If you need medically supervised detox to deal with drug or alcohol problems, it’s important to select a quality treatment a top detox center with sound philosophies and compassionate treatment. Alcohol and drug addiction and abuse can ruin your life, so it’s vital that the treatment you experience will give you the positive results you need to take your life back, now and for the future.
Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment?
Whether you receive inpatient or outpatient medically supervised detox depends on several factors, including the severity of your addiction, whether you are likely to relapse on your own, your health insurance policy, your schedule and your financial situation.
Inpatient treatment offers several advantages:
- 24-hour supervision for those who struggle with temptation when substances are easily available.
- The ability to spend time away from the people with whom those temptations may inevitably arise.
- More opportunities for individual and group therapy and other helpful activities.
- Contact and camaraderie with others who can identify with your situation.
On the other hand, there are reasons outpatient treatment is better for some people:
- You can stick to your work schedule.
- You’ll be able to keep up with family responsibilities.
- You’ll have real-world experiences in facing the challenge of whether you can handle the temptation of the forbidden substance.
- The distance to an inpatient treatment center may be too great for you to manage with your personal responsibilities.
Do Your Research
Whether you choose inpatient or outpatient detox, research your options thoroughly. Decide what your priorities are, and assess the top detox centers that best meet those priorities. Ideally, narrow down your choices to several facilities and visit each one in person, or at least conduct a telephone interview.
Look for facilities whose staff members are trained in addiction issues. The treatment center you choose should have a licensed medical practitioner on staff as well as at least one psychologist.
If you’re examining inpatient facilities, use a checklist of questions to assess which are the top detox centers for you. What are the costs, and what out-of-pocket costs will you incur? Will withdrawal symptoms be treated in ways that are conducive to painless detox? If you have dietary issues, will they be addressed? What activities will take place during free time? Will you be allowed to have visits from family and friends? Will you be permitted to use your computer and cell phone? These and more are considerations that will determine which is the top detox setting for you.
Compassion is Crucial
The more comfortable you are with your treatment, the closer you can come to experiencing painless detox. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol and drug abuse can cause changes in the brain that make quitting more difficult than outsiders can realize. The best detox centers will recognize and care about this, giving you a good start from the time you enter the doors.