Some questions to ask when you are considering a drug rehabilitation program

Taking the first steps on the road to regaining your life may be daunting but you’ll find that a drug rehabilitation program will offer you the best possibility of successfully recovering from your drug dependency. The vast majority of drug dependent individuals who attempt to break the cycle of dependency on their own unfortunately fail. Equally, patients may not respond to certain types of treatment due to a range of factors such as treatment regime, environment and personal motivation and state of mind. It is important that you choose the right drug rehabilitation program to suit you and your needs.

What are the living arrangements?

Will you have to share living accommodation with other patients? A drug rehabilitation program may accommodate patients in a dormitory style manner or provide single room occupancy – in some cases, the treatment regime itself may call for communal living but you should always check what will be provided.

Can you cater for dual diagnosis patients?

A drug rehabilitation program may not be able to provide all of the necessary attention for all of your conditions. Many drug dependent patients also present other conditions such as alcohol dependency or mental health issues. These conditions will also need treating and cannot be ignored if a successful recovery is to be expected. Ensure you ask if the drug rehabilitation program will be able to handle dual diagnosis and if so, how and who will be providing the treatment alongside the drug rehab.

Can my private physician provide me with my medication?

Ask if the drug rehabilitation program will allow your own physician to prescribe medication for you or whether you will be compelled to use the medications only prescribed by the program physicians. If you are allowed medication prescribed by your own physician how will this be dispensed to the patient?

What services do you provide other than drug rehab?

A drug rehabilitation program needs to focus not just on the medical intervention aspects of treatment. For many patients learning to lead a life free from drug use requires that they learn or relearn skills to help them after they are discharged from the program.

A comprehensive social based drug rehabilitation program will offer much more than simple treatment for drug rehab. Some programs offer work and vocational training to help patients reintegrate into their home community and assist with gaining employment as they lead a more constructive, productive life free of drug use.

Enquire as to what is offered as well as drug rehab treatment, particularly look for those programs that offer an opportunity to establish an organized routine filled with productive activities rather than simply sitting around a television.

How will we know when I’m ready for discharge and how will the decision be made?

The decision to leave a drug rehabilitation program is a major milestone on the road to recovery. Handling discharge is a serious matter which requires the involvement of not only the program professionals, but also the patient and their family. Discharging a patient too soon may lead to relapse and the undermining of the patients hard work and motivation to get to that stage.

Ask how the drug rehabilitation program will handle discharge decisions and what services will be provided to counsel the patient and family prior to release.

What about providing aftercare support when I’m back home?

After discharge and returning home, the patient will have to face possibly the greatest challenge to recovery and a drug free lifestyle. What life skills and strategies have been learned during the residential treatment phase of a drug rehabilitation program will be put to the ultimate practical test in the real world of the patient.

For some, confronting a familiar social setting or meeting a person associated with drug use in the past may evoke a compulsion to return to drug use. There can be no telling what may trigger an urge to return to drug use, it may simply be a smell, however when that happens the patient must be able to recognize what is happening and deal with the compulsion using self-control.

When self-control is difficult to maintain, or indeed if it breaks down and there is a relapse there must be a prepared contingency plan to cope with the situation.

Is the drug rehabilitation program facility licensed?

You should ask what licensing and accreditations the program, the facility and it’s staff carry. A drug rehabilitation program should be State licensed and carry the necessary medical accreditations. This is particularly relevant if the facility is carrying out detoxification which requires close medical supervision due the stress and trauma it may cause the patient and the practical effects of withdrawal which may have a lasting adverse effect upon health if not properly conducted.

What services are available to help my family cope with my condition?

Preparing a patient for discharge back into society requires that not only are they mentally and physically prepared for life in the outside world but also that they have the necessary support network to help maximize the possibility of a successful treatment outcome. A drug rehabilitation program should offer family counseling to the patients loved ones and close circle.

Educating family and loved ones as to the nature of drug dependency and what may be expected in the future after being discharged will help them to help the patient cope with those situations where the patient is tested. In those instances where the patient may need help or a relapse occurs, then family and loved ones will provide the very first line of support and help.

Choosing a drug rehabilitation program that will deliver the right treatment is not just about the statistics demonstrating recovery rates. Ask questions to educate yourself with what to expect and on the help that will be provided. Is this the right drug rehabilitation program for you? If you are not sure ask for more information until you feel able to make an informed decision on what may be the most important decision of your life – to live free from drugs.