Many countries suffer from a drug addiction problem and most of them have some kind of treatment centres that help with drug rehab. In Australia, many addicts go overseas for treatment because it’s cheaper than that found at home, however that is not the only reason. In some states of Australia it is difficult to get in, with long waiting times caused by not enough beds in treatment centres.
This is particularly so in Victoria, where many users are forced to travel to Sydney for treatment or be at risk of suicide. This is also difficult for them due to the cost of travelling and if their family goes with them for support, there is the additional cost of accommodation, unless they happen to have a friend or relative they can stay with.
The kind of rehabilitation centre is important too, with those that offer accommodation being the best option. This allows the addict to stay away from the temptation to go back on drugs, easy to fall into when you know you can get a fix just down the street. Being right away from people you know who are sellers, gives a better chance of recovery.
Day treatment centres may offer help, but when the addict has to return home at the end of the day, they are again at risk of temptation and getting back into the same lifestyle they are trying to leave. An addict does not have a very strong determination to recover due to the affects of the drugs in their system. It is far better to get right away from the lifestyle so they can concentrate on recovery rather than the addiction.
In many cases, the addiction has been caused by problems at home or with so-called friends. Having treatment in a centre that offers accommodation gets the addict away from that lifestyle, so the cause of taking drugs is removed. They then learn other ways to cope with such problems while at the same time experiencing relief from them.
This is why so many overseas facilities have good recovery rates; the person is able to adopt a completely new lifestyle with no possibility of going back to the drug scene they came from until after the treatment is over. Having then experienced a great lifestyle, they have something to compare their previous lifestyle with and see how far short of the ideal it falls. Thus, by the time they return home they have something better to aim for, that they’ve already experienced.
Getting off drugs is a struggle for many people and they need lots of help to make it. More treatment centres in those states that don’t have enough would be a good help for those who can’t afford to travel.