Is Rehab a waste of time and money?

 Investing in addiction treatment is typically worth it in the long run, as it can save you a great deal of money. Individuals who overcome addiction will be able to save money on:

• buying drugs or alcohol
• medical problems due to substance abuse
• relationship problems and divorce
• legal troubles
• job losses

​​However, drug and alcohol rehab statistics show that the percentage of people who will relapse within week, months, or even days after rehab ranges from 50% to 90%. However, there are many types of addiction treatment options and the bottom line is - if you're not ready to stop or you still think you can abuse substances other than your main drug of choice (DOC) then going to your standard 30 day residential treatment is statistically unlikely to have any long-term effect, so you will almost certainly relapse and return to the same lifestyle as prior to treatment.  If you go back to hanging with your same friends that you used with, hang out in the same places, and do the same activities i.e. party, watch movies, play video games etc. with the same friends then your chances of relapse are close to 100% and it will likely happen in a matter of weeks if not days.

This is a frightening statistic; however, there are things that the individual can do to greatly increase their chances of sustained sobriety. Recovery Solution, an individualized aftercare specialty treatment program is focused on minimizing  relapse through combining therapeutic approaches, offering specialized client-centered support, monitoring, accountability, community, personal attention, and access to the appropriate resources and specialists based on each persons needs and preferences to present them the optimal environment for sustained-recovery. Those people who are serious about aftercare greatly increase their chances of success. It is most often those who are not adequately supported in recovery that end up returning to their addiction.

I first started helping people get the help they need when I was an advisor for people that needed help picking a safe, reputable, ibogaine clinic.  At that point I realized the importance of aftercare and how much people minimize its importance in their own recovery.  People also do this in regards to leaving detox and residential treatment.  Rehab teaches a lot of useful tools to handle cravings, emotional issues, relationships, etc.  However, without continuing help or guidance from a recovery coach, sponsor, sober mentors, and  other sober support, the chance of correctly utilizing those tools or even utilizing them at all are close to zero.

Reasons Why People Relapse Back to Addiction
There are many reasons for why people may decide to return to addiction after a period of sobriety including:
* They did not adequately prepare for the transition from rehab to home. Sober Success Coaches work with clients from the beginning of treatment, throughout, and after discharge so help them set and achieve goals, come up with plans, overcome obstacles, to make the transition as smooth as possible. Moving from a protected environment to a world where the individual is faced by familiar temptation is a challenge, and the individual needs to be ready for this.  The first few weeks are extremely challenging and full of temptation which is why retaining Recovery Solution Sober Companion and/or Sober Monitoring and /frequent Drug Testing is proven to increase odds of long-term sober success dramatically.
* They did not have appropriate aftercare. If the only step that the individual takes is to give up alcohol and drugs they are unlikely to find success in recovery.
* There are many individuals who are ambivalent about their recovery – they have not completely given up on the idea that they will one day be able to use alcohol or drugs safely. So long as the individual is not fully committed to their recovery they are unlikely to find success. Recovery Solution Recovery Coaches, Sober Companions, and other professionals constantly provide motivation and logic for remaining clean.
* There are many addicts who agree to enter recovery as an effort at appeasement. They have no real intention of staying sober long term, but they want to get family and friends off their case.
* Some individuals are dealing with a dual diagnosis, and this means that they have an additional mental health problem alongside their addiction. Unless both of these issues are dealt with it may be impossible for the individual to settle into recovery.
* Those people who enter recovery with unrealistic expectations can be setting themselves up for a relapse. Things do not become perfect overnight, and if the individual expects results without putting in the time and effort they are almost sure to be disappointed.
* Some individuals may be put on a path in sobriety that is inappropriate for their needs. The once size fits all approach to addiction recovery is not longer widely accepted.
* There are many people who believe that their only problem is alcohol or drugs, and they forget that there were reasons why they feel into addiction in the first place. If these reasons are not dealt with in recovery they can continue to cause problems and lead back to addiction.
* Some individuals turn to addiction substitutes such as workaholism or exercise addiction.
* Some people get sober but continue to spend their time with substance abusers. This means that they are constantly being tempted to return to their old life, and the chances are that one day they will be unable to resist.
* There are many examples of people becoming sober and then falling in with the wrong crowd. Not everyone in recovery is getting better, and dry drunks can pull other people down with them.
* Many people suffer from loneliness in recovery. This is usually because they have not yet had the time to make new friends in recovery to replace the drinking and drugging buddies they left behind.
* Some people take on additional burdens in early sobriety. This means that they become overwhelmed by everything and feel unable to cope.
* There are many individuals who give up one addictive substance but continue to use other mind altering substances. This is a dangerous game that it almost certain to end badly.
Relapse as a Normal Part of RecoveryThe statistics show that most people do not mange to quit their addiction on their first attempt. They may try and fail a number of times before they manage to secure lasting sobriety. This leads to the conclusion that relapse is a normal part of recovery. While there is certainly some truth in this claim it is often understood to mean that relapse is a needed element of recovery. This is certainly not the case, and there are plenty of people who do manage to escape their addiction with their first serious effort. There is absolutely no advantage in continuously relapsing and each time the individual returns to alcohol and drugs they are taking a risk.
Dangers of RelapseWhen people relapse it is hugely dangerous because:
* If people return to alcohol or drug abuse there is no guarantee that they will ever be able to stop again. This means that their relapse may turn out to be a death sentence.
* Many people find that when the relapse after a period of sobriety their situation deteriorates. This may be because it is tougher to deal with the misery of addiction when people have tasted a bit of freedom.
* Over time the life of the addict tends to deteriorate. This means that when people relapse they may be going back to a life that is even worse than before.
* Relapse lowers self efficacy, and this may make it harder to achieve sobriety in the future. This is because the individual loses belief in their ability to stay sober and this sucks away their motivation.
* If the individual did not have a good experience during their attempt at sobriety it may reinforce the idea that recovery is a waste of time. They may fail to realize that the problem wasn’t with recovery but with their approach to it.
* Relapse is a disappointment for family and friends. They will have already suffered enough but are now faced with more of the same.
* Some individuals become extremely depressed to find themselves back in the midst of addiction. Some may even be tempted to take their own life as a result.
How to Beat the Relapse Statistics
Despite the gloomy picture painted by the relapse statistics there are many people who escape addiction and go on to build a great life. The individual can beat the relapse statistics by:
* Those individuals who are in rehab need to adequately prepare for their transition back home. All these facilities can do is provide the right resources, but it is always going to be up to the individual to make use of them – as the saying goes, you can take a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.
* Willingness to do whatever it takes to stay sober. If people are not fully motivated they will struggle to make it through the early months of recovery.
* It is vital that newly sober people take their aftercare seriously. Retaining www.recoverysolution.org services, joining a sober support group, or using some other type of support they will be greatly increasing their chances of success.
* When people give up an addiction they need to break away from their drinking and drugging buddies. Failure to do this puts the individual’s sobriety at risk.
* It is important that those who are newly sober begin making new sober friends as quickly as possible. This is often easier for those who belong to recovery fellowships because they will usually be offered phone numbers and be invited out to coffee.  Recovery Solution Coaches and Companions take clients to meetings, introduce them to potential sponsors, mentors, etc
* In recovery it is always advisable to stick with the winners because these individuals can be inspirational and offer good advice. People tend to be highly influenced by those they spend time with so it pays to be with the right people as much as possible.
* Staying sober has to be the priority in the person’s life. They should not allow anything to come in between them and their sobriety.
* If people continue to use any other mind-altering substances in recovery they will struggle to achieve any type of sobriety. They will also be greatly increasing their chances of relapse.
* It is important that people avoid turning to other maladaptive behaviors in recovery such as workaholism.
* If the individual has realistic expectations about recovery they won’t be disappointed with the work involved in achieving success. It can take a few years before people feel completely comfortable in recovery, but they will have plenty of good days prior to this.
* Keeping an open mind is a necessary element of a successful recovery. Beginner’s mind means that the individual doesn’t allow their preconceived notions get in the way of trying new things.
* The idea that relapse is acceptable should never enter the thinking of people who are trying to stay sober. A return to alcohol or drugs is a risk and there is no guarantee that the individual will ever get another chance at a life away from alcohol and drugs.
* Recovery is to be enjoyed and not endured. If the individual feels like they are serving a prison sentence it is a sign that they are doing something wrong.
* It is vital that people in recovery recognize the common relapse triggers and learn how to avoid them. The acronym HALT can help people remember the most common relapse triggers in early recovery – these are, hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness.
* If people become sober but find it difficult to settle into their new life they should seek professional advice. It could be that they are dealing with an undiagnosed dual diagnosis involving depression or some other mental illness.

This is why I started Recovery Solution.  By custom-tailoring treatment plans and helping individuals to achieve success in 7 Dimensions of Wellness, they are significantly more likely to succeed and achieve long-term sobriety.  Our Recovery Coaches and Sober Companions get clients plugged in with other sober people and help them find a new group of supportive friends at meetings they can actually enjoy.  They also help to set and achieve goals in addition to provide access to professionals and any possible resource that can be of benefit to a person in early recovery.  Constant drug testing provides an additional layer of accountability.  Case Management keeps all of the sober support team on the same page; including therapists, coaches, companions, doctors, family members, and whoever else is involved.

So is rehab a waste of time and money? It depends on who you ask.  Statistics show, however, that without continued supportive services and without continuing to maintain a new lifestyle and fellowship of clean friends that there is a 50-90% chance of relapse.

Strongly consider retaining the services of Recovery Solution. www.recoverysolution.org