I thought about what it was that attracted me to the treatment center I chose when I was finally ready to give up the losing battle of active addiction. What were the characteristics I was looking for and what was different about one certain treatment center in comparison to another one. How did this one stand out to me from all the rest? I know I was asking myself questions like “how will the therapist be and how are the medical staff going to treat me? I wondered if they would tell me to quit smoking or if they would rush me along like the rest of the less understanding portion of the world had done to me thus far. There were countless thoughts and questions racing through my mind as I picked up the phone and dialed the number as slow as possible that first time. Above all though, I wanted to know if I could trust them. If I could trust these people to help me come up from the lowest point of my life. I wanted to know that they were going to protect me and keep me safe from myself at that point.

So, after all this thinking, I decided to come up with the 5 things that helped me make my decision to trust where I was going and hence the list; 5 things that make a treatment center trust worthy.

1)      Staff Experience- How long combined do all the staff members have dealing with addiction and recovery specifically? The treatment center I went to has over half a century combined of experience in the recovery field and personal experience. The knowledge on all the most current medical and therapeutic treatments for addiction were unmatched by any other facility I looked into. Not only did they know the most effective ways to detox me of my addictive substance using non-habit forming substances to free me of dependence, but they also knew how to keep me completely comfortable while doing it. They have a nutritionist to help me deal with how mal-nourished I was and monitor the foods I was taking in.  Nearly half the staff is in Recovery themselves and know first-hand what I was feeling and going through at any given moment. This made me feel extremely safe and confident in the way they were working with me. I felt and knew that I could trust them based on their experience and because of all the little details they cared for with me.

2)      Ability to reach clinical or medical staff 24 hours a day 7 days a week- The facility I went to, all the staff member I dealt with had a cell phone that they would keep available to me 24/7. This made me feel 100% better knowing that if a tough moment came up, or I had any type of question or concern, I could get a hold of someone right away. Not only did I know that I could get a hold of them when ever needed, however they also had someone calling me every single day for daily check in’s as well.  There was even a time when I was struggling and couldn’t build up the strength to dial any ones number myself however I could hit the “accept call” button and that day… It changed everything for me and was just what I needed to make it through another day clean and sober.

3)        The first time I came to the facility I felt understood- Coming into group was a super scary thing, and the day that I walked in my therapist didn’t just make me introduce myself, he asked everyone to do it as well… The people were so nice and willing to welcome me because that is what they had been taught by the leader of the group. I then actually looked forward to coming back the next time and that group of people helped me chance my life one day at a time.

4)      The way they involved the people I cared about into my recovery, or didn’t if I asked them not too- This was huge!  The people who love me the most were able to be a part of the journey I was on.  There were no secrets here. The first principle in recovery is honesty and I learned that with them. On the flip side, there were times that I wasn’t ready to share something’s yet, and they understood this and let me make the right decision in my time, when I felt ready. This let me know that they were in it for the long hall for me. They didn’t want to control or humiliate me… They wanted me to succeed, and I could feel that for sure.                                                                                                                                                            5)      Great testimonials from past clients- Everyone I spoke with told me about what a great experience they were having. This allowed my trust to deepen even more. I already felt extremely safe, comfortable and heard by them. I trusted the staff and the way that they were pouring into my life. The positive feedback from so many others though brought it all home for me. I knew I was in the right place when I saw my peers succeeding, staying sober and achieving freedom. I knew there was great hope for me and I was in the right place.

The only reason I wrote this was to allow others the same type of insight that I had through my treatment experience. I know first-hand how scary and overwhelming making the decision to live sober or no longer substance dependent can be. Knowing that I could trust the center I was choosing helped my recovery process more than I could have ever thought possible. I trust in my facility built in me slowly and overtime. Today I have the utmost respect for them and know in my heart I picked the right place for sure!

” Person In Recovery; July 2014”