How Do I Find the Best Rehab Near Me? It’s a question we are often asked. Are you looking for help with your substance use or addiction and wondering which rehabs near you are the best? Read our guide and find out what you need to know before you search.
Perhaps the only thing harder than admitting you need help with addiction or substance abuse, is finding the drug and alcohol rehab center that’s right for you. While your initial inclination might be to simply search the Internet for “rehabs near me,” finding the right facility is often substantially more complicated than that. Much like each person’s personal struggle with addiction or mental health, not all drug and alcohol treatment centers are the same.
Best rehab near me query considerations
Do you need a drug or alcohol detox?
Do you want outpatient rehab or inpatient rehab?
Do you think there is an underlying mental health issue you are self-medicating with drugs and alcohol?
Are you open to 12-step rehabs, or strictly looking for non-12-step rehabs?
Is it important for you to find a gender-specific program so you are only in treatment with other males or other females?
Would you prefer a program that’s geared toward the LGBTQ+ community?
Do you have health insurance?
If you have to stay close to home, do the rehabs near you have sufficient aftercare plans available?
How Do I Find the Best Rehab Near Me?
Drug Detox
Finding a rehab near you that offers drug detox may be the necessary first step before seeking any type of formalized therapeutic treatment. Sometimes residential rehabs have a detox program on site; other times you have to go through detox at a separate location from where you have treatment. Depending on the type of drug in one’s system, detox can last anywhere from three days to a few weeks.
Opioid Detox
Opioids are perhaps one of the most common drugs of late requiring detox. Often referred to as narcotics, some commonly misused opioid drugs include prescription painkillers such as oxycodone and morphine, and the street drug heroin. Sometimes people start using heroin when they can no longer afford or obtain prescription medication.
Sometimes Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is used to relieve the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and comfortably taper someone who was dependent on opioids such as heroin or prescription painkillers. According to SAMHSA, “The prescribed medication operates to normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieve physiological cravings, and normalize body functions without the negative effects of the abused drug.” While the initial detox can safely get the person off the drug, treatment with drugs such as buprenorphine and naloxone (Suboxone) may be required long term for maintenance.
There are other instances where a person may have developed a dependence on a prescription painkiller, for example, but are able to safely remove it from their system in supervised detox without the need for any type of medication-assisted treatment using drugs like methadone or Suboxone. So while the detox process might be necessary for initially quitting the drug, the person may be able to remain abstinent without continued physical withdrawal symptoms.
Benzo Detox
Sometimes a person entering drug and alcohol rehab may require a detox from benzodiazepines. “Benzos” are a category of drugs usually recommended for conditions such as anxiety, panic disorders and seizures. These types of drugs (such as Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, and others) have an impact on the neurotransmitters in the brain. In fact, a medically supervised alcohol detox (or opiate detox) sometimes incorporates the temporary use of benzos.
So if someone needs a supervised detox of benzodiazepines, they are often given anti-seizure or anti-convulsive medication. A benzo detox regimen might also include drugs that help with sleeping such as Trazodone.
Alcohol Detox
Not everyone who seeks treatment for alcohol issues needs a medically-supervised detox. It’s possible the person has not yet developed a physical dependence on it. If someone is struggling with binge drinking or just identifies an alcohol problem in their life, that doesn’t mean they necessarily have reached the stage of dependence where they wake up in withdrawal and need to take a drink to relieve symptoms. In other words, a physical addiction to alcohol is not a requirement in order to seek help. Many alcohol rehabs are willing to treat anyone who has a desire to quit drinking, even if they haven’t hit “rock bottom” in the conventional sense.
However, for someone who has developed a physical dependence, the symptoms of withdrawal can be very uncomfortable and even dangerous.
The Mayo Clinic confirms that “sweating, rapid heartbeat, hand tremors, problems sleeping, nausea and vomiting, hallucinations, restlessness and agitation, anxiety, and occasionally seizures” are all possible side effects when someone with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) suddenly stops their consumption.
So as you can see, it’s important for anyone at risk of withdrawal symptoms to undergo detox in a safe, supervised setting with medical professionals.
The risk of seizures is of paramount concern for physicians overseeing an alcohol detox regimen. As a result, they commonly administer anti-seizure medication during the detox process. Also, as previously mentioned, they also regularly use benzodiazepines, such as Klonopin (clonazepam), Librium (Chlordiazepoxide) or Ativan (lorazepam). These medications help alleviate anxiety or panic. Doctors initially administer benzodiazepines but reduce the intake as the person gets stable.
Why are benzodiazepines so effective in treating someone experiencing Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS)? The Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research published via the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reports that “Data on comparisons between benzodiazepines and other drugs, including α-blockers, carbamazepine and clonidine could not be pooled, but none of them was found to be superior to benzodiazepines. Another meta-analysis concluded that BZD reduce withdrawal severity, reduce incidence of delirium and seizures.”
Detox protocol for alcohol also sometimes includes Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant, anti-epileptic drug. Someone undergoing alcohol detox might also need medication that helps with sleep and nausea.
Inpatient Rehab and Residential Treatment
When discussing drug and alcohol rehab centers, the words “inpatient” and “residential” are often used interchangeably. While both entail sleeping somewhere besides your own home, inpatient rehab facilities usually refer to a hospital setting while residential usually refers to home-like accommodations.
Inpatient care is usually referring to need for constant medical supervision but can be used also as a general term for a rehab where you stay overnight, even if it’s not a clinical setting.
Residential treatment often takes place in a space that could also serve as a family home, frequently in a residential neighborhood. In most cases, residential treatment means that everything takes place on-site, including therapy, meetings and meals.
With some rehabilitation centers, the clients live in a residence but attend treatment at a different location. Technically, living in one place and receiving treatment in another means it’s no longer considered “residential treatment” but that doesn’t mean certain rehab facilities won’t still advertise as residential.
A lot of the drug and alcohol treatment centers in southern Florida have outpatient programs affiliated with sober living homes the clients reside in the entire time they’re in treatment. This approach to alcohol rehab became so common in the area, it’s often referred to as “The Florida Model.”
Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient care can be a step-down from residential treatment or a great option for someone who might not be able to take time away from personal or professional obligations for inpatient rehab. Outpatient rehab is often less costly too.
There can be many forms of outpatient rehab, all at various levels of intensity:
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Perhaps the most intensive type of outpatient rehab, PHPs usually involve all day treatment, five to seven days a week. Participants pretty much do everything but sleep at the facility.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
The second tier down from PHP, IOPs are usually three to five days a week, sometimes full days and sometimes half days of therapy.
Outpatient Program (OP)
Standard outpatient can mean anywhere from therapy once a week to checking in with groups as needed. ‘Outpatient’ is often a generalized term to mean any type of medical care, mental health or otherwise, that doesn’t require an overnight stay.
Dual Diagnosis Support
It’s extremely common for individuals to be dealing with both addiction or substance use disorder alongside a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. In fact, there are many cases in which the person might have developed the substance use disorder because he or she was self-medicating an undiagnosed or not properly treated mental health issue. In these instances, sometimes removing the substance is the first step.
If you or your loved one has a dual diagnosis, you might need a rehab that has a strong psychiatric component.
According to a 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health by SAMHSA, in the U.S. there are 7.9 million individuals who have a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder concurrently. These findings are a clear indicator of why so many rehabs are now taking steps to ensure they have a staff equipped to diagnose and treat mental illness.
If the treatment facility has a psychiatrist on staff, he or she can provide medication management. For individuals with co-occurring disorders, figuring out what medication works best in conjunction with no longer misusing drugs or alcohol is crucial for full recovery.
12-Step Rehab
There was a time when Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was the only game in town when it came to treating addiction. Rooted in Christian principles, AA (which uses the terms “alcoholism” and “addiction” instead of substance use disorder) maintains that the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Treating substance abuse from a physical, mental, and spiritual standpoint, the program of AA consists of working the 12 steps, attending meetings, and maintaining complete abstinence from any mind altering substance.
Other 12-step fellowships such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA), and Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA) all trace their programming back to the original guidelines created by the founders of AA, Bill Wilson and Bob Smith.
The core of many 12-step meetings is a decision to turn one’s life over to the care of God or a Higher Power. While many rehabs, especially ones that have been around since the early days of formalized addiction treatment like Hazelden Betty Ford, use the 12-step program as a foundation for much of their curriculum, there are plenty of other drug and alcohol treatment centers that do not use 12-step methods as the main point of focus.
Non-12-Step Rehab
As the treatment industry has evolved and opioid addiction has become so prevalent, the need for alternatives to 12-step have become very apparent. As previously mentioned, complete abstinence as defined by 12-step programs is not always possible for people with opioid use disorder. In addition, there are many people who wish for a more secular approach to recovery and find little appeal in AA’s religious undertones. As a result, other peer support meetings have cropped up, including SMART Recovery and LifeRing Secular Recovery.
Another reason more alcohol rehab centers are lessening the emphasis on 12-step?
If someone is looking for information about inpatient alcohol rehab, chances are they want or need a more comprehensive treatment approach than simply attending 12-step meetings, which they can do in their community for free.
Many drug and alcohol rehab centers incorporate evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) in both group and individual therapy settings. Clinicians also utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and other forms of trauma-informed care.
The demand for non-12-step options has resulted in an array of different types of drug and alcohol treatment centers around the world.
For those who can afford the cost, luxury rehabs focus on providing a spa-like experience that you would normally associate with a resort or a boutique hotel. These upscale rehabs usually have endless amenities ranging from private bedrooms with flat screen TVs and ocean views to perks like massages, acupuncture, personal training, yoga and meals prepared by 5-star chefs.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are inpatient rehabs that focus on adventure therapy and healing through nature, whether it’s trekking through mountains or learning how to surf. Some inpatient rehabs emphasize physical fitness and finding new ways to have fun without the use of substances.
There are plenty of options if you do not want to go to AA or NA and all of the rehabs near you are 12-step based.
Gender-Specific Rehab
Often men and women come into drug and alcohol treatment centers with drastically different needs. While the support of peers can be very helpful, there are circumstances in which men identify more with other men and women identify more with other women.
Also, many times men and women feel much more comfortable sharing in a group setting if it’s all men or all women. For example, a woman might not want to discuss the pain she still experiences as a result of the emotional and physical abuse from a man. And a man might not be able to let his guard down and be vulnerable in the presence of women.
According to a report published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “Today many (although not all) treatment programs offer gender-specific or gender-sensitive services, such as gender-matching with counselors, mixed-gender treatment groups led by male and female co-leaders, gender-specific treatment groups, and gender-specific treatment content. Many programs also provide ancillary or wraparound services, such as child care and parenting groups, which facilitate women’s treatment entry and continuation. In addition, significant numbers of treatment programs serve women only, target pregnant women or adolescent girls, or offer specialized parenting services for women and their children.”
LGBTQ Rehab
Drug and alcohol rehab centers can have entire programs based on the unique needs of the LGBTQ population as it relates to substance use disorder. Many times these individuals have relied on substances to deal with misplaced shame, rejection from their family or community, or an overall feeling of lack of acceptance by society. Thankfully, as culture evolves to be more open and tolerant of different sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, members of this community can exist more peacefully and find help targeted for their unique needs. LGBTQ specific programming can be a huge asset to gay, lesbian, or transgender individuals who might be struggling with addiction.
How Much Does Rehab Cost?
Looking for free rehab near you? There are options, both for people with health insurance and without it.
Because of the Affordable Care Act, as of 2014 most insurance policies, individual or group, are required to provide some sort of coverage for the treatment of mental health issues or substance use disorders.
The limitations and rules for how long they will cover the cost and what facilities are considered eligible varies depending on the insurance plan. Also, not all alcohol and drug treatment centers accept insurance. Some accept insurance but not Medicaid or Medicare. Others prefer for people to pay with insurance rather than out of pocket payment, and vice versa.
It really depends on the individual rehab and what their rules are.
There are also free rehabs available. These are facilities that operate solely through government funding and monetary contributions from the community.
Aftercare
It’s one thing to stay clean and sober within the confines of a drug and alcohol treatment facility free of triggers. The true challenge is when someone has to re-acclimate to the “real world,” or at least go back to the environment they associate with active addiction.
It’s important for drug and alcohol treatment centers to establish a solid aftercare plan with their clientele.
Whether it’s continued therapy on an outpatient basis, Skype sessions with a therapist, or being kept accountable to a certain number of AA / NA, SMART Recovery, or other meetings — people need a support system in place after treatment. Ask the inpatient rehabs near you about their aftercare.
Sometimes aftercare can be a sober living facility affiliated with the inpatient rehab. This is a great option for those who want to live in a safe space with like-minded individuals, all working toward the same goal of maintaining what they learned in residential treatment and sustaining a healthy life in recovery.
