Clients leave a drug and alcohol rehab program early for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is a personality conflict with a staff member or another client of the rehab. Sometimes the rules may be too harsh, or cumbersome. Sometimes part of the program doesn’t make sense to a client. Sometimes the client only stays long enough to tell their family, “I really tried but it just wasn’t for me.”

What are the real costs, both emotional and financial when some leaves rehab early. First is the increased chance of relapse. If the best chance of success involves staying for periods approaching 90 days, leaving early has to increase the odds of returning to drug and alcohol abuse. Using again has real health risks, as well as the financial costs. This also means another detox will take place down the road. This again, is costly and uncomfortable as well.

Sometimes there are added transportation costs by leaving early. If flights have to be books with very short notice, this is always expensive. A lot of rehabs charge more during the intake phase of rehab, so this too will be lost and have to be charged again somewhere else.

Then there is the damage to the relationships in the family. Firstly often it is the family that will bear the added cost and lost fees. The emotional cost and damage is likely far higher. The family has to start all over again looking for another program or rehab. Then also is the return ot worry if their son, daughter or spouse is safe. Often during a stay in rehab is the first time in years, a family goes to sleep without worry. They often feel powerless to be returned to the nightly worry of what their loved one is doing.

Sometimes a client may reconsider leaving program early if they realize the true cost. Is a personality conflict really worth all this cost? Are the rules really that difficult to deal with? Staying and completing the program is not only the safest and most cost effective route, but it will go miles in rebuilding the trust between the client and their family. And that’s a bargain in anyone’s books.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 27th, 2006 at 11:00 pm and is filed under Drug Rehab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.