Free or Low Cost Drug Addiction Treatment Close to Home
Artist - Tony Bylsma
Many times the person calling has already called about five or twenty different places, left messages, sent emails and was bounced around from phone number to phone number. By the time they reach me, they are completely frustrated, angry and sometimes, just about hopeless.
Even I get a little hopeless and sad sometimes because I know what is out there and what is not.
My best advice is don’t give up—if you cannot find local, look elsewhere. Look in a different state or different city. At this point, distance is not as important as your long-term sobriety, your life and your happiness.
This advice is specifically regarding drug rehab which is very different than medical detox. Sometimes those two things are thought of as being the same.
Just to make sure that point is clear: medical detox gets a person through drug or alcohol withdrawal. Medical detox alone is not rehabilitation. Detox takes about three days to two weeks, depending on the situation. Medical detox is just step zero. The person still needs to complete the rehabilitation process by going to a drug rehab program.
Not every drug user or alcoholic needs a medical detox. The need for medical detox is determined by two things: Is withdrawal life threatening? Or, is withdrawal so painful as to prevent the person from persisting though it?
Certain prescription drugs are very dangerous to withdraw from cold turkey. Alcohol withdrawal can also be life threatening in certain cases. Some combinations of drugs or drugs and alcohol make detox more complex. Withdrawal from pain medications, methadone, heroin, etc., can be very painful and without medical attention and supervision, it makes it very hard for the drug user to persist.
Drug rehab is not the same as a medical detox. The purpose of drug addition treatment or rehabilitation is to help a person learn how to remain sober with training and counseling. It’s there to help address the issues that were there before the drug use started and those that developed due to drug use. Without handling those, the addict is open to relapse.
Most drug rehab programs that are free or low cost, don’t provide a medical detox.
The problem with finding a low-cost or free medical detox is that they are hard to come by and some have restrictions on whom they can help. The point is that for a state-funded medical detox, you might have to stay local because state-funded detox facilities might not be able to take out-of-towners. Be prepared to be patient if you do find a local medical detox. It may have a waiting list or you might have to call in every morning to check if there is a bed available.
However, when it comes to drug rehabilitation, there are several programs out there that would be more than happy to take someone that was not able to afford treatment. And you don’t have to be a local. Many of those places are very religious and if that is good for you, then you are in luck! They would love to have you. There are fewer programs that are secular and they too would be happy to take you in.
The payment from you is that you have to be willing to travel and commit to a long term program. The choice is always yours, but I encourage you to look at that option if you cannot find what you are looking for locally. You can save yourself a lot of frustration and time.
I am always on the lookout for drug rehabilitation treatment programs that are free or low cost. If you know of any, please feel free to mention them to me and I will be sure to refer people to them. My only criteria is that they must not use prescription drug therapy in treatment (only in detox when necessary) or any other harmful practice.
If you need resources for free and low cost programs, you are welcome to contact me at 888-800-8331. I will do my best to guide you.
