In addition to being America’s most prestigious states, California is also well-known for offering numerous rehabilitation options that accept insurance, including free inpatient drug rehab centers to individuals who are ready to kick their dependence to substances such as opioids, prescription drugs, cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the drug presence in California has continued to rise seeing over 28,000 people die from an opioid and heroin-related overdose in 2014. California is a substantial sized state where individuals with any form of addiction can choose and enroll in one of the best rehabilitation centers for a comprehensive, effective and safe program for their substance abuse treatment care.

Before seeking any type of treatment at a California rehab center, there are a few things that you or a loved one suffering from addiction must put into consideration. For starters, not everyone uses or abuses drugs or alcohol becomes an addict or meets the criteria for their dependence. On the other hand, studies suggest that over 22 million individuals in American require treatment for substance abuse and only less than 1% receive the help they need. Do you or a loved one need help with a drug or alcohol problem? You can get the help you need, but you need to first identify if a dependence has become a serious problem because the line between abuse and addiction is easily blurred.

You don’t need to be physically addicted to drugs or alcohol to seek treatment, but you are uniquely qualified to be cognizant of certain changes in behavior that will help you realize that irrespective of the drug or alcohol addiction you are suffering from, you need to enroll in a rehab program. For example, have you ever gotten behind the wheel while intoxicated or high regardless of how good a driver you are? If you are unable to control your actions while under the influence, then it’s time to get help because more than one-quarter of intoxicated drivers that were involved in fatal accidents in 2010 were 50 years old or older. Remember, you know yourself or loved one well, and a common mistake most people struggling with addiction make is to assume that they can easily detox and rehabilitate themselves without professional guidance. You need to enroll in a rehab in California if:

• If you have tried quitting numerous times on your own and failed to stay clean
• You lie about your alcohol or drug use
• If those around you have raised their concerns and want to stop using drugs or drinking
• If your drug or alcohol use is causing obvious effects on your health such as damage to the heart, brain, and liver including diseases like HIV, TB or hepatitis C
• If you experience withdrawal symptoms such asheadaches, nausea, cramps, insomnia, paranoia, irritability, etc. when you stop drinking or using drugs
• If you have been in trouble with the law and your freedom compromised due to the misinformed choices you have made while under the influence
• If you have had suicidal thoughts and tried to harm yourself or others while under the influence
• If you have a co-occurring mental illness
• If you can no longer hold down a job or your performance in school or at work has taken a nose-dive
• You are stealing from your loved ones or involved in criminal activities to get your next fix
• Your finances or lack thereof are suffering
• You are constantly thinking about your next hit or drink, but you’re sick and tired of the withdrawals and hangovers, but you don’t know where to get help

Most drug rehabs in California not only follow the 12-step program, but they are often backed with much-needed assistance such as such individual counseling and therapy, coping mechanisms and mental health treatment. Admitting to yourself that you have a problem with drugs or alcohol is the first step the next step is asking for help, which essentially means that you are admitting to something that has rendered you powerless and that you are courageous enough to seek the support, guidance, and counseling of professionals in order to create a healthy life. Overcoming alcohol or substance abuse is not for the faint-hearted, and depending on the severity of your addiction, you may require different forms of intervention and treatment at a rehab in California but before you enroll in one consider the following:

It must be Fully Accredited

There are all kinds of programs and rehabilitation centers out there offering all sorts of questionable get-well-fast fixes to alcohol and substance use disorder. And while such facilities may sound appealing to individuals who want quick results, it may not necessarily offer a rigorous program that facilitates long-term recovery. Some of the well-known rehabs in California are professionally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, and before a rehab can be passed as a facility that is both effective in treating substance use disorders and acts ethically in the course of their responsibilities, it must go through several stages of public health accreditation. These steps include, but not limited to reporting and documentation of facility upshots, programs to the local accreditation agency as well as on-site visits and inspections.

The Public Health Accreditation Board is an organization that oversees local health sectors where its main role is to inspect and maintain the quality of all accredited rehab facilities not only to create greater transparency and accountability but also to ensure that such facilities understand the importance of providing the ten essential public health services. In addition to receiving approval from the Public Health Accreditation Board, it is also prudent to look for rehab centers that are also recognized by various organizations that require rigorous standards to achieve clinical accreditation as well as operational best practices at the facility such as.

• The Council on Accreditation
• The Joint Commission
• The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance

 

Rehab Payment

There are many reasons why people who need treatment for substance or alcohol abuse do not seek help, and according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, denial, shame, and fear are some of the biggest factors that allow addiction to thrive. Additionally, more than 39% of those suffering from addiction claim that they either can’t afford it or have no health insurance coverage. Fortunately, most rehab centers in California today accept insurance, but it is important for those who do not have insurance to research various facilities that offer sliding fee scale treatment options for low-income earners or individuals who are otherwise financially compromised to pay for the full cost of drug or alcohol addiction treatment out of pocket.  There are also a number of ways to pay for rehabilitation without health insurance, especially because it’s often hard for individuals who are deep in addiction to hold down steady jobs. Financing with a repayment plan designed to fit a patient’s budget after completion of treatment is almost always the best option for those who need immediate treatment but don’t have the cash. Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also provides grants to uninsured individuals or those who are struggling to find a way to pay for your treatment. Uninsured, low-income earners with debilitating addictions can also pay for their treatment through:

• Subsidized coverage from the government at reduced premiums
• Borrowing money from family and friends to enter a recovery program
• Raise money through donations on crowdfunding platforms or hosting a garage sale
• Savings

Treatment facilities in California can vary by the degree of amenities they provide and those who can afford it have an option of entering luxury rehab programs that offer a wide range of resort-like amenities such as spas and five-star meals including a 24/7 access to staff personnel to make a patient’s recovery experience as comfortable as possible. Additionally, there are executive rehab programs that that designed to accommodate busy professionals who want to remain active in their jobs while receiving residential addiction treatment with high-end amenities. Standard rehab facilities are the most common varieties that offer low-cost inpatient, residential or outpatient addiction treatment. Regardless of the cost of rehab or the severity of addiction, it is always important to not only choose the best program for your needs but also to find a facility whose goals align with yours in order to give you the best chance of a successful recovery, which brings us to the next point.

A Rehab’s Success Rate

One of the most important decisions an addict can make is taking the first step towards recovery, and it starts by choosing not just any rehab, but one that, over the duration it’s been operational can prove how effective it has been in helping those in addiction make a successful recovery through offering multiple treatment options. While a high success rate isn’t necessarily the best indicator of quality because there is no uniform standard for rehabilitation centers to measure how effective they are, extra certification and years of experience are good signs of quality. Additionally, personal recommendations, testimonials, and opinions from former patients of the facility as well as local doctors and hospitals are a great way to determine a rehab’s success rate. While the effort, commitment, and determination of an addict while in rehab plays a huge role, there are other factors that increase the rate of recovery such as receiving an individualized treatment package that is designed to fit in with a patient’s specific needs.

In addition to outside accreditation from recognized health organizations, the experience level of the treatment center’s doctors, staff and counselors can also be a criterion to determine long-term success because it guarantees that patients will ultimately receive a multifaceted treatment for specific drugs or alcohol abuse including dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring mental illnesses, therapy, and counseling. Before enrolling at a rehab in California, it’s wise to ask how your facility of choice determines their success rate. Some treatment centers may measure their rate of success through a patient’s completion of 30, 60, or a 90-day sting other may have a comprehensive program that offers their patients effective relapse prevention and follow up package months even years after completion of treatment, which brings us to the next point.

The methods and treatment procedures vary from one rehab to the next. Some focus on providing treatment that only deals with fixing the addiction, while some of the best rehabs in California offer a comprehensive and integrated program that addresses not only dependence issues, but also with various emotional and co-occurring mental health disorders that, arguably, most addicts suffer from. Therefore, when you need to go to rehab, it’s important that the facility provides services that include but not limited to the following:

• Medically supervised detox program
• Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) including Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorders
• Individual and group counselling
• Medication (if necessary)
• Nutrition and exercise and much more

 

Duration of the Program

Any successful rehabilitation center should offer multiple treatment options including sober living, in and outpatient programs as well as extended stays with the aim of providing individualized treatment and additional care. The National Institute of Drug Abuse recommends that those attending a drug rehab do so at least over a 3-month period to not only mitigate the possibility of relapse, but to also receive both physical and mental treatment for their addiction. Some facilities only offer 28-day stays (short-term programs), others provide medications such as methadone or suboxone as a replacement for a patient’s drug of choice. Addition, be it of drugs or alcohol requires both a rigorous mental and physical treatment including counseling from professionals with decades of experience at a rehab facility that specializes in inpatient and outpatient treatments, aftercare and medically assisted detoxification programs in order to make the recovery process much easier for its patients. The odds are likely to stack up against you when trying to make a major life change like trying to quit your addiction without the right type of support because you will be surrounded by the usual temptations and stresses, which is why choosing residential rehab treatment is the best option for a complete recovery.

A few factors determine the duration an individual going into a substance abuse treatment center can stay. While most addicts require at least three months in treatment to reduce or stop their drug or alcohol use significantly, others may not have the money to do so or have work and family obligations that they can’t get away from. According to the Family Medical Leave Act, individuals whose addiction require them to be in rehab can take up to twelve work weeks of unpaid job-protected leave with continuation of group health insurance coverage. This is to not only with their recovery, but the FMLA act also puts into consideration that a patient may have mental health issues coupled with a substance or alcohol dependence that require medications that may take some time before becoming effective.

Aftercare Program

A rehabilitation program cannot be successful without an aftercare program even after a longer inpatient stay at a rehab center because not everyone automatically recovers from addiction when a treatment period ends. The steps a rehab facility takes for its patient’s post-treatment period are crucial because not only do they reinforce coping strategies learned during rehabilitation, but they also help mitigate the risks of relapsing. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, relapse rates are estimated to be between 40 and 60%, which is why regular outpatient follow-up appointments at a hospital or clinic are strongly encouraged. There are various types of aftercare treatment options that clinicians can prescribe depending on the patient’s needs and temperament upon completion of the acute phase of treatment.

Generally, continued participation with a 12-step fellowship program such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), is encouraged because such meetings provide much-needed support for patients on the road to recovery. While most aftercare programs entail sporadic contact with treatment personnel, a comprehensive aftercare plan is one that ensures that a patient can meet one-on-one with a counselor for individual therapy in order to monitor the progress made after treatment. Patients also have an option of attending outpatient treatment a few times a week in the form of group counseling where they not only get to listen and share their experiences with addiction, but these meetings also provide a strong incentive that helps them work toward building their social, self-sufficiency and coping skills in a safe group setting. Transitioning from rehab treatment can be understandably challenging for many patients, especially those whose lives have been completely ruined by alcohol or dependence on drugs. It can also be harder for them to avoid trigger situations, even resist the impulse to fall back into their destructive habits. Aftercare programs are vital not only for detecting a looming or recent relapse, but also for the evaluation and monitoring a patient’s health and safety while in the road to recovery.

Nutrition and exercise

One of the benefits of choosing a residential rehab in California is to completely remove you from your environment so that you are safe and far away from triggers in order to help you gain a completely new perspective on your life. During your stay in rehab, not only is a patient’s mind exposed to intensive neural recovery from addiction, but he or she is taken through rituals in the treatment process that helps them break old habits in favor of new healthy ones. Lack of nutrients combined with drug or alcohol can put a significant amount of stress on the body and in the face of a disease like addiction, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the last thing in an addict’s mind, and proper diet and nutrition often fall by the wayside. A combination of addiction, bad eating habits and a lack of exercise can disrupt many essential functions of the mind and body, consequently resulting in malnutrition, which can manifest itself in many ways such as:

• Depression
• Suppressed immune system
• Cognitive impairment
• Muscle degeneration
• Heart rate inconsistencies
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Low body temperatures
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Chronic constipation
• Damage to the liver, kidneys, and pancreas
• Tooth decay and hair loss
• Inconsistent menstrual cycles
• Skin sores
• Death

A comprehensive recovery program will encompass a lot more, including proper nutrition and a workout regimen that will help patients get back to a healthy way of life. A balanced diet coupled with exercise can also be a powerful tool in addiction recovery that not only plays a vital role helping a patient find the right balance of mind, body, and spirit, but also one that can boost their mood, energy, memory, and immune system during their path to recovery.

Individuals who are interested in complete recovery from the clutches of addiction should consider entering any of the many accredited and effective rehab facilities available in California that provide personalized treatment plans and support that the enrolled patients need during the toughest stages of recovery. Being clean is liberating and while it may take time and patience, enrolling in a rehab facility instead of trying to overcome an addiction on your own will give you a structured, drug and alcohol-free environment where you can learn everything you need to know about yourself, your recovery and most importantly, you get to learn new philosophies that will keep you clean in the long run. You will no longer be tuned into old habits because spending time in rehab will also help you change your focus and where, as a using addict or alcoholic you would only see drugs or drinks everywhere, after some time in recovery you will begin to only see healthy things. Do not suffer in silence, especially if you feel that your addiction is getting the best of you. Everyone can use a little help and guidance in times of trouble and maybe enrolling in a rehab facility may just be your saving grace.