Alcohol Rehab: Should I choose a Large Program or a Smaller One?

There are a number of alcohol rehabs and drug rehabs out there. Some are excellent. Some are not so great. Some are large. Some are small.

Larger alcohol rehab programs will often have a large compliment of staff with extended facilities. Larger rehabs are often associated with a less individualized approach. They tend to focus more on the group model of treatment and a cookie-cutter approach. This method works for some people. Larger rehabs often have the look and feel of a hospital facility. You eat in a cafeteria. You walk around the "grounds" of the facility. You are one of a large multiple of other clients.

Smaller alcohol rehabs and drug rehabs are generally better able to provide a more intimate and private environment in which individual treatment needs can be recognized and addressed. There is generally less reliance on a sole group therapy type of approach and more of an emphasis on an individual therapy approach. Instead of being in a hospital-like environment, smaller rehabs tend to look more like a home/family environment. The staffing is smaller and more intimate. There is no chance of feeling "lost in the crowd". You eat family-style, usually at a dining room table. You are one of a small number of other clients.

When choosing a drug or alcohol rehab, think about the size of the program. Knowing yourself better than anyone else, ask yourself which environment and treatment approach is going to have the biggest impact on you and give you the best chance at a lasting recovery.