Your loved one is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and you are an emotional wreck. You feel a mix of guilt and shame and anger about their addiction, but at the same time, you are terrified that they will hurt themselves or someone else or even die.
You notice jewelry or money is missing. The loved one doesn’t show up for family celebrations and when they do, they’re loaded and you wish they’d have stayed away.
How do you get your loved one the help they need and at the same time, regain your peace of mind? Finding the right residential drug treatment center seems so complicated. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. A single phone call to The Discovery House is all it takes to get the process started.
“When you call us, an intake specialist will assist you with a quick 10-minute No Cost Treatment Assessment,” explains Jessica Abiecunas, Intake Manager at The Discovery House. “We will verify the insurance benefits within 30-60 minutes, find out what the insurance will cover and what, if any, out of pocket expenses there will be. We try to help the family so that they will have as little financial outlay as possible. In fact, we recently announced our new Affordability Plan that will help residents acquire funding for their drug rehab treatment.”
Added Abiecunas, “Within two hours, the paperwork is done and if they are not from the Los Angeles area, their flight is booked. The client can usually be admitted the same day or whenever they’re ready to go. The staff at The Discovery House will assist with the transportation arrangements for the resident and meet them at the airport gate. Next they see a doctor to make sure they are safe to undergo treatment and then they are admitted to the residential rehabilitation facilit.”
If for some reason, The Discovery House is not a match, the Intake Specialist will refer the caller to a substance abuse rehab that can start them on the path to sober living.
But The Discovery House is in California and We’re Not
Oftentimes, the family of the addicted person is averse to sending their loved one away from home to a residential treatment facility in Southern California. This reluctance can be caused by co-dependency issues or the inability of family members to lend their support in person.
However, most experts agree that a rehabilitation location very close to home can be counter-productive since the factors that caused the substance addiction in the first place are still present. Additionally, close proximity to home can make dropping out of rehab too convenient.
“After a week or two, every client goes through the same process,” states Abiecunas. “The drugs and/or alcohol are getting out of their system. They’re beginning to feel a little bit better physically, but now they’re feeling emotions they haven’t been feeling for a long time. They no longer have the tools to handle those emotions. This is the point in their treatment when they enter flight mode. ‘I feel better, I’ve got to go. It’s time for me to leave.’ If they’re in a facility close to home, the ability to leave is very simple. They walk out the door and call the dope dealer who comes to pick them up and the downward spiral begins again.”
If the client is several states away from home, the possibility of leaving treatment becomes more difficult. Now, the drug addiction counselor can say “Where are you going to go?” How are you going to get there? They can utilize their motivational interviewing skills to make them understand that it is vital they complete the program.
Family Participation is Crucial to the Rehabilitative Process
The counselors at The Discovery House know the importance of family involvement in the treatment program. Residents’ families are encouraged to visit as soon as possible after the initial seven days of rehabilitation treatment. If they can’t participate in person, visits using Skype or other electronic applications are an effective method to keep in touch.
Addiction is a disease that affects the entire family. When one member of the family struggles with a drug or alcohol addiction, everyone suffers. Since the actions of the addict impact all of their loved ones and close friends, a family addiction program can be very beneficial on the road to sobriety. The Discovery House provides educational and relapse prevention sessions for families of residents and helps family members regain their peace of mind.
Offering a variety of treatment modalities that allow each client to receive the individualized care they deserve, The Discovery House works with other professionals and therapists to provide a full continuum of care. To learn more about The Discovery House, call us at 877.937.0846.
Do you think that recovery is more effective in a rehab facility away from home? Do you agree that family support is crucial to long-term recovery? Please share with us on Facebook or Twitter @TDHRehab.