With the costs and wait times for addiction treatment skyrocketing in Western countries, many addicts are seeking addiction rehab and treatment overseas. It’s a trend that has been picking up steam over the past few years and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. The question is: Why?
Let’s look at five of the main reasons overseas addiction rehab options are growing increasingly popular with every passing year.
1. Value For Money
Luxury treatment centers with pools, exercise facilities, and comfortable rooms are an ideal setting for adapting to a life free from drugs and alcohol. But high-end rehab centers in the USA charge up to $25,000 for a 30-day inpatient program, while medications that help with withdrawals and detox can add substantially to that already hefty price. In the UK, luxury treatment facilities charge as much as £20,000 per month. Many people seeking treatment find that they can venture abroad to receive a higher standard of care along with more comfortable accommodations for the same price (or significantly cheaper)!
2. Getting Away From It All
Successful treatment for addiction transforms the addict into an entirely different person. Many people find that getting away from the stressors, triggers and routines of their previous life is immensely helpful in developing a positive attitude and healthy habits. A new place far away from past trauma and stress can be ideal for rebuilding one’s identity as a functional and capable individual who can deal with cravings and withdrawals in a positive manner and break free from the negative mind frames of addiction. Furthermore, a beautiful setting and warm weather can be truly therapeutic, allowing those in treatment to feel more relaxed and comfortable than they do at home.
3. More Treatment Options Available
Many alternative treatments for addiction aren’t legally available in the US and UK. Some medicines, like Ibogaine (a substance which has been found to aid in addiction treatment by independent studies in Mexico, Brazil, and Europe), are illegal in the US and illegal to provide in the UK. Rather than obtaining it illegally and using it on one’s own (a process with profound health risks), people who would like to take advantage of the benefits of Ibogaine or other addiction treatment alternatives can travel abroad and use the substance in a controlled environment, surrounded by medical professionals who are actively monitoring their experience.
Furthermore, many treatment centers in the West are overburdened by demand and have little time for holistic treatment options and the aftercare that is essential for lifelong recovery. Tabula Rasa Retreat offers a wide variety of holistic treatments, ranging from Kundalini Yoga to equine assisted therapy designed to build willpower, focus and the ability to persevere in difficult situations. They even offer a weekly Skype support session that is available to clients for the rest of their lives. Being treated as an individual and not a wallet or a number is another reason why people are choosing overseas treatment options.
4. Privacy
While society’s perceptions of addiction are shifting towards seeing the affliction as a medical problem rather than an individual’s failure of morality or willpower, addiction still carries a stigma. Because of this, many people seeking treatment would like to maintain their privacy in this difficult time. While most centers in one’s home maintain a reasonable level of confidentiality, being in a different country adds an additional layer of privacy to an experience that many would prefer to keep from colleagues and loved ones. This is especially important for addicts from places like Asia and the Middle East, where addiction issues are even more heavily stigmatised than in the West. Being treated as a respected individual by discreet professionals can dramatically improve self-esteem, and knowing that a private issue will remain private can provide peace of mind to those seeking treatment.
5. Waiting Times
While wait times for short-term detox programs in the US, Canada, and the UK are generally fairly short, the wait for longer-term treatments and inpatient beds can last for weeks and even months. Dwayn Cameron, a Canadian addictions expert notes that “When it comes to addictions, there’s a catch phrase we use that you need to strike when the iron is hot… We need to have it so there isn’t a wait time because wait times become life and death.” Cameron also notes that the period between detox and treatment is the time when addicts are at their most vulnerable. A 2016 study found that wait times for publicly funded addiction rehab programs in the US could be longer than one year, and that over one million Americans were seeking, but not receiving, treatment. This trend is especially troubling because a 2013 study by the Journal of Addiction Medicine found that addicts awaiting treatment for opioid addiction faced an increased risk of death.
For the families of people seeking inpatient treatment, cheaper options abroad can be a necessary and often life-saving choice. It’s definitely the saddest reason that international rehab facilities are becoming more popular.
Many people are seeking treatment abroad because of innovative methods that offer addicts a better chance at a long, healthy and happy life. Others are doing it to maintain privacy, or avoid the stigma that comes with addiction in countries where the disease is still viewed as a shameful personal failing. Then there are those who find addiction rehab abroad to be their last resort to get the help they need before tragedy strikes. No matter your reasons, we’d recommend you consider Tabula Rasa Retreat as an option which can provide the care you need!
For further information visit www.tabularasaretreat.com or call PT +351 965 751 649 UK +44 7961 355 530