If you or your loved one has decided to enroll in a drug rehab treatment facility, congratulations are in order! This is one of the most important steps in a person’s life, and the first step of a brand new, healthier life. There are, however, many options available. What are the differences and how will you know when you have just toured the right one for your individual situation?

Each person’s experience with drug addiction is unique, so each person will need to decide for themselves what type of facility and treatment program is right for them. However, there are some broad-reaching principles that apply to all programs. The right facility will build up and encourage small victories, not insult and judge program participants. The right facility will also offer the right treatments for your specific drug addiction. Just as it takes different types of drugs to feed different addictions, it also takes different types of treatment to break those addictions. The following are some more specific points to consider when researching drug rehab facilities:

The staff and facility should ideally be certified and licensed. This implies that there is some type of regulatory oversight ensuring that the patient care at that facility is up to a certain standard. It is also a good idea to look at a facility’s track record. How many patients have dropped out? How many have completed the program and maintained their sober, clean lifestyle? These can be difficult numbers to track – particularly in the follow-up phase. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to inquire about the statistics.

Cost is certainly an important consideration when choosing a drug rehab, but don’t shop on cost alone. An expensive facility does not necessarily indicate a good program. Likewise, a more affordable program does not necessarily indicate low quality. Patients and their families should also remember to look into payment and financing options, like insurance and any financial assistance the facility itself could provide.

Dual diagnosis treatment and aftercare are two services not all drug rehab facilities offer. These are important services for several reasons. Dual diagnosis treatment addresses any physical, psychological, or emotional disorders that may have arisen as a result of the drug addiction. These may also be pre-existing conditions that contributed to the drug addiction forming in the first place. The disorder(s) may not be related to the drug addiction at all, but should be treated alongside the drug addiction. If needed, seek a facility with the experience and capability to treat such disorders simultaneously, yet separately, from the addiction itself. Aftercare simply helps recovering addicts adjust capably to a daily life of sobriety and clean living. This service involves follow-up therapy, counseling and group meetings.

A prospective patient should also inquire about a facility’s philosophy on addiction. Some believe addiction is a disease and others believe it is a choice. This will affect the facility’s treatment approach and particularly their approach to detoxification, the initial process of ridding the body of all toxic chemicals built up by the drug use. Generally, the best approach to finding a drug rehab is thorough questioning on all the aforementioned issues and keying into your own gut instinct.