There are a lot of choices for getting help. Many expensive out-patient and in-patient recovery centers offer little more than pre-fab formulas and stylized babysitting of those who truly need to be helped before they are lost forever to the disease of addiction. “One-Size-Fits-All” recovery programs don’t work. Addicts need personal care, customized treatment and a counselor that cares more about the addict than they do about corporate policies, television ratings, and upper management bonuses and salaries.
Addicts are fragile, vulnerable and in the middle of crisis; like a mountain climber needs a sherpa (guide) to climb Mt. Everest, a person needs an experienced and trained guide to take them through the process of recovery. They should never try to do it on their own; there is always help available.
Certainly not all treatment centers are bad, but I hope the public will continue to scrutinize carefully when considering treatment for their loved ones. The treatment industry is highly profit driven and grassroots counselors who are doing the heavy lifting are underpaid with tremendous responsibility. This attracts some less than qualified individuals, lacking the level of insight a complicated person needs.
So, what type of treatment is best?
Treatment facilities are expensive and there’s a major downside: When you put a bunch of addicts together, bad things can happen. Addicts joke that one of the easiest place to score drugs is rehab! Patients who are not trying to stay clean mix with those who are.
A combination of counseling, group and family support is usually best. 12 Step meetings are free and always around. They have a well thought out program for sobriety, however, they are still a “support group” and lack training and objectivity. Many of today’s youth do not resonate with AA. Rehab and AA boast less than an 8% success rate.
Private counseling is discreet, custom and personal. One-on-one guidance is effective, safe and gets results. The best strategies are customized to the individual; the way he or she thinks and feels is unique and the path to recovery needs to be equally unique. Don’t lose someone to addiction, it is never too early to get someone help if they’re using, but it can be too late.
Scott Spackey is a CA. registered addiction specialist, interventionist, life-coach and hypnotherapist. For more information, please 661-904-5353, email: Scott@Life-Mind.com and visit www.LIFE-MIND.com.