Drug Rehab Programs: Variety and Effectiveness

Article by Jonathan Huttner

There are thousands of drug rehab or drug treatment programs available throughout the United States. They term themselves drug rehab, drug treatment, addiction treatment facility, free standing addiction treatment, detox and a host of other names. I wanted to take a moment and explain the differences to you.

In many cases, your choice of a drug treatment or alcohol treatment facility will hinge on several factors: medical and psychiatric care, comprehensiveness of the program, licensure of program and staff, family program, relapse prevention program and aftercare program. In addition, there is of course a person’s ability to pay for their drug or alcohol rehab facility.

Listed below will be a list of the various types of programs you may encounter on your search for a drug rehab, alcoholism or addiction treatment program:

• Drug Rehab (free standing facility ) this is a stand alone facility, specializing in the treatment of drug addiction or alcoholism. It is not part of a general hospital.
• Drug Addiction (free standing facility) same as above
• Alcoholism Treatment (free standing facility) same as above
• Drug Rehab (hospital based) this is a program that is usually located on a private wing within a general hospital. The addict or alcoholic who has developed complicated medical or psychiatric problems might be better off detoxing within the confines of a hospital. Allow an addiction specialist or physician to make that decision for you.
• Addiction Treatment (hospital based) same as above
• Alcoholism Treatment (hospital based) same as above
• Detox Program (hospital based or free standing) is a level of care in which a person is medically monitored in an effort to assist them with the withdrawal symptoms associated with drug addiction or alcoholism. The greater the medical needs of an individual, the better the chances of their need for a hospital based detox.
• Long Term Residential Addiction Treatment Programs are generally free standing facilities, designed for the addict or alcoholic whose recovery needs warrant a longer period of time than a typical 30 day addiction treatment program can provide.

As you can see there are many different types of centers available for drug rehab. Don’t be fooled by promises of success rates or that one is less expensive than another, when you are trying to find an alcohol and drug rehab facility. Base your decision on where to go on your specific needs and the services the drug rehab provides.