Addiction
July 21, 2020
You can't put a price on happiness. Recovery is designed to help you live your best life, and it should never be cost-prohibitive. That is why we caution against the impulse to dole out exorbitant amounts of cash in hopes of buying your way to sobriety.
That's simply not how it works.
Overcoming addiction is an individualized process. Your journey depends on your experiences, your pace, and your goals. Any program promising to snap their fingers and cure a patient within a short time span is leading the public astray.
No matter how many resources you throw at an issue, it won't simply go away until you put in the time and energy required to forge a new path to sober living. The bottom-line question you should ask yourself before embarking on a recovery strategy shouldn't be, "How much am I willing to pay?" But rather, "How hard am I willing to work?"
There is a prevailing misconception among consumers that you get what you pay for. Spending more on therapy must mean that you get better results, right?
Maybe not.
There are some shockingly expensive rehabilitation centers scattered throughout exotic destinations around the world. One such organization charges an average of $86,887… per week.
Pause for reflection.
That's right, for over $86k per week, residents indulge in gourmet fare and unparalleled seclusion, but what does their extravagance achieve? The answer: guests stay for an average of four weeks. Perhaps that is because they can't afford to stay any longer, or perhaps that is the standardized perception of how long recovery takes. In, out, and good luck!
But in the real world, a proper lifestyle shift requires more than a month. According to one extensive study of over 1,200 patients, the longer an individual refrains from substance use during the early stages of their sobriety, the better chances they have of succeeding in their recovery.
For example, a third of people who abstained from drug and alcohol use for under a year will remain sober. That number rises to 50% of respondents who achieve a year or more of sobriety. For individuals who maintain five years without using, less than 15% will relapse.
To put a finer point on the matter: the longer you invest in recovery, the longer your recovery will benefit you. The luxury programs that lavish attention on you for a mere month are shortchanging you in the long run.
The answer to this deceptively simple question is actually quite complex. Treatment "works" when the patient identifies destructive patterns of their behavior and strives to change course. This turn of events could occur during a luxury stay at a fancy rehab center, or it could happen in a bland setting with little to no fanfare.
You choose your own destiny, regardless of the surroundings.
To assess whether or not luxury treatment is effective, let's take a closer look at some of its bells and whistles. One popular staple of upscale recovery facilities is equine therapy. Guests interact with horses to break with their everyday routine and commune with a majestic beast in order to get outside of themselves.
This may sound intriguing to some people in recovery, but it may add undue stress to others. In fact, one scholarly article summarized the practice with the following critique: "Studies failed to provide consistent evidence that ERT is superior to the mere passage of time."
The ultimate break with familiar patterns is a new path in life. You don't necessarily require equine therapy to create healthy new behavior; you need to commit to the future that you want to embrace. Do you own a horse? If the answer is yes, then equine therapy would be useful in transitioning you from old habits to a new way of life. But if the answer is no, then you need treatment that acknowledges your lifestyle and how best to live it.
One of the major problems with luxury treatment is its lack of focus. Instead of attending to the genuine needs of patients, many five-star facilities spend their budgets on overpriced amenities and décor.
The key to your recovery resides almost exclusively within you. When you achieve specific goals, they bolster your resolve to thrive rather than just survive—case in point: evidence based therapy (EBT). When you seek counseling, you don't just want to hear yourself talk; you want concrete results.
EBT charts your progress in real terms. You may need help accepting the parameters of your addiction. Or perhaps you seek the peace of mind that will aid in your journey toward sobriety. These are important goals that EBT can help bring about. Mindfulness, cognitive behavioral improvement, and awareness of your situation are all hallmarks of evidence-based therapy. Each goal that you achieve fuels your determination to continue on your road to recovery.
The various techniques mentioned above are meant to provide a big picture overview of how some people approach sobriety. But you are not "some people" – you are uniquely you. Nobody else can dictate the precise means of achieving your best self.
Your individualized program may begin with dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to identify negative thoughts and hone your ability to avoid the pitfalls of relapse. Or you may benefit from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to give you structure as you analyze your values and put them into action.
The only way to carve out the exact treatment strategy that will define your recovery is to collaborate openly and honestly with your professional care team. Together, we will design the most effective program for your needs rather than a luxury experience that will only provide a temporary escape from your reality.
In other words, we strive to make sense, not dollars. Contact Ethos Recovery and let's get started.