If you are considering alcohol or drug rehab for yourself or a family member, friend, classmate, or co-worker, one of the first decisions that you will have to make is whether to find a facility in your neighborhood or to look for drug or alcohol rehab programs out of state (Read What to Ask a Rehab Facility). It is important to remember that there is no clear formula for determining what is the best plan of action for any individual’s set of unique circumstances; what works for one recovering alcoholic or addict may not work for another. This article will consider the advantages and disadvantages of seeking treatment locally vs. entering a rehab program in another area.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of local treatment?

Advantages

• Counseling and other treatment activities for the recovering alcoholic/addict can incorporate family and friends if necessary.
• Some recovering alcoholics and addicts will benefit from learning how to cope with stressors in their realistic, immediate environments instead of removing those stressors by going to a facility that is far away.
• The support of family and friends is nearby.
• The overall cost may be less expensive. If you choose a facility out-of-state, you will need to factor travel costs for the recovering alcoholic/addict and any family members who would like to accompany them into your budget. Also, facilities in highly desirable areas of the country (like near the ocean or in the mountains) or facilities with special amenities may be more expensive as well.

Disadvantages

• Environmental triggers are more likely to surface when treatment – especially outpatient types of treatment programs – occurs locally because the recovering alcoholic/addict is still near many of the people and places that they associate with the addiction and behaviors related to the addiction. 
• Some recovering alcoholics/addicts benefit from a complete psychological “new beginning” in a place that is physically distant from their memories of the addiction.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of local treatment?

• Many addicts feel hopeless and have forgotten the many wonderful opportunities that life has to offer. “Getting away from it all” and going to a facility with access to natural or cultural enrichment opportunities may give them a new perspective on how life can be both exciting and fulfilling without an addictive substance. 
• Going to a rehab facility in another state reduces the number of triggers that an addict may encounter during the treatment program. Although a recovering alcoholic/addict will eventually learn skills for dealing with triggers during their program, it can be helpful to remove as many triggers as possible while they are still early in the program and, in some cases, more vulnerable to the temptation to return to the addictive substance that has dominated their life for so long.

• In some cases, out-of-state treatment may be more expensive than choosing a rehab facility in your neighborhood when considering the cost of travel and any special amenities (like gym facilities, community outings, etc.) that the facility may offer (Read Paying for Rehab).
• Although they will have been equipped with healthy coping mechanisms and life skills during the course of their treatment program, some recovering alcoholics or addicts may have difficulty adjusting back to reality after being removed from most major stressors, but this depends on the individual and may be just as applicable to local in-patient rehab.
• The recovering alcoholic or addict’s ability to include family and friends in their course of treatment may be limited by driving distance and/or the family’s ability to pay for travel to the rehab facility.

What is best for my situation?

eDrugRehab’s intervention and addiction specialists can help you determine the next step for your situation. Please remember that the most effective treatment program will depend on the individual’s unique circumstances. We realize that everything involved in planning for recovery can feel overwhelming, and we are here to help whether you have just decided to commit to pursuing a path of sobriety (Read Why Rehab? and Why You Shouldn’t Fight Addiction Alone) or if you are seeking treatment as a result of a relapse after a sober period (Read Reduce the Risk of Relapse). If you are looking into rehab options for someone else, you may need to arrange an intervention in order to get them to agree to seek treatment (Read Intervention FAQ and Preparing for an Intervention). We can also discuss your payment options with you and try to help you find a solution that fits your budget. Visit the contact us page to learn more.