Most people use the words “rehab” and “treatment” interchangeably. In fact, for most people, rehab and treatment are one and the same. However, there is quite a big difference between what rehab and treatment involve, respectively. Many treatment centers, Bright Futures Boynton Beach included, offer both options to their clients. Therefore, the best option for seeking either rehab or treatment (or both) is to get in touch with our admissions staff. Before you do so, however, you may want to understand the difference between rehab and treatment in Palm Beach.
Understanding the difference between rehab and treatment
These days, rehab and treatment are two very different concepts. Most people refer to rehab as a way to recover from drug addiction. However, the government may describe this process as treatment. Therefore, it is extremely easy to confuse the two. Unfortunately, the difference between treatment and rehab is not simply rhetorical. Many people may ask the question “Does insurance cover rehab?” and actually want to ask does insurance cover treatment? To understand the difference, we need to first understand what each word actually means.
What is Treatment?
The way that most professionals define treatment is something that manages a specific disease through various medicinal, surgical, or other measures. Today, addiction is recognized as a chronic, relapsing, disease of the brain and is therefore subject to treatment. Interestingly enough, most national agencies such as NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse), consider addiction to fall into the same category as common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. What this means is that addiction can be successfully managed and not eliminated.
Now, this has a number of possible implications. If addiction is the same type of disease as diabetes, this means that doctors will prescribe medications that will need to be taken for the rest of the person’s life. In fact, almost every inpatient rehab program will administer various medications throughout the course of the treatment, and they will prescribe them for use after the program is complete. However, many doctors believe that addiction can be cured as well as managed.
Some doctors think that finding the cause of the problem and remedying it will allow the patient to avoid managing their addiction through a lifetime of prescription drugs. Either way, treatment involves managing the person’s symptoms and allowing them to function normally.
What is Rehab?
The primary difference between rehab and treatment is that rehab does not concern itself with how a person might manage their lifelong problem. Rehab is all about returning someone to normalcy. This can involve returning the person to good health, normal life, or to their normal condition. Once a person develops an addiction problem, all sense of normalcy goes “through the window”. Unlike Florida prescription drugs addiction treatment programs, rehab programs focus solely on helping the person return to their normal life. When a person completes rehab, they are capable of carrying on and enjoying their life without drugs.
Furthermore, once a person goes through a rehabilitation program, they are not considered to be addicts anymore. They understand that they have all the power to manage their cravings and leave a drug-free life. Through rehab, these people become empowered and gain control of their thoughts and actions, as well as their lives.
The difference between rehab and treatment
Both rehabilitation and treatment have the same fundamental goal: Help the person suffering from addiction. However, treatment is a much more short-term approach, as it focuses on helping the person manage their symptoms. Throughout the course of treatment, a person will get to learn various coping skills and develop coping mechanisms but they will still need to manage their addiction by using medications.
Rehabilitation, on the other hand, involves a much more thorough approach. While it starts the same as treatment, by getting the person off drugs, rehab aims to repair the addiction damage. While treatment usually involves substituting a harmful drug for a less harmful one, rehabilitation tries to get the patient off any drugs whatsoever and allow them to live their life drug-free.
The reason why so many people confuse rehab with treatment is the fact that many programs are used in both treatment and rehab. For example, an outpatient treatment program can be utilized by both rehab programs and treatment programs. The main difference is the ultimate goal of the therapy. With treatment, the goal is to help the individual manage their symptoms, while rehab tries to eliminate them completely over time.
Needless to say, rehab is much more difficult than treatment. Many people simply can’t manage to go through the entire rehab process, choosing the “easier” option – treatment. However, the fact of the matter is that everyone can reach full sobriety, regain self-respect, and lead a healthy, happy, and sober life. All it takes is a bit of motivation, perseverance, and some professional help.
However, there is another issue. When searching for addiction help, you may encounter both treatment centers and rehabilitation centers. Now that you understand the difference between rehab and treatment, you may also want to know how to distinguish one from the other.
How to distinguish between rehab and treatment centers
The fact of the matter is that treatment for addiction and addiction rehabilitation is not the same. Therefore, it is in your best interest to choose a facility that will offer the exact option that you need. Here are a few facts that can help you make the best choice:
- Treatment programs are certified
- Rehab programs have fewer requirements
- Your facility may offer both services together
Furthermore, some treatment centers may specialize in a certain addiction type. It is usually in your best interest to seek out a center that has extensive experience in dealing with your particular addiction. For example, if you have developed a crack cocaine addiction, you will want to visit a crack cocaine rehab center. Most of the time, when a treatment center offers rehabilitation, it will also offer treatment options. However, some rehabilitation centers have nothing to do with treatment and only offer services such as swimming lessons.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can be certain that you are choosing the right type of treatment/rehab facility.
Treatment programs are certified
Every addiction service provider that offers treatment needs to be certified. The certification is there to prove that the center focuses on helping its clients overcome their addiction by using proven therapy methods. This is yet another difference between rehab and treatment, as rehab centers do not necessarily require credentials. For example, Adderall addiction rehab in a certified treatment center can be wildly different from the same rehab in a non-certified center. The latter may try to utilize unproven methods that may or may not work.
Furthermore, a certified treatment center is overseen by state and national government agencies, such as SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services). This means that the certified centers need to comply with all the rules and regulations that involve addiction treatment.
In a nutshell, whether you are searching for rehab or treatment, it is always the best idea to talk to certified treatment centers only. Otherwise, you may end up receiving inadequate treatment at best, and escalating your issues at worst. This is why you might want to be very careful of “Rehab centers”, as they can mean practically anything.
Rehab programs have fewer requirements
The word rehabilitation has a lot of meanings, and it does not necessarily involve addiction. Therefore, a rehab center may offer rehab services that have practically nothing to do with addiction rehabilitation. What complicates the process is that many unsavory rehab centers choose to name themselves similarly to well-known treatment centers. By doing so, they try to “trick” their clients into believing that they will receive certified care when, in fact, all they might get is spa, massage, and similar services.
As a rule of thumb, any facility that offers addiction rehab programs will also offer treatment. This is due to the fact that almost every single rehab program actually starts with treatment. In other words, full rehab is practically impossible without providing treatment at some point in the process.
Your facility may offer both services together
Since many people do not know the difference between rehab and treatment, many treatment centers simply offer one or the other. However, many treatment centers will offer both options, which will be clearly distinguished from one another. Treatment usually involves monitoring by medical professionals, controlled social interactions, as well as careful management of other addiction factors. Rehab programs, on the other hand, are much more varied. A facility that offers both rehab and treatment needs to provide much more than professional medical services.
A rehabilitation program in a Palm beach treatment center will usually focus on less-intense services such as support groups, counseling, and individual therapy. Once a person completes their initial treatment and is able to manage their addiction, rehabilitation programs usually allow the person to live at their own home, continue to work or go to school. Rehab services usually support the treatment program and are therefore far less intensive. However, this does depend on a case-by-case basis. If someone has an extremely hard time managing their addiction, rehab programs can also facilitate a very intense approach.
How to choose the best rehab or treatment center in Palm Beach
Now that you are fully aware of the difference between rehab and treatment centers, it is time to learn how to choose the best option. There are several steps you will want to take, including:
- Deciding what your needs and goals are
- Speaking with your treatment provider
- Finding out about various treatment and rehabilitation options
Every treatment facility is unique, in the way that they offer specialized treatment programs to its clients. Therefore, it is imperative that you select a center that has the experience and resources to help you overcome your particular issue. Furthermore, you may also want to consider whether you want to undergo treatment in a mixed-gender setting or whether choosing a single-gender facility is in your best interest.
Once you narrow your choices down, you will then want to talk to each treatment center in turn. This will allow you to gain greater insight into the particular treatment and/or rehabilitation options that may be at your disposal. Finding out about these options is very important, as there is always a chance that your rehab or treatment might require additional resources. Of course, you will also want to inquire about insurance options as treatment and rehab can both get quite expensive. You don’t need to go through the admissions process with every single treatment center, of course, but it might be in your best interest to do so with at least one facility. That will allow you to understand your options and figure out the best way to pay for your treatment and/or rehab.
Recovery starts at Bright Futures Treatment Center!
At Bright Futures Treatment Center, our mission is to allow our clients to achieve full recovery in Palm Beach, in an easy and comfortable manner. We can provide you with a range of treatment and rehab options, and we are fully certified by all the proper authorities. We can provide you with various options such as:
- Outpatient treatment
- Inpatient treatment
- Couples rehab
- Medically Assisted Treatment
- Aftercare
- Alumni
Furthermore, our staff is specialized in a variety of therapy types, including dual diagnosis treatment, holistic treatment, trauma-informed treatment, and group sessions. We fully understand the difference between rehab and treatment and can offer both programs to our clients. If you want to start your road to recovery in a serene, comfortable, and compassionate space, choose Bright Futures Treatment Center!