Finding effective addiction treatment can be overwhelmingly difficult. Guest post authors, Eileen and Alisa, share their own experience.

The following is a guest post from Eileen and Alisa, mother and daughter, working together to fight the family disease of addiction.

Appropriate addiction treatment is hard to find. Recently I did a web search (google) for best rehabs.  I called the first 800# and told the operator that my husband was using, and we needed him to go to rehab.  I asked, “Where is the best rehab?”

The operator asked, “Private or public?”

I said, “The best.”

She then informed me that I had indeed contacted the best rehab available and that  it was an holistic drug rehab facility offering an addiction treatment program that addresses the four major effects of drug abuse and drug addiction (physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental). She told me that traditional drug rehab centers primarily provide basic medical service that treat withdrawal symptoms associated with drug addiction and a secondary psychological treatment, but that holistic drug rehab programs, on the other hand, go much deeper than this. She explained holistic drug rehab offers an extensive, multi-faceted drug addiction treatment that treats the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms. The operator continued, saying that before anything else, a holistic drug rehab will address the physical aspects of addiction including holistic detox (lots of sleep, water, and organic foods as well as any medications). They also offer talk therapy and behavioral therapy.   Spiritually, she continued, the holistic drug rehab programs offer a safe place to explore what you believe, whether you have specific religious convictions or a more general notion of a higher power. And, she concluded, holistic drug rehab and treatment addresses all mental issues and from mild depression, to serious panic and anxiety, to bipolar disorders, to major depression.

“WOW!” I said. I then explained that many of my family members have gone to many rehabs so I wanted to know their program’s recovery and relapse rates.

She said they have excellent outcomes. [I wasn’t sure how that exactly answered my question, but let it go.] I then asked about cost.

She asked, “Insurance or not?”

I said, “No insurance.”

Again I asked for statistics and length of recovery.

She answered by saying their program was 28 days inpatient + 3 weeks outpatient.

I asked, “How much?”

She said, “$40,000.00.”

I explained that $40,000 was more than we could afford and that we would likely need a public rehab program, instead.

She asked me, “What state?”

I said, “Pennsylvania.”

She said, “Hold on.”

Then I was disconnected.

This is but one of the many similar experiences we have had as we’ve tried to unravel addiction treatment programs, costs and outcomes measurements. For $40,000, it does not seem too much to ask to see what their success rates have been! From what we can tell, there does not seem to be a method for determining exactly what a treatment center offers (beyond the fluff of what they all seem to say) — a method that INCLUDES outcomes measurements . And, then, when you add in the cost and the issues of insurance vs no insurance as part of the discussion,  it becomes a new ballgame entirely.

Please share your experiences and/or successes in the comments section.