Choosing the right Addiction Treatment Clinic is not as straightforward as you might think.

In the UK alone there are now over 100 Private Alcohol and Addiction Rehab Clinics. When I began as an Addiction Counsellor in 1981 there were a handful of Addiction Clinics in England and 1 in Scotland. You would think that having greater choice would make things easier and yes; it is certainly easier to access a Private Addiction Treatment Programme. But, how do you know which is best for you. The simple answer is; unless you really know about Addiction and Alcohol Treatment and the standard of the individual Private Clinics on offer, you could just as easily choose the wrong one as choose a suitable programme to suit your individual needs and circumstances.

The cost of available rehab varies from around £600 per week to £5000 plus per week. Multiply this by at least 4 or 6 weeks and your costs are high enough for you to not want to get it wrong. Getting it right though, is not only about budget; it concerns finding the right place to suite your unique situation for the length of time that suits your circumstances. A one size fits all will only serve to create problems and is likely to take the focus of attention away from recovery from Alcohol or other Addiction Problems."I hate this place, I want out."

Not everyone needs 42 or 28 days rehab as an inpatient and not everyone needs a halfway house or some other form of extended care. Not everyone needs a hospital or clinic at all and some will benefit entirely from individual help from a specialist therapist and there will be some who quit entirely on their own. So don’t be bullied or pushed into taking the first advice you get; and if you hear the phrase “you must”, or “you have to”, or "the only way" then beware, seek independent advice.

The truth is, everyone is not the same and not everyone needs the same, but if I run a big hospital that needs beds filled to make profits to serve my stakeholders, than it is possible that my commercial interest will prevail over Clinical. Clearly not all Centres are wilfully unprofessional in this way, most are highly reputable and the clinical staff primarily concerned for high quality patient care, but sadly I’m afraid that some have a confusion of priorities and perhaps unwittingly exert unnecessary influence over clinical decisions such as; what level of treatment a patient or client needs especially since many of those clinics are struggling to survive in this current harsh economic climate. It was not that long ago that Private Health Insurance would pay for Alcohol or Addiction Treatment. It is not so now; I’m not so sure that any will pay for in patient Addiction Treatment in the UK. Even the practice of admitting people with a Primary Diagnosis of Depression and secondary Alcohol abuse has all but ceased. So, the increased numbers of Treatment Centres are trying to survive on a greatly diminished supply of funding while their overheads are adjusted by reduced standards. Despite this and the inevitable pressure on Marketing, there are still a number of excellent, often smaller, reputable Day Care and Residential Addiction Clinics around – finding them is the trick.

As the cost of Private Addiction Treatment has grown rapidly beyond many people's budget, Recovery Clinics overseas have remained comparatively affordable while offering far higher standard of comfort and facilities; in some cases the expense is considerably less than in the UK. They are able to do this because their exchange rates are in our favour.

Whilst treatment abroad makes sense financially, once a person is out of the country, resident in a Private Clinic it is far less likely for them to appear back at the family home having absconded or discharged early, (a fairly common occurrence in Rehab).

Once the treatment / rehab begins, families need time to recuperate from a long period of extreme high stress. When the Addict is in Treatment abroad the family finds it easier to relax and there is help and advice available to help them make the changes necessary to receive their loved ones home once rehabilitation and change has begun.

In my experience selected Treatment facilities abroad can be excellent value for money. I have found that the best available Treatment centres abroad are principally staffed by British, American, Australian and South African Counsellors, Therapists and Medical staff. Their approach to clinical and customer care is highly professional. I have been able to get to know some of them personally and have become enthusiastic about their high standards of professionalism, experience, training and facilities.

For Further Information on This Thai Clinic email:

breathingspace@addiction-recovery.co.uk

For Further Information on the above Clinic
email: camino@addiction-recovery.co.uk

Can you trust that commercial interest will not influence the recommendation of the centre?

Is it possible that Staff are put under pressure to get heads on pillows or just feel the financial imperative which unwittingly influences their decisions?

Would it not be better to have an independent assessment that you can take as your reference?

Would you feel more secure with an independent recommendation to a centre or centres from a specialist who knows the field?

Questions to ask:

1. Will you carry out a full qualified Assessment and recommend Counselling, In-patient or out-patient help as necessary or are you likely to insist upon a 28 day residential programme.
2. Will the assessor be a qualified and registered Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Nurse or Counsellor with specialist training in Addictions?
3. If you recommend In-patient Treatment do I have to be resident for 28 days or can I do a combination of Inpatient detoxification followed by some time on a day programme followed by individual Addiction Therapy.
4. How long has your centre been running and how experienced are your main staff.
5. Are your Therapists trained only in Addictions or have they qualifications in Psychology, Counselling or Psychotherapy also?
6. Is your programme rigidly 12 steps or do you cater for people who are not comfortable with this approach?
7. Do your Counsellors insist that their way is the only way; that AA/NA meetings are compulsory or do they acknowledge the importance of other approaches like Rational Recovery and are able to integrate them into my programme of care?
8. If I begin your course of Treatment but find that I am unhappy with the regime will you immediately refer me on to a more suitable clinic or therapist?
9. If I have paid money in advance and subsequently transfer to another facility, will you refund the balance and transfer it to the new Treatment Centre?
10. Are you willing to accept the Clinical Assessment from an independent Specialist as recommendation for my Treatment, and will you carry out their recommendations; If not, why not?

By asking these types of challenging questions you will quickly get the measure of whether the Addiction or Alcohol Rehab clinic you are looking at has a sufficient degree of flexibility to do what they all say they will do and that is to treat you like an individual; or whether they will try to squeeze you through the same box that every one else is forced through and if you fail blame you for your lack of readiness or willingness.