4 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Drug Rehab in Arizona

“Your best days are ahead of you.

The movie starts when the guy gets sober

and puts his life back together;

it doesn’t end there.”

– Bucky Sinister, U.S. poet, self-help author,

stand-up comedian, and recovering drug addict

When you’re an active drug addict or alcoholic, life seems a lot like one of those pretty poor B-movies.

Come on – you know the ones. Not quite poor enough to make it into cult status, just poor enough that no audience will find it particularly interesting – full of false drama, bad lines (sometimes, literally), a hopeless plot, badly choreographed bar-brawls, and extremely sad attempts at acting.

Well, that’s what my cocaine and alcohol-fuelled addicted life was like. The bad acting and the bar-brawls, especially. However, I do promise that I did all my own stunts. Like the one where I drunkenly fell through the doors of a drug rehab that would, eventually, save my sorry B-movie life.

Eight years later, thanks to the dedicated and caring clinical staff there, who practised and taught me a whole new philosophy toward getting clean and sober, and one I could use in my life afterwards, I’m still abstinent from my so-called “drugs of choice,” I’m still clean, I’m still sober, I exercise regularly, and, even though I’m certainly not going to win any acting academy awards, life is far more real.

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**Actually, delete that – life is real.**

I was lucky, in more ways than one. Not only had I stumbled (somewhat violently, to be honest) into a drug rehab that could actually help me, it was one where my long-term addiction recovery could begin properly. In simpler words, it ticked all the right boxes. Many addicts and alcoholics looking for help, sadly, aren’t that fortunate, and end up in places that only want their money, and their sorry ass out of there as soon as possible. Yes, it happens.

If you are considering finally seeking and accepting the help you need to end your life-wrecking substance addiction, it’s a good thing you’re here. Remember, there is always hope – and nothing is ever truly lost, not if you set yourself and want to recover it.

1. Research & Due Diligence (& Repeat)

Before you even hit the new tab + sign on your browser to take you to the Google Maps page, typing in “Drug Rehabs Near Me”, and then clicking on the nearest option to your own house, take a breath…

Doing enough research, and applying enough due diligence to your search results, takes time. As mentioned previously, not every “drug rehab” is, for want of a better expression, a “drug rehab.” Some may even have zero or little chance of ever keeping you clean and sober, let alone, of being able to get you there in the first place.

Take a good, long, hard look around at what’s on offer. There are many, many types of addiction rehab out there, with many different treatment programs, different therapies, and different philosophies for recovery. Aside from the few that simply aren’t effective rehabs in the first place, you need to remember that not every professional, accredited facility is going to be the right fit for you.

Consider whether you can attend a residential rehab as an inpatient, or if an outpatient program is better suited to your circumstances. So, before making any decisions whatsoever, make an appointment with your family doctor to discuss your addiction, and your desire and need for treatment. After getting a proper medical consultation, many rehabs on your “list” will become unsuitable anyway.

Once you have a list, give all the options your best due diligence. Research them as much as you can. Check Google reviews and other sources of opinion. And then give them some more of that diligence – this may be one of the most important decisions in your life.

2. Asking the Right Questions

Check out the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) website – they have an absolute wealth of information about treatment for addiction. Additionally, they also have a list of all the principles of effective treatment. These are the vital elements that all good, effective rehabs address in their programs. Here are some of the factors you need to be addressing in any questions you put to prospective rehabs:

What treatments and therapies are available in your program?

The types of behavioral therapy a rehab center should use include:

One-to-one professionally-qualified counseling
Group support therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and/or
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Do you personalize the treatment program to meet my exact needs?

Professional rehab centers provide personalized treatment programs for each client

Does your rehab center accept my health insurance coverage?

After recent law changes, all healthcare providers should include outpatient programs for substance use and mental health treatment as standard, or as a minimum

3. Professional Accreditations

As you may have gathered reading this article, the quality of care you can receive in a drug rehab will vary immensely from facility to facility. However, as with any professional clinical service, there are industry-standard accreditations that centers can be awarded for their standard of care. One of these accreditations means that you are assured of a perfectly acceptable level of care.

The following accreditations are the most respected within the field of addiction treatment and recovery:

JCAHO: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
NAATP: National Association of drug addiction treatment Provider
CARF: Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities

4. Inpatient (Residential) or Outpatient Treatment?

If you have the adequate health insurance provision to cover inpatient treatment, and your current circumstances allow (eg., no work or family obligations that can be worked around to accommodate a 30-day or 60-day program), residential rehab centers do have the best outcome rates – although outpatient outcomes are relatively close to this level of success.

If your health insurance coverage does not extend to inpatient programs, or you do have strict obligations that cannot be worked around, outpatient programs provide the flexibility you need to still attend the necessary addiction treatment. However, you must still try to adhere to the advice you were given during your initial doctor’s appointment.

There you go – your “4 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Drug Rehab in Arizona.” To summarize: