Is A Rehab Center Near Me Better Than One That is Far Away?

Making the decision to attend addiction treatment is one of the most important choices you will ever make. However, choosing which rehab program to attend can be a challenge. This is especially true when you consider the options of attending a rehab close to home or traveling to one out-of-state. While staying close to home sounds nice, you may be worried about privacy or being near the people, places, and things that remind you of your drug abuse. On the other hand, traveling for rehab means paying extra for travel expenses, losing access to family support, and being in an unfamiliar place. While choosing where to attend treatment can be difficult, there are a few tips that will help make the decision easier.

Reasons to Choose a Rehab Near You

When you are trying to decide if you want to attend a rehab program in your area, there are a few things you should consider. Do you have a network of support? Are you on probation that requires you to stay in town? If so, choosing a rehab near you may be your best bet. Let’s take a look at the top reasons you should choose a rehab center that is close to home.

Family Support

Being able to be near your family members is a huge perk of choosing a rehab near you. If you have a supportive family, they can offer you the love and support you need to succeed in your recovery. Additionally, many rehab programs offer family therapy sessions. These can be extremely beneficial to the addiction treatment process, as your family has been impacted by your addiction as well. This can offer you and your family members the healing you all need to recover successfully. According to a study, “Families are significantly impacted by addictions and family involvement in treatment can reduce the harms and can also improve treatment entry, treatment completion and treatment outcomes for the individual coping with an addiction.”[1]

Travel Expenses

Another thing to consider is travel expenses. If you chose a rehab far away, you would have to pay for more than just the program. The cost of a flight could make a huge difference in the overall price of your addiction treatment journey. If you are paying for addiction treatment out of pocket, the cost could become extremely hefty. Adding travel expenses to the overall cost could hurt your wallet.

Legal Restrictions

Are you legally restricted from traveling? Maybe you are on probation and are required to attend a treatment center that is close to home. While it is possible to receive an exception for travel in the case of obtaining addiction treatment, staying in your area might be the best route to take. Additionally, part of your probation might require the facility to coordinate with your probation officer. This is much easier for all parties if the treatment center is local to the probation office.

Insurance

Rehab can be extremely expensive, with some programs exceeding $10,000. Of course, insurance covers most addiction treatment programs. However, some insurance plans only cover local options, so this is something you should consider. Before deciding whether you are going to stay close to home or travel for rehab, contact your insurance company. They can tell you if they cover out-of-state programs or not. If your insurance company doesn’t cover programs that aren’t local, you should stay close to home.

Who Should Choose a Rehab Far Away?

While there are many benefits to staying close to home while attending substance abuse treatment, this isn’t the best option for everyone. Some people would benefit more from traveling out of state for addiction treatment. If you do not have a supportive family at home or are concerned about being so close to the people, places, and things that remind you of your addiction, you should consider traveling for rehab. This can provide you with the distance you need to fully focus on recovering from substance abuse. Additionally, you might be worried about privacy issues when it comes to attending a rehab near you. If you are concerned that you could run into someone you know while you are in treatment for your substance abuse, choosing a rehab far away could offer you a higher level of privacy. Lastly, there may not be any good rehab programs in your area. If you don’t live in one of the states with a lot of treatment options, traveling might be a good choice. Overall, it is important to choose the best program possible – even if that means traveling out of state.