An estimated 10% of the adult population in the U.S. struggles with a drug or alcohol addiction disorder. These disorders can wreak havoc on someone’s life and their family and community. Fortunately, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers help millions of people every year beat drug addiction and break the cycle of abuse.
When someone decides to enter rehab, cost and also convenience may be at the forefront of their minds. But how important is it to stay close to home during rehabilitation? In some cases, it might be beneficial for a patient to travel out of state for drug or alcohol detox and rehab, but why? The following article will explore the benefits of traveling for drug treatment.
What are some of the most significant reasons why someone should travel for rehab?
For many people who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction, their immediate environment plays a critical role in the ongoing cycle and the roots of their substance abuse. Their neighborhood, school, workplace, or apartment building can be full of triggers. For people who are addicted to drugs, their hometown is the place where they have connections to dealers or friends who can supply them with drugs or alcohol. By heading to an out-of-state rehab center, it will be harder for them to relapse.
Also, when someone attends a rehab center far from home, they aren’t surrounded by an old circle of friends or family that may not be healthy for them. This forces patients to form newer, healthier bonds with people who are sober and can offer them a chance to form healthy, caring relationships that don’t trigger their traumas or insecurities, which can lead to drug or alcohol use.
Attending a rehab center that is far from toxic triggers and stress can give patients the freedom and clarity they need to focus on achieving sobriety. Much-needed breathing room also offers patients a chance to explore, with guidance from knowledgeable therapists, what factors contributed to their addiction. Attending rehab out-of-state eliminates emotional or mental noise that adds to the cycle of addiction.
Another significant benefit to attending rehab in a different, faraway location is that the environment prevents patients from making impulsive, detrimental choices. If someone were to try rehab close to home, it’s far too easy for them to impulsively leave if they think the program has become too difficult.
Going to out-of-state rehab curbs impulsive behavior that can severely hamper someone’s ability to achieve sobriety. When those temptations are removed, patients have an easier time completing the program and doing the work necessary to improve their health.
Longer stays in rehabilitation facilities are directly correlated to treatment success. The more time someone can spend in rehab, the higher their chances of maintaining lifelong sobriety. More extended treatment stays improve patients’ employment situations, decrease criminal behavior, and increase drug or alcohol abstinence.
What makes Santa Barbara the ideal place for rehabilitation and treatment?
When someone decides to pursue drug or alcohol rehab in a new location, the area can provide them with a feeling of starting over. For many people who’ve struggled with drug or alcohol addiction, it can be difficult for them to move forward if they are constantly reminded of past mistakes or trauma. Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse are positively correlated with increased experiences of trauma, accidents, and physical assault. Trying to get clean in the same place where someone struggled with addiction and experienced something terrible can make it mentally and emotionally challenging to continue with treatment. But a new location can give patients the stability to stick with a treatment regimen.
In Santa Barbara, the environment is incredibly beautiful, relaxing, and pleasant. Traveling to the Santa Barbara area for treatment can seem like a vacation in some respects. Attending a treatment facility located in an area where people spend thousands of dollars to vacation at can make the entire rehab process seem a little more relaxing and enjoyable.
Also, Santa Barbara, and southern California, in general, is home to the highest per capita rate of rehab centers in the U.S. There is a wealth of resources, and cutting-edge treatment methods coming out of the Santa Barbara area in the fight against drug abuse and addiction.
Does insurance cover out-of-state treatment for addiction?
Insurance coverage plans and rates vary significantly, but it is a misconception that insurance will only ever pay for in-state addiction treatment. Some insurance plans do cover out-of-state treatment, but the only way to find out is by speaking directly to a policy representative.
However, it’s important to note that many rehab centers will allow patients to pay through a plan. Some rehab centers will even cover the cost of treatment for patients who meet certain financial qualifications. For those wishing to attend an out-of-state rehab, it’s crucial that they know what payment options are available to them.
How will being away from friends or family make treatment more effective?
For people with strong support networks, it’s not always ideal to travel for treatment. But for many people who struggle with drug or alcohol problems, they do not have strong or even healthy family support. In many cases, patients’ only friends outside of rehab are all part of the drug scene or are problem drinkers. One of the symptoms of addiction is social isolation. For people whose circumstances fit those scenarios, being away from family and friends can enable them to focus on getting better fully.
For those who’ve struggled with drug addiction, they may have done something in the past that was embarrassing or experienced an event related to their addiction that causes them shame, or stigma. Being away from a social environment that knows these things about them can prevent them from feeling stressed or unfairly judged. Emotional stability is incredibly important for treating addiction.
Drug and alcohol addiction is a painful disease that destroys lives. But they are treatable conditions. Speak to a qualified treatment counselor today to explore your options for traveling to the beautiful and serene Santa Barbara area for rehab.