Should I go to a local rehab or should I travel further away?

If you are considering going to rehab, you may wonder if you should attend a rehab clinic that’s close to home, or alternatively, you may feel that your needs will be better met by a rehab clinic that’s further away, perhaps in another part of the country.

In this short guide, we shall explore the advantages and potential pitfalls of both options.

The good news is that you’ve already reached the right decision by concluding that you need to go to rehab in the first place.

The case for attending a rehab that’s close by

The primary benefit of attending a rehab that’s close by is that you will be close to your loved ones. You will also avoid the need to extensively travel by car, rail or coach in order to reach your rehab. When you are suffering from addiction, travel is never easy, and avoiding the need to travel during this period of unease should never be underestimated.

Another key advantage of attending rehab within your local area is aftercare sessions. Many rehabs offer aftercare sessions as part of their overall rehab package. If you attend a rehab that’s far away from your home, you will probably be unable to attend aftercare sessions because these sessions are simply too far away for you to reach.

The case against attending a rehab that’s close by

At Rehab 4 Alcoholism, we feel the primary disadvantage of attending a rehab that’s local is that you are choosing a particular rehab merely because of its location. Ideally, you should select a rehab for many more important reasons, such as the type of treatment on offer, the quality of the rehab’s Care Quality Commission report and a number of other factors relating to your addiction.

In fact, if you choose a rehab solely because it is close to your location, there is a good chance that you will select a rehab clinic that’s poorly suited to your needs.

Also, if you select a rehab that’s close by, you may be drawn away from your treatment by temptation and bad influences. When you opt to go to rehab that’s further away, it’s unlikely you will know where all the local pubs or drug dealers are located, and thus the temptation to relapse becomes much more remote and unobtainable.

Depending on your situation, it’s possible that your family contribute to your addiction. This may be direct by supplying you with drink or drugs, or indirectly due to past emotional or physical abuse you have experienced at the hands of a loved one. In this situation, having family members close by could serve as a hindrance to your recovery rather than an advantage.

At Rehab 4 Alcoholism, we have witnessed countless examples of where a loved one has unconsciously enabled a family member’s addiction, and even attempted to sabotage that family member’s recovery efforts. Before you go to rehab, assess this risk, and select a rehab that’s not easily reached by your loved one if you believe he or she may attempt to sabotage your recovery efforts.

The case for attending a rehab that’s far away

One of the main benefits of attending a rehab that’s further away is that you gain considerably more options. You will be in a better position to select rehab clinics based on the quality of care and facilities on offer as opposed merely based upon the clinic’s location.

Attending a rehab that’s far away will also serve to help you change gears and switch off from your environment. Going to a rehab that’s further away will mean you are changing your pace and physically removing yourself from people and places that serve to enable your addiction to alcohol.

The case against attending a rehab that’s far away

One of the major concerns about going to a rehab that’s far away is that you will make it difficult for your family to visit you during your treatment programme. Many rehabs recommend you stay in their care for 28-days, and for some, this will be unbearable if family members are not able to visit them at all during this period. This may be especially the case if you have young children.

Another disadvantage is that you may struggle to return in order to attend aftercare sessions following the completion of your rehab treatment. Aftercare sessions are vitally important because they help you to sustain your recovery once you have left the rehab clinic’s care.

Making up your mind

The decision whether to attend a local rehab or one that’s further away will ultimately depend on your unique circumstances. For more guidance on this important issue, contact Rehab 4 Alcoholism today on 0800 111 4108 for more information

Related resources

Below, we list a number of other resources that you may find useful in your search for quality and suitable rehab treatment in the UK: