The Rehab Scam! How drug and substance abuse rehabilitation centers have become America's biggest medical scam!

This is a must read! I want you, the reader, to know that I do not work for a rehabilitation center, nor have I ever been a patient of one. I have however, been employed in the healthcare field since 1990, and I have thoroughly researched this subject.

I have been hesitant for one year about blogging on this topic. You will soon understand why! I am about to assail an institution in Western Medicine that has been misleading and misdiagnosing it's patient's for decades! There may be some backlash, however, I have been committed to writing this someday. Today is that day.

I have done years of research that back up every claim that I am about to make. I have decided to make these claims on my own, rather than use quotes from former patients and employees, who know the truth.

Drug and substance abuse rehabilitation centers (a.k.a. rehabs) have been "treating" people for a large multitude of problems for several decades in America. Their claim is that they help addicts, as well as alcoholics to break the "habit" that they are admitted for. This field of substance and chemical abuse has received tremendous respect and adulation over the years. This blog is intended to inform and not to reduce respect. The truth, however, is going to do just that!

The Problem-

Here is the problem in a nutshell. We all know how money makes the world go around, right? Well, it controls the world of treatment also. Rehabs are everywhere in America, and they are NOT hurting financially at all! Why? They would be if they treated clients on an impatient basis only once or for the specific ailment that the patient is admitted for! Think about it, if you keep a patient for 4 weeks and get paid thousands of dollars, how much do you make if you can get away with admitting them over and over again? What if you could admit the same patient for four weeks at a time 20 or more times? Rehab administrators and employees know the answer to this!

Did you know that the vast majority of rehabs patients return more than once? Some of them, over 30 times! And yes, most of them return for a full 4 weeks! Did you know that?

Why is this happening?-

There are 2 reasons and both are very disturbing!

1. People seeking inpatient care are usually giving very weak advise or temporary solutions to a long term problem. For example; the patients are told to stay away from old neighborhoods and friends as if that is the problem. The counselors say"change peopole places and things". That is only a temporary fix that does NOT solve the problem. For if the rehab solves the problem, then you will never be admitted again! That means they lose money! It is important to realize that the rehabs wish to make money more than they do to treat their patients that they are supposed to be committed to!

These rehabs also instruct their patients to attend 90 12 step meetings in 90 days. Why? If they have a 90 day plan, they get the insurance money from the company that covers the patient! That is right. 90 days of a planned success gets them their money and they can repeat this until the day the patient dies in most cases!

Also, they tell their patients to go to whatever 12 step meeting is most convenient. that means if a Crack or Heroine addict lives near more A.A. meetings then N.A. meetings, they are sent to A.A., even though A.A. literature states that this is a 12 step fellowship that can not help drug addicts!That is insane and irresponsible! But if that addicts returns for inpatient care, then that is more money and job security for that rehab!

2. These rehabs that I am writing about also "lump" ALL of their patients together! That means that in group, alcoholics, crack cocaine addicts, marijuana addicts, food addicts, and heroine addicts, are all sitting right next to each other while they all are taught the same exact solution (if you can call it that) for very different problems! IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY, the counselors teach the same ideas, based on common sense, rather than a medical treatment. They teach the same thing, one on one to An Alcoholic as they do a Drug Addict, even though the A.M.A. has made a clear distinction between the two afflictions! the A.M.A. considers addiction a natural condition, and alcoholism, a disease. Most rehab. counselors also teach their patients the absurd notion that "an addiction is an addiction". What?

Why? It is less effective but much cheaper to do so. Dedicating and training staff on one specific treatment is much cheaper than doing the same with many treatments. If you can diagnose everyone with one problem, you can sell one answer. Would you go to a foot Dr. if you had a horrible cough? I wouldn't! Both of these two methods make rehabs a tremendous amount more money than if they actually treated their patients! Over ten times more. That is why this scam continues!

Think about it! 12 step fellowships are free, and they separate themselves according to each problem. For example: A.A. only deals with Alcoholism, O.A. only deals with Overeating issues, and N.A. only deals with drug addiction. These fellowships are not out to make money like rehabs, so they pass on a solution that appears to work and they do not lump problems into one, nor do they claim to have a fix all solution. None of that is necessary unless money is the only goal!

How does this continue to be allowed?-

It is quite simple . There are few experts in this area, to see how deep of a problem there is in the rehab industry. That is why, when those in the treatment field say that it does work unless the patient is completely committed, that excuse is believed. So when the patient uses drugs or drinks again, that patient alone, is blamed! However, these facilities do not judge the patient before they admitt or bill them, they only label them as unserious about their problem AFTER they fail. Then the rehabs readmitt the same person again and again!

What is the answer?-

I do not know if this will solve everything, but two things that you can do are:

1. Write your state senators and other representatives and ask them to cut the funding for state run rehabs. Then, write your U.S. Senator and Congress person and ask them to reform medicare in a way that it will cut the funding of rehab visits,.

2. If you have a problem, join a the 12 step fellowship that fits your problem and try their version of the 12 steps. If it is a loved one you are concerned about then please refer them to the fellowship that addresses their concerns.

TIP- It apears that, Christian Churches, especially evangelical, have a better record with heroine addicts than do rehabs and 12 step programs.

Please leave comment below and vote up if you wish!

NOTE: CNN is doing a three day special on this. I wrote this prior to their program, but I am sure they will be more informative.