4 Critical Factors for Choosing the Right Addiction Treatment Program

Focuses On Root Causes

You need an addiction treatment program that goes beyond merely addressing symptoms and surface behaviors. Instead, you need a program that tackles the core issues and root causes that fuel the addiction. Most addictive behaviors develop as a coping strategy for unresolved trauma and emotional neglect. Programs that only focus on behavioral modification are not treating the difficult internal realities that activate addictive behaviors. Quick-fix behavioral modification does not help a person sustain long-term recovery. Addiction develops over the course of many years and affects every dimension of a person’s life, requiring deep and meaningful clinical work.

Focuses On Faith

Belief in a Higher Power – a Power greater than oneself – is widely recognized as an essential component of recovery from addiction. You need an addiction treatment program that incorporates your faith and beliefs into the treatment process. Treatment centers take various approaches to this aspect of recovery. Most programs are “faith friendly,” providing resources outside of the clinical treatment to support a client’s spiritual journey. However, there are very few programs like HopeQuest that offer an integrated treatment approach, which incorporates clinical interventions into a faith-based treatment program.

Focuses On Duration

Thirty-day residential addiction treatment programs have become the industry norm, primarily because insurance companies attempt to keep their costs low by limiting the number of days in which they will cover the cost of treatment. Their focus is on sustaining their business rather than the health of their clients. However, research shows that 90-plus days of treatment dramatically decreases relapse rates.

Many clients struggling with substance use disorder enter treatment following some sort of medical stabilization, or detox, and they continue to experience withdrawal symptoms and physical discomfort for several days and/or weeks thereafter, depending on the severity of their addiction. Given that denial, resistance, distractions, and the gradual process of neuroplasticity are standard challenges in early recovery, it often takes at least 30 days for a person to stabilize enough to begin working on core issues. For this reason, shorter programs are simply unable to fully address addiction. Investing time in the initial treatment process gives you a much better chance of achieving long-term recovery.

Focuses On an Individualized Approach

Instead of a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach that is driven by financial bottom lines or a rigid treatment philosophy, you need an evidence-based program that is tailored to the unique medical, psychological, relational, and spiritual needs of the individual. Choose a program that offers the best fit for you. Review the credentials of the program’s providers and the services offered. If you want to address root issues, you need a program that is comprised of master’s-level licensed therapists. Look for gender-specific programs that utilize a trauma-informed approach to treatment; offer a supportive environment in which your faith and beliefs will be valued; and encourage family members to participate in your overall healing journey.