalization programs are intended for people who are medically stable and, therefore, aren’t in need of detox treatment, but who still need a high level of supervision to help them resist the temptation of alcohol and drugs. By enrolling in a partial hospitalization program, a person can receive an average workday’s worth of recovery-oriented treatments and then return home. Alternately, a person might choose to participate in partial hospitalization treatment while staying in a transitional living facility, utilizing the partial hospitalization program as a form of continued care and follow-up to an inpatient program. Typically, a partial hospitalization program will offer many of the same treatments and services that are offered by an inpatient rehab, but with an added layer of flexibility, allowing patients to commute to rehab at least five days per week.

Intensive Outpatient

An addiction treatment program doesn’t necessarily have to be at a maximum level of intensity to be effective. When a person suffering from a substance abuse problem is still in generally good health with stable, supportive living arrangements, he or she may not require the full intensity of an inpatient rehab or partial hospitalization program, but would still benefit from receiving the most essential treatments that form the core of any effective rehabilitation program. Moreover, in many cases this person will likely have exhibited the potential and desire to achieve sobriety, but feels uncertain with so much free time that had previously been taken up with substance abuse.

Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) provide a minimum of nine hours of treatment per week, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Due to offering significantly less treatment hours than an inpatient program, an intensive outpatient curriculum is typically limited to the essentials such as individual counseling, psychoeducational group therapy, interpersonal process groups, and other types of group treatment. For most people, an intensive outpatient curriculum is broken down into one three-hour block of treatment on each of three days of the week; however, there’s the potential for up to five days depending on a person’s needs. And despite being less intensive than inpatient and partial hospitalization programs, an intensive outpatient program is still a major commitment. With more flexibility than partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment gives individuals the possibility to continue fulfilling some of their other obligations while in treatment for addiction.

Outpatient Care

There’s a common misconception that outpatient care is the opposite of inpatient care with regard to treatment intensive; in fact, the only way these two types of treatment are opposites is due to the fact that inpatient programs require on-site residency during treatment while outpatient programs mean an individual completes a form of treatment while continuing to live at home or in a transitional living facility. When it comes to the intensity of outpatient care, that a large degree of variation. Some outpatient treatments are designed with accessibility and flexibility in mind while others are a major commitment and would be incredibly difficult to complete while negotiating day-to-day responsibilities.

Of the different types of outpatient care that exist, one of the most consistent features is their low cost relative to other forms of treatment. Additionally, due to being viewed as less intensive outpatient care tends to be more accessible, attracting those who are intimidated by recovery. Outpatient care is best suited to those who are in good physical health, have a safe and stable living environment, and have a strong support network of family and friends.

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Financial Considerations for Drug Treatment

When you decide to find a rehab for an alcohol or drug problem, one of the first considerations that most people have is the cost of treatment. In fact, the perceived high cost of treatment is frequently identified as one of the most prohibitive factors of rehabilitation that has turned many people off the prospect of recovery. Moreover, when a person’s addiction is especially severe and warrants an extended period of inpatient care, finding and enrolling in the best rehab for his or her needs might mean having to cover a cost that’s well above what the individual is able to pay.

If you aren’t aware of the payment options that are available, you might default to the most inexpensive form of treatment, which may not offer you everything that you need . With cost potentially being a deciding factor, it’s important to know there are ways of making the right program financially accessible, even when the right program happens to have a high price tag. For this reason, when a person calls Drug Treatment Center Finder for help finding the right rehab, our admissions specialists will determine financial parameters and whether the individual has health insurance or budgetary constraints as part of the initial assessment.

  • Insurance

    Due to the recent healthcare reforms, most health insurance providers and even government health plans offer coverage for substance abuse treatment. Anyone with a qualifying health insurance plan and anyone covered by Medicaid became eligible to have substance abuse treatments covered by their health plans. And not only did substance abuse treatment become an essential health benefit, but the reforms also made health insurance accessible to a much larger number of people while ensuring that anyone in need can get high-quality care at low cost. Since the healthcare reforms went into effect in 2014, most alcohol and drug rehabs across the country have been accepting patients’ health insurance, what means that addiction treatment is much more accessible with health insurance plans either significantly reducing or covering the cost of treatment.
  • Self Pay

    Another option that’s always available is to cover the cost of treatment by paying out-of-pocket. While this isn’t a realistic option for everyone, there are numerous facilities that have begun offering more flexible payment options for patients who are paying for treatment themselves. For instance, some facilities offer what’s called a sliding scale, which means they will adjust the cost of treatment in proportion to a person’s income and ability to pay or afford the treatment if he or she doesn’t have health insurance coverage; in some cases, this can result in a substantial reduction in cost that allows a person to pay on a fraction of the program’s full price. Additionally, it’s common for rehabs to break the cost of treatment down into payments that the patient can pay over a period of time.
  • Loans

    If a person doesn’t have health coverage and paying out-of-pocket isn’t an option, there’s always the possibility of taking out a loan to cover the cost of addiction treatment. For most people, the most reliable lender is one’s own family, but this isn’t an option for everyone. And while taking out an actual loan is not typically a first choice, there are several ways to go about getting a loan to pay for rehab. One of the preferred routes would be to withdraw a loan from one’s 401K or some other type of retirement account; this is optimal as it provides a person with a lump sum in a reasonably short amount of time and, being a loan, this mean that his or her retirement fund will get restored. An alternative would be to take out a home equity loan, but this requires a certain amount of preparation and time. Fortunately, banks see these loans as being low-risk since the person is using his or her home as collateral, so they aren’t quite as time-prohibitive as other types of loans. In addition to looking into personal and private loans, there are even some specialized loan companies that offer lending services specifically for those who are trying to cover the cost of rehab; these rehab financing loans often have low interests rates and a number of other features that are beneficial to those in treatment.
  • Scholarships

    Much like a student who is trying to cover the cost of college tuition, there are many scholarships and grants available specifically for the purpose of paying for addiction treatment. More often than not, scholarships come from different types of philanthropic foundations with many of them easy to find through internet searches. There’s also the possibility of getting grants, which are usually state-funded and intended to encourage people with substance abuse problems to get sober and become productive members of their communities. It’s also common for rehabs themselves to know of a number of local scholarships and grants that are available to people seeking money to pay for addiction treatment; in fact, some rehabs offer their own scholarships, which can be awarded according to financial need or due to some other qualifier. Scholarships and grants are a preferred means of paying for treatment at an alcohol or drug rehab because these funds don’t come out-of-pocket and don’t have to be repaid.

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FAQs When Choosing a Drug Treatment Center

Choosing a rehab and a treatment program is very personal and intimidating process. Without guidance, picking the right rehab out of thousands of options is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Our goal with this guide was to walk you through the process of finding the best treatment facility for your needs and provide all of the most essential information you’ll need along the way, but it’s expected — and understandable — that you’ll have some questions, and we’re always here to answer them. However, the following are several of the most frequently asked questions that people have when they are choosing an alcohol or drug addiction treatment center.

  • “How long will I be in treatment?”
    This is one of the most common questions that people have of the recovery process, and it’s also one of the most difficult to answer definitively. The truth is that there’s really no way to know for sure how long it’ll take for a person to complete his or her treatments. Everyone is different, coming from different backgrounds and having different circumstances that will factor into the the length of time that he or she will spend in treatment; however, there are even more considerations to take into account, including whether or not a person is going to be completing only one type of program or if he or she will be transitioning from a more intensive program to one that’s less intense as part of an extended treatment plan.Going into the treatment and recovery process, it’s best not to be too concerned with how much time a person is spending in treatment or the speed at which he or she is completing a program. Everyone has his or her own pace that’s best for optimal results, so the best thing for someone to do is focus on recovery and let himself or herself progress through a treatment program at whatever rate feels the most natural and comfortable.

  • “What about my other health problems? Will they be taken into consideration while I’m in rehab?”
    Absolutely. When an addiction and some other disorder exist simultaneously, it’s called a dual diagnosis and dual-diagnosis patients are strongly encouraged to attend a rehab that can accommodate their particular needs. In programs with dual-diagnosis support, treatment of both afflictions is incorporated into one curriculum. The reason both diagnoses are treated simultaneously is because there’s often a correlation or relationship between the two disorders. Specifically, it’s possible for addiction to trigger symptoms of a mental or emotional disorder, but since alcohol and drug abuse are common symptoms of many psychological diseases, addiction can also be derived from a mental or emotional disorder; therefore, when a person suffers from a substance abuse problem and a co-occurring, or comorbid, illness, both afflictions are addressed as part of the recovery process.

  • “Will I be able to have visitors while I’m in rehab?”
    Patients are allowed and encouraged to have loved ones visit them in rehab so long as the visits occur during the designated visitation times. Although visitors can’t exactly drop by anytime they please, virtually all rehabs will ensure that each patient has ample time during which they can visit with their family and close friends.

  • “Am I able to choose the treatments and therapies in which I participate or do I have no say in my treatment curriculum?”
    You will most certainly be afforded a level of customization and personalization in your treatment program. Everyone’s needs are different and wouldn’t be met by the same selection of treatments, but allowing patients to customize a program by choosing the treatments and therapies that best address their needs ensure maximum efficacy and will make patients’ time in rehab substantially more fruitful. Granted, there are some components that are seen as being essential to recovery, including counseling and various types of group therapy, but beyond that there’s a lot of room to tailor a program to each person.

  • “Are the people running this rehab qualified and experienced professionals?”
    This is surely one of the best questions to ask. Anyone who’s about to put their future in the hands of another will want to be certain that it’s someone that can be trusted and who knows what they’re doing. However, the Drug Treatment Center Finder recovery network consists only of the most high-quality rehabs employing skilled experts, physicians, counselor, and other staff who have expressed the desire to help others and have demonstrated the utmost professionalism. When we provide someone with a rehab recommendation, he or she should take assurance in the fact that only the best rehabs get our recommendations and are included in our nationwide recovery network.

Find Drug Treatment in Your Area

Find Drug Treatment Centers by State

Choosing a rehab and a treatment program is very personal and intimidating process. Without guidance, picking the right rehab out of thousands of options is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Our goal with this guide was to walk you through the process of finding the best treatment facility for your needs and provide all of the most essential information you’ll need along the way, but it’s expected — and understandable — that you’ll have some questions, and we’re always here to answer them. However, the following are several of the most frequently asked questions that people have when they are choosing an alcohol or drug addiction treatment center.