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4 Alternatives to Rehab for Addiction Recovery

Traditional in-patient rehabilitation facilities are not suited to everyone. Someone struggling with addiction may truly want to finally get drug-free but staying in an unknown place with a strict regime might not be the best way for them to respond to treatment. Everyone is different, so recovery methods will also be different for each individual.

Thankfully, times have changed to accommodate growing understanding of addiction and treatment for the mental health issues that accompany it. Doctors and therapists now know that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to rehab isn’t helpful and doesn’t work. Medical professionals now appreciate that people have different needs to complete their recovery and different reasons to address the underlying cause of their problems.

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If in-patient rehab doesn’t sound like it’s for you, there are plenty of alternative options to explore that can help you beat addiction once and for all. Here are some treatment methods to consider when you’ve decided to get clean.

  1. Community Treatment

Community treatment, with regular meetings, means that you can continue with your life and get help without taking any time out to stay at an in-patient facility. If you feel that you can tackle your addiction part-time with the support of a community group, this option has great success rates due to the therapeutic benefits of self-help alongside other people doing the same thing.

Options for community treatment include Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery and Moderation Management, all of which have widespread locations for group meetings throughout the US, UK and further afield.

  1. Outpatient Treatment

Many people worry about entering in-patient rehab because friends, family and employers will find out about their addiction. To combat this issue, which can prevent people from seeking help, outpatient treatment was developed to enable more people to get clean without having to ‘come clean.’ Like community support, this option also fits around your daily life and commitments but is thorough like in-patient rehab, only without staying in a facility.

You will schedule medical appointments, therapy sessions and other classes that help you to change your mindset and behaviors, around your usual work or school calendar. Evening and weekend sessions are available so that anyone can attend. You don’t have to attend group sessions and can get individual treatment if you’d rather not share your problems with strangers. With outpatient treatment, you can benefit from all the advantages of rehab but arrange around your own life for discreet treatment.

  1. Addiction Counseling

This option is most like community treatment, but one-on-one, for those who don’t like the idea of sharing their problems publicly. Attending addiction counseling can help you address the root of your addiction and gradually learn that you don’t need to depend on drugs or alcohol any longer. Seeking treatment from a professional addiction counselor will help you change your mindset and learn not to rely on drugs.

  1. College Recovery

For young people, college recovery centers could be the answer to addressing the whole problem rather than just one part at a time. College recovery treatment combines therapy, detox and medication with getting back into education or job-seeking – meaning that every facet of the addiction is worked on with the aim to fully resolve it. The experts at SOBA College Recovery in New Jersey are trained in all phases of recovery so that patients leave the facility sober and ready to resume their life before addiction.

While this is usually an in-patient method of rehab, it is much more than just rehab because of the additional life skills and employment or educational training that patients receive. The center enters patients back into education/employment systems as soon as they are ready so that they have something to concentrate on and work towards, which accelerates the speed of recovery.

We hope this has given you some ideas towards getting help for yourself or a loved one who is struggling with addiction. If you or someone you know is needing help to get clean, visit a doctor to discuss your options and determine which method is best suited to you.

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• Meet the Author • Dr. Lawrence Kindo


I am a Medical Professional with a passion for writing, blogging, playing, computers, and of course patient care. My writing in this medical blog will reflect my passion, and you are welcome to be a part of this venture. This medical blog is a tribute to all the great medical pioneers, and to the ultimate source of wisdom, God.


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