The idea of a luxury rehab may seem a slight contradiction in terms too many people, but is a development in the growing rehab industry that has cornered a very definite niche and can widely exploit people’s fears about what rehab is in a very lucrative and rewarding manner.
It is important to go back to a generalisation that people have in terms of what they view rehab as being. Too many people, a rehab is an institutional setting which has very strict rules and regulations about what an individual can bring into rehab, can do whilst in rehab, can wear whilst in rehab etc.
For many people the idea of a rehab presents a very controlled and tight environment in which the individual is effectively bullied by the structure into becoming and behaving in a particular way.
It is probably fair to say at this is a highly distorted view of how the majority of rehabs work and have always worked. A number of rehabs do have fairly strict guidelines and rules as per the above areas but there is a very definite philosophy behind it.
The idea is to create a structure that gives the individual a degree of discipline and safety that allows them to begin the process of exploring the alcoholism or other addictions in a safe and controlled way.
Not everyone agrees with this approach but there is at least a consistent philosophy behind it. A number of rehabs use varying levels of structure and regulation to achieve this sense of discipline and safety, and this will be reflected in the admissions policy.
Luxury Rehab
A luxury rehab unashamedly exploits this fear of rigidity and rules by offering a rehab experience that is very definitely at the top end of the luxury market for any type of institution. A luxury rehab will exist both in terms of its environment, setting, its facilities, its level of clinical staff and the freedom with which it gives the individual opportunities to participate or not in whatever activities they feel are most appropriate for them.
Having said all that, there is differing evidence as to which approach type of rehab is the most effective . This is because it is virtually impossible to quantify the effectiveness of any rehab, given the length of time that people normally stay in a rehab which is about 30 days, and that the real work a rehab does is essentially to lay the foundations for longer term of sobriety if the individual wants it.
As such the work of a rehab is essentially very short term, and should be seen in the context of helping an individual be given the process of owning their own reality and coming to rebuild both their inner worlds and outer worlds as a long-term way of taking their life back.