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Deciding to go to rehab for drug or alcohol addiction can be tough.

Most likely, you’ve spent a fair amount of time wrestling with this decision and trying to decide if rehab is really what you need to deal with your substance abuse problems or if it’s something you can tackle on your own.

In fact, studies show that over 14 million adults in the United States alone are currently struggling with an alcohol addiction, yet less than 10 percent of those adults will seek any sort of addiction treatment for it.

And the statistics are even grimmer for those battling a drug addiction. Even though more than 69,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses alone last year, only about 7 percent of people who are abusing drugs will seek the help they need.

So, if you’ve made the decision to seek help, then you are to be congratulated for taking this first brave step in your recovery process.

 

Making the Decision for Two: What About Couple Rehab?

Perhaps your decision to go into an alcohol or drug addiction treatment program isn’t just about you.

Are you and your partner both considering entering into a couples rehab program together?

As mentioned, the decision to seek help with a drug and alcohol addiction is a big one. Deciding to tackle your addictions as a couple is an even bigger one.

Though marriage and committed relationships provide many of us with a source of emotional, mental, and financial support, our most intimate relationships can also be detrimental to our overall well-being if both people in the relationship are not healthy.

In fact, there is a strong correlation between substance abuse usage in one partner greatly influencing and increasing substance abuse in the other.

Often, when a relationship begins with one spouse or partner having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol or drugs, the other person will become an enabler of that behavior and may even take on the attitude of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

And – since we know that alcoholism and most types of drugs are considered a progressive disease, this type of co-dependent behavior in the relationship may result in both partners having a substance abuse problem before long.

Couples locking fingers together
 

Drug and Alcohol Addiction is a Family Disease

According to the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, addiction is a family disease. A reputable and skilled treatment facility knows that when there is any sort of alcohol or drug addiction happening in a family that it will end up taking a toll on every member of that household – many times on the extended family as well.

A woman with a drug on her tongue

And when both adults in a home are struggling with addiction, everyone around that couple is going to suffer the consequences of their substance abuse, whether it be financial, emotional, mental, or even physical suffering.

Addiction will always take a toll on a family. But a dual diagnosis addiction – when both adults in the home have a recognized substance abuse problem – can wreak irreparable damage, if not addressed.

If you are ready to address your substance abuse problems through couples rehab, then you are not only making a huge difference in your own future, but that of your family as well.

 

What is a Couples Rehab Facility?

Though a small percentage of individuals who are struggling with substance abuse actually commit to an addiction treatment program, there are hundreds of such facilities available across the United States.

In fact, according to a survey done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) it is estimated that there are around 8,000 private non-profit facilities operating in the United States today, and approximately 4,000 for-profit centers as well.

Many of these programs are outpatient-only treatment centers. Some of them are also designed to care for patients and couples in a residential, inpatient setting.

And, though many of these treatment programs will offer similar services – such as individual, group, and behavioral couples therapy, detox programs, mental health services, and intense individualized planning for a successful recovery post-treatment – it is reasonable to assume that not all programs will operate the same nor will all services be provided in a consistent manner.

A couple walking into a meeting with a man waiting

Deciding to go to couples rehab is one of the biggest you will ever make.

Therefore…let’s make sure you choose the right one for you and your partner’s needs.

 

4 Things to Look for in a Couples Rehab Program

Though each couple will have its own unique needs, there are going to be certain things that you most likely will want to consider when you are deciding where and what type of facility is going to bring the best long-term results for both of you, your family, and your future.

Here are some considerations that will help you when comparing different options:

 

1. Patient to Staff Ratios

Treatment for alcohol or drug abuse is a complex combination of various types of therapy, detox or mood stabilizer medications, mental illness assessment, and physical assessments.

No one treatment style is going to work for everyone.

A couple during therapy session

Depending on your genetics, your current family as well as your family of origin’s dynamics, and your severity of substance abuse, the type of treatment programs that will work best for you can vary significantly, and you will need the right people to help you determine that.

One of your priorities should be to find a treatment center that has a realistic patient to staff ratio, so that you and your partner can both get your concerns addressed and get the appropriate level of care that is needed.

A reputable and highly qualified treatment center will have the right staff-to-patient ratio for the specific treatment plan that is proposed for you and your partner.

They should also have a staff that is made up of qualified and experienced professionals for each of the specific needs you both have.

Spend some time researching the credentials of a treatment center’s staff before you make any sort of commitment.

Also, you should feel comfortable asking about the patient to staff ratios and feeling reassured that the time spent with both you and your partner is going to be more about quality than quantity.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about staffing, licenses or degrees of staff members, size of therapy groups, or whether or not your couples therapy sessions will be for you and your partner only, or if these sessions will only be in a group therapy setting.

 

2. Accreditations

As with staffing, it’s very reasonable to want to know what type of facility you are considering and what sorts of accreditations the treatment facility currently holds.

Remember, there are thousands of alcohol and drug addiction treatment programs all over the United States.

Some of these drug and alcohol rehab treatment centers are run on a for-profit basis. Others are completely not-for-profit establishments.

There are also many treatment centers that only cater to outpatient clients and can’t accommodate the couple who is looking for a residential treatment program.

Still, others only take certain kinds of insurance, are only available to people of a certain age, or with certain types of addiction, or may even have specific gender or race specifications.

Finally, there may be some addiction treatment facilities that don’t have certain accreditations which may be concerning for you, given the type of treatment you are looking for.

The bottom line is this…

Make sure while you are doing your research on a treatment center’s staffing size and their credentials, you do your research on the credentials of the treatment center as well.

 

3. Track Record of Treatment Facility

Another key factor when choosing the right program for both you and your partner is to see if you can get your hands on some of the past statistics of the program you are researching.

Granted, every couple is different.

But knowing that the facility you are choosing to help you and your partner attain lifelong sobriety is one that has had a great deal of success in the past with your same addictions is going to help you feel better about your own impending success.

Can a facility be one of high caliber with a perfect program for you and your spouse, even if their success rate with other couples hasn’t been high?

Of course.

A couple having a therapy session

But…if getting and staying sober from drugs and/or alcohol was easy, you most likely wouldn’t be considering a couples rehab program in the first place, right?

Do yourself and your partner a favor and find a facility that has had a proven track record of success, particularly with the substances you both have struggled with.

Knowing that your chosen drug or alcohol rehab center has had a history of helping individuals just like you and your partner will not guarantee your longterm success with sobriety.

It will, however, give you both a good place to start.

 

4. Treatment Options Available

Finally, as mentioned previously, not all alcohol and drug rehab centers are going to offer the same things for every person, and certainly not for every couple.

Before committing to any one program, don’t just assume they have the capacity to treat all forms of addiction, especially if you or your partner may be struggling with something more complex or if one or the other of you has a special need that may not always be able to be met.

One example of this is the need for a specific type of detox program.

Though most reputable facilities should be prepared and equipped to help individuals as they are progressing through the initial stages of an alcohol or drug withdrawal, not all programs can handle the severity of all types of detox.

Another example is a case where an individual (or couple) is struggling with a dual diagnosis situation.

Dual diagnosis is the term used for an individual who is dealing with a comorbid disorder and co occurring disorders, such as a substance abuse problem while also dealing with a mental health disorder.

Though sometimes a patient won’t even realize that there is a mental health issue at play, oftentimes drug and alcohol use is a way that a person has been “self-medicating” for another issue for years.

These types of co occurring disorders may or may not be obvious to the individual or couple when they decide to seek treatment for their substance issues.

But finding a program that specializes in co occurring disorders will be important when trying to uncover other reasons why drugs and alcohol have played such a prominent role in a person’s or couple’s life for so long.

When You Are Ready to Start Your Research, Start at The House of the Rising Sun

Now that you have determined that a couples rehab is right for you and your partner, and have armed yourself with some of the most important things to consider when seeking treatment, let The House of the Rising Son Treatment Center & Rehab be one of the treatment centers on your list of considerations.

A couple and their therapist

Located just a few miles from Dana Point, California, our facility is prepared to be your home away from home while you and your partner find peace from substance abuse once and for all.

From accredited professionals to state-of-the-art facilities, our couples rehab San Clemente center can give both of you the resources and tools you need to learn to manage stress, deal with conflict resolution, improve your communication skills and overcome other challenges — all without drugs or alcohol playing a role in your life anymore.

If you and your partner are ready for an alcohol and drug rehab center that can truly meet all of your needs, look no further than the couples rehab Dana Point location…The House of the Rising Son.

We are ready for your call today.