The decision to enter a drug addiction treatment center is not one to be taken lightly. It is a commitment to put your life back together and this is the place where you’ll do it. There is much work to be done and you’ll need help from qualified people who know what they’re doing. You may even need to detox before the work begins. 

You’ll need guidance and support through the entire process, so you’ll need to know you’re choosing the right facility. This is a place where you’ll spend a great deal of time, and you need to know they have a track record of success along with the right programs to help you reach your goals. 

This is the drug addiction treatment center that will help you reach and maintain long-term sobriety. This is a big decision, and you’ll need to ask some questions before choosing the facility where you’ll change your life. 

1. What Treatment Modalities Do You Offer?

Drug addiction is a serious illness requiring complex modalities for effective treatment. Most often a drug addiction treatment center will use the combination of modalities found most effective in their experience. Some may offer a whole-patient approach with Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) while others focus on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) or a combination of the two.

Ask if they offer individual therapy sessions, group therapy, or a combination of the two. Do they work with psychiatrists or psychologists? There is also Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Contingency Management (CM). Basically, you need to know what you’re getting into and how they plan to help you.

2. What Type of Recovery Services Do You Offer?

Some people respond better to alternative treatments. Others may prefer a more holistic approach. You should be able to find out if they offer nutritional services and things like art therapy or yoga. Meditation and acupuncture are also popular services with a track record of success. 

Some drug addiction treatment centers require patients to engage in physical fitness programs as part of their recovery while others may make it optional. Sometimes, there’s an additional cost to these services and you’ll need to know that. You’ll need to know exactly what tools will be available to you at the drug addiction treatment center you choose.

3. Do You Teach Life Skills for Aftercare?

It does you no good to get clean if you can’t stay that way. Without specialized coping and life skills to support your aftercare, you could end up in a never-ending cycle of relapse. You’ll want to know that there is an aftercare program to help you readjust to sober living and that you’ll have the skills to stay that way. You’ll need coping skills and life skills if you don’t already have them. When you transfer out of the drug addiction treatment center of your choice, you want to be ready to build your new life. 

4. Do You Offer Family Support?

Research shows that the more family support a patient has, the higher their chances of staying sober. Family support can often be the deciding factor in an addict relapsing or staying sober. Families don’t always know exactly how to approach and/or support the person they love when it’s time for them to leave the drug addiction treatment center. It’s important that the facility offer the tools to help the family support the person they love throughout their treatment and beyond. 

Researching a Drug Addiction Treatment Center

Unfortunately, there are facilities out there who are more interested in turning a profit than helping others. Many times, they will be named after famous people or places. It is important to ask questions and take notes as those questions are answered. If people are not patient with you as you do your research, they likely won’t be very patient as you try to detox and recover either. 

Take the time to check licensing and credentials. Your state agency should have a dedicated website with applicable information and inspection reports. See if there have been complaints about the facility or the staff. Ask about the qualifications of not only the medical staff and therapists, but also the other people who work at the facility. 

Some facilities can be so focused on getting you into their center that they forget they are providing you a service. You may not find a perfect treatment center on paper, but you will find the perfect drug addiction treatment center for you. 

Treatment Center is Only a Tool

Remember, the treatment center is only a tool but it’s the most important tool you have. Once you’ve made the choice to enter a drug addiction treatment center, you’ll have to do some research to find the right one. Ask these questions and any others you may have and write down the answers. This will make it easier for you to compare notes and make the choice that is truly right for you.

Read Also: How a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center Helps Battle Substance Abuse and Mental Health