When I decided to quit drinking for good, after years of trying to drink only once a week or just have “one beer” I knew that I needed some real help with this problem. Even though I’ve accomplished a lot in life through my own will power, this was one thing that I just couldn’t conquer on my own. Addiction isn’t something that you can end through your own self control which is a lesson I learned the hard way. Because I spent so much time struggling with my own failed efforts to cut back, I wanted to do rehab the right way.
I wanted more than anything to make sure that I wouldn’t have to go back to drinking. Alcohol had become an enemy in my life and I knew that finding a good treatment center would keep me from backsliding. I ultimately chose luxury rehab because I knew personally that it would be the only place that I would get the best care and also feel relaxed and at home enough to focus on my own recovery.
Discovering Luxury Rehab
I looked into a lot of different options for rehab but couldn’t settle on anything at first. I was nervous about the setting feeling too clinical and being more like a hospital stay. I figured that with the type of lifestyle I’m used to I would probably feel uncomfortable, bored and restless. I own several businesses and have worked hard over the years so I’m used to enjoying the finer things in life and I knew I could afford something better.
I discovered luxury rehab while researching treatment centers online and was surprised by some of the photos. The rehab centers that I saw looked more like five star resorts than a hospital. Most of them had beautiful views of the ocean, amazing food, swimming pools and decked out rooms to stay in that completely suited my taste. I knew that in this type of environment I would be happier and more at ease so that I could focus on being sober and avoid the depressing clinical atmosphere of other rehabs that I knew wouldn’t work for me. That is why I need luxury rehab.
Advantages of Luxury Rehab
Aside from the aspects of luxury rehab that initially appealed to me- the location, rooms and amenities- there are other reasons that luxury is a better choice in my case than traditional rehab. I was impressed to find out that luxury rehab centers tend to have much lower relapse rates than all other drug treatment models. That’s because these kind of treatment centers have established and proven methods that work and most of them employ the most updated methodology for treating alcohol addiction.
They can afford top notch staff with some of the best therapists you can find and they typically have a higher staff to patient ratio than most rehab centers. In luxury rehab you can have someone working one on one with you at all times instead of vying for attention among a big group of patients. I felt that having that extra time with really high quality staff would be an enormous benefit for me.
Luxury vs Traditional Rehab
Many of the elements of treatment between luxury and traditional rehab are similar but there are important differences that I feel make luxury more effective. As I said before, traditional rehabs may have less staff members which means that they tend to focus more on group therapy in order to reduce their overall expenses. While group therapy is helpful and of course necessary in rehab, individual or one on one therapy is where I think most of the real work is done.
I wanted to have really effective, personalized therapy and enough time talking to a therapist privately so I could build up trust and a relationship with them. I felt that too much group therapy might be a distraction and wouldn’t offer me enough of a chance to talk about personal things that I wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing in a group. I personally need that privacy as much as possible, even though I know it’s also good for me to learn how to open up to other people. Luxury rehab I felt would have more of the balance of individual therapy and group therapy that works best for me.
Meals and Room Service
One of the highlights of luxury rehab for most people are the amenities which are the sort of things that you cannot ever get in a regular rehab center. I was interested to discover that a lot of luxury rehabs actually offer daily meals of gourmet food prepared by skilled, expert chefs. I imagine that the food in traditional rehabs, although relatively nutritious is probably subpar. Gourmet food is not really a priority in most rehabs as they have a limited budget and need to cut costs in certain areas.
I think that better quality food in the end is healthier for you and will improve your overall experience in rehab so that you aren’t bored with the same bland menu every day. Some luxury rehabs also offer room service so that you can have a real hotel/resort experience. The idea that you can order anything you need and have it brought to your room while in rehab just seems like that extra level of comfort and luxury that some people need.
The Benefit of Location
Something that I found particularly attractive about luxury rehab was the fact that many of them, have very private and relatively remote locations in natural areas. Privacy is of utmost importance to me because it would be embarrassing and even damaging for my career if I were to run into some of my clients or people I work with every day while attending rehab. I needed something discreet and confidential so that I would be able to continue business after leaving without worrying about anyone questioning my ability to work.
I have always been highly functional in spite of my personal problems with alcohol, but addiction still has such a stigma that I find it best to keep my recovery a secret amongst colleagues and clients at least for the time being. Aside from privacy, being out in nature has always felt very healing to me and especially the ocean. I’m lucky enough that I can afford to live near the ocean in California and I would not want to spend the majority of my recovery away from the coast. Being able to walk or swim at the beach is such a great way to feel centered and peaceful, I would never want to experience life without it.
Private and Well – Furnished Suites
On the subject of privacy, I also liked the fact that many luxury rehabs provide you with your own room instead of shared accommodations which are standard with most traditional rehabs. Having to share a room with a stranger I feel would be too stressful for me because I need my own personal space and “me time” that would be basically impossible without my own room.
In a private room you can have more time to unwind and reflect on the day which I think in the end is probably better for my recovery experience. Some people might prefer to have a buddy with them at all times but I know that my personal time is very crucial for me. The suites are also furnished with great quality beds and sofas so that you can relax and get a good night’s sleep which I think is so important for your health.
Massage and Spa Treatments
Stress has always been an issue for me and spa treatments are a staple in my normal life. That’s why having a spa available at a luxury rehab seemed like an obvious choice. The option to be able to get a massage or use the sauna and jacuzzi can do wonders for your mental and physical state. I usually work long hours every day and build up a lot of tension in my body, especially my back and shoulders.
I get massages every week to help me relieve stress and sort of reset my muscles so I’m not experiencing any pain on the job. I think quitting drinking is an especially stressful time and having access to massages and other kinds of spa treatments like hydrotherapy will be a necessity for me throughout recovery. I find that with regular trips to the spa I tend to sleep better and feel more calm during the day.
Recreational Activities
There are recreation options of different sorts at every rehab, but a luxury rehab center usually offers more unique activities that you can choose from. A lot of luxury rehabs include golf courses not just because it’s sport typically enjoyed by the wealthy, but for the type of mindfulness and focus that it promotes in players. Plenty of people, including myself, actually find golf therapeutic and it is the type of game that can easily lift your mood on a bad day.
Some luxury rehabs offer interesting options for recreation such as horseback riding, another activity that requires some attention and skill making it good for the body and mind. Others may also include equine therapy, which allows you to learn both how to ride horses but also care for them by feeding and grooming them so that you build a relationship with the animal. These kinds of options for recreation are much more appealing to me than simply an occasional trip to the gym because I believe that will create more variety while in rehab.
Alternative Therapies
Aside from things like equine therapy, luxury rehabs also have more choices in terms of alternative, supplemental types of therapy that can be helpful in achieving better mental health. Luxury rehabs usually offer creative types of therapy like art therapy so that patients can be able to express themselves through different mediums like sculpture, painting, collage, drawing or music.
Art therapy is sometimes available in lower scale rehabs but in a luxury center you are able to work with better materials and more experienced teachers that are active in the art world. Getting in touch with your own creativity I think is so essential in adulthood where we rarely have time or the opportunity to be creative. There are also options like acupuncture, yoga and energy healing which can all work to release negative energy that may be holding you back.
Treating Trauma
Many luxury rehabs also have access to more advanced types of therapy that you would not be able to find in traditional rehab. One such therapy is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or EDMR which I’ve read is a really effective new therapy for things like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
EDMR helps your brain process traumatic events, even those that happened in the past so that they no longer affect you. Even if you don’t have PTSD you sometimes re-live instances of trauma when painful memories get triggered and it can interfere with how you react to certain situations. Other therapies like hypnosis are sometimes an option in luxury rehab to help you release traumatic memories or change habitual behaviors. I’m most interested in these types of therapies as a way to be freed from some of my difficult experiences in childhood.
In the end all of these factors combined led me to the decision that luxury rehab is the best option for me. I don’t want to take the risk of going into a rehab center where I don’t feel comfortable and will spend too much time worrying that I’m not getting the best treatment.
With a luxury rehab I know for sure that I have some of the best counselors and therapists in the industry who have more experience and more training to make sure each patient recovers on their own terms. I know that being in a beautiful place that caters to my needs is the only way that I will be able to work on my personal issues and deal with my addiction.
