Does Rehab Work?
A basic tenet of Alcoholics Anonymous is repeated in unison at the end of each meeting: “It works if you work it.” No matter what the mode of treatment, whether the twelve-step program, a holistic approach, a psychiatric or medical model, that statement holds true. If you are ready for rehab and willing to work with your treatment program, it will work for you.
Am I Ready for Rehab?
There are situations in which that question is a luxury. If you have been arrested and are given the option of rehab or jail, you’ll probably go to rehab whether you’re ready or not. The same may be true if you have been the subject of an intervention and have been given an ultimatum, although ideally, the purpose of the intervention is to make you see for yourself that you need help.
The best situation is when an addict comes to understand that he is unlikely to be able to conquer his addiction on his own. You don’t have to be sitting on the sidewalk drinking Mad Dog 20/20 or nodding out in a crack house to need rehab. You may be a suburban housewife who consistently drinks a few too many glasses of wine in the evening. You may be a high-powered executive who uses