In the US, there are over twenty million people from age twelve and up who struggle with addiction (Partnership News Service Staff). Drug addiction begins with drug or alcohol abuse. When someone starts becoming addicted to something, changes in the brain’s wiring occurs. This is what causes people to have intense cravings, making it hard to stop using which results in continuous use and harmful outcomes (“American Psychiatric Association”). Approximately only three million of these people reportedly attended drug rehab centers for help (Partnership News Service Staff). Recently, there has been discussion about how rehab centers are doing more harm than good; due to the cost, relapse, and illegal practices.
Rehab centers have been around for a very long time. The idea of drinking recreationally was an introduction made by European colonists (“Dual Diagnosis”). Native tribes had no structure to control drinking or its effects. Eventually, some tribesmen came to understand the nature of alcoholism that was harming their people. Tribal leaders would encourage younger members who had become addicted to alcohol to use their heritage and beliefs to guide them back to sobriety (“Dual Diagnosis”). Since then, there are more than 14,500 drug treatment facilities in the United States of America, but this industry is very unregulated (“Healthline”). Many of these programs offer treatment that is not based on research because there are no federal standards for rehab centers (“Healthline”).
About 114 people die each day from drugs. 6,748 people are sent to hospitals for emergency drug treatment a day. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that nearly 90% of people who need drug rehab are unable to receive it because of the cost and location (“American Addiction Centers”). Healthline speaks about how the success rates truly work, “Many addiction centers base the success of their program on; completion of the program, sobriety rates immediately after release, client interviews, and internal research” (“Healthline”). American Addiction Centers also informs us that some facilities give misleading information, “Some facilities say there is a 90% success rate, but this can be misleading because there are different criteria for that kind of success” (“American Addiction Centers”). There have been many flaws in rehab facilities since they came about, but hopefully as more people become educated these problems can start to be resolved.
There are many misunderstandings of what a “rehab center” is and what goes on inside, which is common because there are plenty of rehab centers that are different from one another. Ken Alltucker gives us an idea of what rehab is, “Rehab is the process of medical and psychotherapeutic treatment for people dependant on drugs or alcohol” (Alltucker). According to “Time”, there is no definition of “rehab”. There is no standard measure of success for rehabilitation centers. Some facilities base it upon how many of their clients complete the program, others consider sobriety in the follow-up months (“American Addiction Centers”). Most rehab centers offer inpatient therapy, this means the patient will stay at the rehab center until they feel they are better. Inpatient therapy consists of daily routines and therapeutic activities (“American Addiction Centers”).
Michael talks about the daily routines of addicts in a rehab center, “The days are very busy because recovery requires a lot of work. Each patient has a different treatment plan” (Michael). Rehab centers offer outpatient therapy as well. This consists of daily meetings with a counselor and group therapy (Michael). Rehab facilities offer many different types of therapy, but not as popular: group therapy, family therapy, individual therapy, behavioral therapy, etc.
There are many reasons people that need help for drug or alcohol abuse are unable to receive it; cost being a huge factor. The American addiction treatment is a 35 billion dollar a year industry. Most rehab centers offer financial aid, accept insurance, or have financing options. (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”). Dodes talks about the negative effects of free or low income rehabs, “A lot of people don’t have insurance. There are free or low income rehab centers, but this means you will not be getting the most efficient treatment. Free rehabs often have limited funding and waiting lists” (Dodes).
The type of care and rehab center determines the cost of centers. Treatment types are different for different addictions. There are many factors that affect the cost of rehab. The following estimates are based on costs reported by studies; Outpatient detox ranges from $1,000 to $1,500 in total. The cost depends on the type of detox, dangerous detox side effects require more monitoring, which costs more. Inpatient rehabs may cost around $6,000 for a 30 day program. Well known centers can cost up to $30,000. For those who require a 60-90 day program, it can cost up to $60,000. Medication can also be a big factor in recovery. Year long methadone treatment for heroin users costs around $4,700 (“Addiction Centers”).
Dodes also talks about how it is challenging for addicts to make a good income, “Alcohol and drug users are more likely to skip work and switch jobs more often than sober individuals, which has a negative effect on their income. The price of drugs, legal problems, health issues, and loss of productivity at work all add up over time” (Dodes). The cost of these treatment facilities that aren’t even government regulated make it so much harder for addicts to get help. These costs do not include the thousands of dollars addicts have already spent on drugs or alcohol.
Over the years, unethical rehab centers have been getting away with being unethical and doing illegal practices. As these unethical treatment facilities grow, the success rate has decreased. For years the addiction treatment industry has grown as a fairly unregulated industry with little vision into the daily practices that take place at facilities nationwide (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”). Since addiction has been growing in the US, so has the addiction treatment industry. As the industry has grown, so has unethical practices and illegal activities (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”). Many facility owners have no clinical experience. They open facilities with a primary purpose of financial gain rather than patient care (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”).
Steindorff talks about the unethical treatment facilities, “The problem lies in that [sober homes] are mainly privately owned and non regulated at all” (Steindorff). A convicted rehab owner had billed insurance companies for more than $58 million in bogus treatment and tests, and recruited addicts with gift cards, drugs, and strip clubs (Fuhr Paul). Verlie makes a statement on how rare it is to find a good rehab center, “A good sober house is a rarity” (Verlie). Many of these “sober houses” cram more people than are legally allowed, into places that are poorly funded (Verlie). Unethical treatment facilities are hard to spot, leaving victims worse than they were before they attended.
Many unethical rehab centers use different “tactics” to lure their patients in. They brainwash and manipulate people searching for help. These tactics may vary, and it is important to recognize them. Patient Brokering; this is where addiction treatment facilities will pay “kickback” or referral fees to someone for sending them a patient (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”). Meadows talks about how different tactics are becoming so popular that they are normalized, “Over the last 5 years, this practice has become so widespread and normalized, that patients will often be paid cash or even drugs in order to admit to a facility, each patient comes with a ‘price tag’” (Meadows). Many centers will continue to bribe patients with illegal free rent, food, or cigarettes in order to entice them to stay (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”).
Online Marketing Tactics: An organization will create ads with a free helpline to call. These phones are usually managed by young people who have no clinical experience. The goal is that the addict will call this number searching for help, the organization will then “refer” the addict to a treatment center. What really happens is that the web site and phone number are taking those calls and selling them to the highest bidder (treatment center) (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”). Patient Enticement; This is an old school tactic that often entices patients by offering to pay for flights, food, or cigarettes. It is much like the two tactics stated above. Allowing a client to stay in a recovery house for free gives the owner an illegal kickback (“Michaels House”). Verlie talks about the parents of addicted children and how they try to help, “Parents of addicted children have no manual for this sort of thing, so they reach out in the darkness with the slightest hope that someone will be there to understand what they are experiencing” (Verlie).
Unethical providers prey upon this fear, giving little thought into the patient’s actual needs. Unethical treatment centers will offer families free rent, food, etc. and these families view it as a “gift”. Little do they know what actually goes on in these centers (“Maryland Addiction Recovery Center”). More and more people are needing help each day, and with the use of social media and the internet it is becoming easier for illegal treatment centers to reach out to addicts. More people are finding themselves victims of shady and illegal practices.
There are possibilities of a thousand negative outcomes when attending rehab. Many people find themselves relapsing and even worse than they were before. Michaels house talks about the difficult journey of becoming clean and sober, “The difficult adjustment to life without drugs cause side effects that can occur in the process of treatment. It can lead to loss progress or even relapse” (“Michaels House”). The addiction relapse rates are 60% to 80% according to NIDA. Many addicts fear they will relapse and the fear that they won’t succeed can get them down (“Addiction Blog”).
Many people come out of rehab poor and with nowhere to go, this is a big factor that leads to relapse. Many times rehab centers don’t call their previous clients in for check ups. Since rehab centers aren’t federally funded, many rehabs only care about the money. Hundreds of people relapse the same day they get out of rehab (“Michaels House”). While in rehab, the patient will have to detox. Detoxing can cause serious withdrawal symptoms. Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms include: Depression, anxiety, sweating, chills, hallucinations, mood swings, restlessness, sleeplessness, etc. (“Michaels House”). In rehab an addict can be a victim of another addicts outbursts, relapses, or triggers.
This can cause stress if an addict is around the disgruntled addicts 24/7 (“Addiction Blog”). An anonymous user gives a little bit of background from his own experience while attending a rehab center, “I was unable to complete the 30 days due to aggression between myself and many of the other patients. This resulted in me notifying the staff that oxycodone pills were being brought into the center- i even walked in on a person shooting up in the bathroom… Not everyone in rehab is there to get clean. Some are court ordered, or do it for their loved ones. Bad attitudes can rub off, and, with incessant chatter and stories of using, you can find yourself more ready to relapse upon arrival home than you were prior to admittance” (Anonymous). The many negative outcomes of rehab can be very discouraging for those wanting to get help.
When people think about rehab, they don’t look too deeply into it. Most of the time these people are so desperate that they are blind to every red flag, and treatment facilities know this. There are many great rehab centers that can actually help someone successfully get over drugs, it just may take some time to find the right one. If rehab centers were government regulated, it would decrease the amount of illegal practices and unethical treatment facilities. If it were funded by the government, addicts wouldn’t have to pay so much money that they don’t even have. I hope as more people broaden their knowledge on rehab centers, and become more aware of what an unethical rehab center is, it will lessen the negative effects they have on addicts. As the drug epidemic rises, the awareness of rehab centers should as well. Maybe one day, the world will become a better place so addicts can get the help that they need without the fear they will end up in a worse situation.
