There are a number of different philosophies in drug and alcohol rehab, that give us different kinds of programs.
Truly, rehabilitation by definition means to restore something to a former state as through training or education. So that would be the thing to look for - somewhere the addict will learn how to create a good life successfully without drugs or alcohol.
So we aren’t going to even going to discuss here drug replacement / maintenance type of treatments.
Here are some of the types of rehabilitation:
Bio Physical:
This type of rehab takes someone through a drug free withdrawal and then a full drug detox getting rid of the residual toxins that are stored in the body tissues. These steps are done along with good nutrition, vitamin and mineral supplements, exercise, sauna use and a regular schedule with good sleep. Following the detox steps the rehabilitation part of the program is done addressing all those components that cover creating a full, successful life with out drugs or alcohol. The programs are done for as long as it takes the client to do it, usually 3 to 4 months, but can be longer, the program cost does not change due to amount of time on the program. It has a very high success rate.
Twelve Step:
The most used approach in various types of rehabs. This is based on the Alcoholics Anonymous model with the twelve steps to sobriety, This covers all the AA, NA, CA meetings without actually being in a program to going to a rehab facility and attending meetings in house while there. Depending on the other components of the program some are more successful than others. According to Dr. Abram Hoffer, one of the early pioneers in orthomolecular medicine, a nutritional supplemental program was tested by Doctors in AA years ago and increased success of the program. Although thousands have recovered through the 12 Step approach, the overall success is not very high.
Long Term Religious Rehab:
This approach is one of faith. Rehab is conducted through bible study, prayer and services. For those with a religious nature and commitment it can be very good. Often times they will spend up to a year or more in a therapeutic community type of living arrangements, where everyone works together to keep the place running.
Dual Diagnostic:
This is also called co-occurring disorders. A mental illness is diagnosed like depression or bipolar as well as addiction. The idea is to treat both disorders. As all addicts have some crazy behaviors and certainly experience depression as a part of their addiction it really is an unfair diagnosis. Unfortunately the treatment of the mental illness these days comes in the form of a pill - most of these pills have black-box warnings and are addictive on their own. Don’t complicate matters by going this route.
Inpatient or Outpatient Rehab:
Most success we see comes from long term (over 30 days), residential rehab. It keeps the addict out of trouble, keeps his focus on what he needs to deal with personally without the day to day distractions. A return home plan is needed and follow up by the program very helpful as the ex-addict reenters the mainstream. Unfortunately there is an acute shortage of beds for all those in need of help all across the United States and Canada. The outpatient model can be very difficult, there is just too much temptation and triggers, however some do succeed. It is usually highly advantageous to attend a long term residential program.