Drug and alcohol abuse is a huge problem nationwide, and hurts both the abuser and their loved ones. Professional drug rehabilitation centers have many locations, specializations, and levels and methods of treatment. Some of these centers are private, and some are government funded. When choosing a drug or alcohol rehab center, there are many things to take into account.
There are two sides to every argument in the private rehab vs public rehab debate, and both sides make valid points.
Private rehabs offer specialized, personal care for their patients. There are often smaller physician to patient ratios, and more luxury benefits that go along with treatment, like group and individual therapy, supervised detox, holistic medicine, and outside activities.
Private rehab facilities, however, are for-profit organizations that cost much more than their public counterparts. While some centers accept medicaid, many others require a major insurance provider. In other cases, the patient must pay for their treatment out of pocket. Private rehabs are often criticized for making money off of the misfortune of others.
Public rehabs cost much less, and rely on state funding to provide necessary care. These centers are more easily accessible to the average person, but there is often a longer waiting list as a result.
Unfortunately, since many addicts do not seek treatment until they have lost their jobs, money, or suffered another great loss, they are left to fend for themselves until a spot has freed up for them at a public center.
Because funds must be allocated carefully, there are often less employees in public rehabs. The doctor to patient ratio is much higher, so the patients are not under strict supervision.
Some patients are released after showing signs of improvement, but may not be completely recovered. Since there are long wait lists, public rehabs push for faster turnarounds in order to treat more people. However, because of this, many are trapped in the revolving door, coming back for further treatments.
When considering private rehab vs public rehab, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Both types of institution suffer immense drawbacks, but have redeeming qualities that will appeal to people depending on their needs.