Rehab used to mean professional healthcare therapies to improve, maintain, or restore physical strength, cognition, and mobility. Usually after illness, injury or surgery.
Now that addiction is the number 1 health issue in America, the word rehab has more commonly come to mean treatment for substance or behavior addictions usually at a live-in facility.
What is rehab
Rehabs can be out-patient or in-patient facilities. Rehabs provide a variety of intense substance and behavior treatment programs based on their philosophy of addiction treatment, their level of expertise, and professional staff.
Rehab Treatment Effectiveness Varies
Not all rehabs provide the same level of care or have equally good results. But none are considered liable if your relative returns to use or overdoses after leaving. Not all rehabs provide information about their outcomes, or provide aftercare support. This is really important information for the consumers, and potential clients should demand it. Most rehabs do not follow up after their patients leave and this lack of follow up is a red flag, too.
What Are Referral Services
Referral services are websites designed to look like altruistic help centers for people in crisis. They are not addiction help centers, however. Referral services dominate the addiction space on the Internet and come up on all google searches for addiction, detox, rehab, recovery. Referral services, no matter how professional they look, are businesses set up to place people in beds for a fee. Targeting people in crisis and signing them up for expensive treatment is big business and not regulated in any way. Get informed before choosing help from the Internet.
Beware of Referral Websites
Learn to identify referral services before using one. Learn about rehabs, what to look for and what to ask for before choosing one.
What Services Do Rehabs Provide
Rehabs provide a wide variety of services including diagnosis, detox, medicine assisted treatment, therapy, group therapy, 12-step programs and many others. Know what you need before you sign on the line. Rehabs are usually abstinence-based and are geared care for people who have difficulty becoming drug free in the community.
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Content Originally Published By: Pam Carver
Pam is the author of Co-dependent In The Kitchen, and she's a contributing editor for Recovery Guidance. She's a recovery advocate who likes long walks on the beach and chocolate.
