• The first thing to consider in finding the appropriate drug rehab program is cost. Generally, private pay drug and alcohol treatment have a tendency to be very expensive, starting around $10,000 for inpatient treatment. While there are some drug rehab programs offering treatment at a lower cost, it is important to be cautious of the quality of the program.

Drug Rehab

• 12-Step drug rehab is the oldest and most common form of drug treatment. 12-step rehabilitation is based on the 12-steps brought into Alcoholics Anonymous by Bill Wilson and continues to be a trusted and popular form of drug and alcohol rehab. While 12-step works for many people, some people are put off by the references to God and others have tried 12-step rehab and couldn't relate and receive the message for whatever the reason. As this kind of response became more and more frequent, the addiction treatment industry has seen a rapid increase in niche drug and alcohol rehab philosophies and programs. Even though there have been more drug and alcohol rehab programs with emphasis on holistic or other specific treatment methodologies, the 12-steps may still be a core structure of the program.

• Holistic drug treatment is characterized as the treatment of the individual parts that make up a whole. In most holistic drug rehab programs, the various individual parts are the mind, body and spirit. Most holistic drug rehab centers will offer things like massage, yoga, meditation, and acupuncture, along with the staples of any drug treatment program - group and individual therapy and counseling. Although many holistic treatment programs do structure their programs after the 12-steps, there will often be no mention of it throughout the program. This is usually a good choice of drug and alcohol rehab programs for those who consider themselves to be spiritual, but not necessarily religious.

• Alternative drug rehabilitation is often more controversial than more traditional methods. While harder to find, many alternative drug rehabilitation programs do offer alternatives to what drug rehab is widely understood to be. For example, there are alternative drug rehab programs that teach the idea that addiction is not a disease, rather a choice and all addicts have the power to learn to choose not to be an addict any longer. This idea often gives way to the idea that complete abstinence is not required of addicts because they have the power to choose not to abuse drugs and alcohol.

  Another form of alternative drug rehab is Narconon®. This kind of drug rehab also does not consider addiction to be an illness and through a scientology based treatment program, teaches its students to learn a new way of life without drugs and alcohol. Narconon® also does not use any medications for any co-occurring issues or mental health disorders, requiring clearance from a physician prior to acceptance into the program.

  These kinds of alternative drug rehab programs are alternatives to not only 12-step rehab, but to the general philosophy of drug rehabilitation with the idea that addiction is not a medically diagnosed disease. Although very unconventional and inconceivable to many, these kinds of drug and alcohol treatments have been successful for those who relate to message.

• Dual Diagnosis treatment is yet another form of treatment, but this is not so much based on an individual's preference as it is on their medical needs. Dual diagnosis is defined as addiction with a co-occurring mental health disorder. Usually, this mental health disorder, whether it's depression, anxiety, manic disorder, bipolar, or dissociative is something that an individual had been diagnosed with prior to addiction problems. Many people erroneously believe that mental instability during addiction is a clinical diagnosis for mental health issues. The fact is that, when in the grip of addiction, behavior changes and mood swings are a very common occurrence and often "come with the territory". When an addict displays manic behavior while at the height of addiction, this is not a clinical problem, rather a situational one and will more than likely disappear when the addiction is under control. It is important to make this distinction before considering dual diagnosis treatment.

  If someone is in fact dually diagnosed, the drug rehab programs with trained professionals to deal with mental health issues on top of addiction are the best bet. Dual diagnosis drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers employ medical doctors, therapists and counselors trained to address and treat addiction and mental health issues concurrently without having one treatment get in the way of another. This is especially important in dual diagnosis cases because both issues often feed each other.  For example, when a diagnosed depressed alcoholic drinks to escape feelings of depression, then feels depressed because of drinking, but drinks more to escape those depressive feelings, this deadly cycle can continue forever without proper care. When the circumstances call for it, dual diagnosis drug and alcohol rehab can be an invaluable tool to recovery from addiction and stabilization of mental health disorders.

• Faith based addiction treatment is just what it sounds like. This is drug and alcohol rehab based on the teachings of faith, generally Christian. While there are rehab programs specifically tailored to other religions, Christian drug rehab is the most popular faith based treatment program. In this kind of rehabilitation center, the 12-step program is the center of the treatment structure, but it is taught with the scriptures from the bible to deepen, establish, or rediscover the Christian faith as recovery from drug and alcohol addiction takes place. Faith based drug rehab is a type of rehabilitation methodology that is best for those who are religious or those who are open to embracing religion as their guide through rehab from addiction and recovery. Faith based treatment is so popular, that it is one of the only methodologies of drug rehab offered through some state and county funded programs. The degree of "faith" incorporated in a drug rehab varies as some treatment centers go on field trips to church on Sundays and hold prayer groups while other truly do incorporate faith and religion to the 12-steps and teach scripture all throughout the program. It is up to personal preference to determine the level of intensity that would be best for faith based drug and alcohol rehab treatment.

• Gender specific drug rehab is intended to serve as an extra support for those looking for recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, but also may not feel comfortable discussing emotional topics with members of the opposite gender. This may be for a variety of reasons as some men are not comfortable admitting weakness and vulnerability n front of women, whom they may feel they should always be strong for. It is also not uncommon to find drug and alcohol addicts who have experienced abuse and mistreatment from members of the opposite gender and find that the emotional trauma serves as a trigger for further substance abuse in their lives. When an individual goes through trauma and it is specifically related to a particular gender, the therapeutic value of co-ed group counseling becomes nil and can have effects that set the addict back to relapse and very unhealthy states of mind. For people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction who have suffered trauma at the hands of the opposite gender, or for those who simply feel more comfortable among those of the same gender, gender specific drug rehab may be the answer to finding the comforts necessary for a successful effort at drug rehabilitation.