a. When your family and friends are suggesting that you have a problem: If those closest to you are continually suggesting that you have a problem with alcohol, chances are that they are correct. These people are often able to see more clearly then you can because of your addiction. An alcohol haze can prevent you from both recognizing and admitting the truth. Therefore, if you are hearing on a fairly consistent basis that you may be an alcoholic, take heed and consider rehab. A good start might be a 12-step program or some sort of outpatient treatment.

b. When you are drinking to cope: If you can not deal with the pressures of your life without drinking this is a problem that warrants attention. Many people, after a stressful day will reach for a glass of wine. However, if this is an everyday occurrence for you and if you are having more then 2 drinks a day, you may have a problem and should look into rehab.

c. When you are hiding alcohol from your family and friends: If you have to hide your drinking from your family and friends, then the chances that you are at least a problem drinker and likely an alcoholic are pretty high. People that have a problem with alcohol often try to drink in secret or place their drinks in hidden places so that no one knows how much they have been drinking.

d. If you are having physical withdrawal symptoms when you don’t drink: Persons that get physically ill when they do not drink need to get into a rehab facility as soon as they can. Their bodies have become dependent on alcohol and some sort of medical detox may be necessary.

e. When you have to drink to make it through the day: When it is necessary to drink in order to meet your daily obligations, there is a strong possibility that you are an alcoholic and need rehab.

a. Check the Yellow Pages: The Yellow Pages is a good place to begin. The rehab facilities listed here will be those who have paid for their name or advertisement to be listed. This does not necessarily mean that they are better then a company that is not included. However, it may mean that they at least have the money to place an ad, which may mean that they actually have patients.  This is generally a pretty good sign. Typically, the bigger the ad, the more money it costs. The facilities that can afford the biggest ads often are pretty successful. Of course this is not always the case, just about everyone has a credit card which they can use to purchase a decent sized advertisement.

As stated above, the Yellow Pages are just a good place to start. Your search won’t end there. It will be necessary to interview the rehab manager, get some referrals and actually visit the facility. Always ask about the training and education of the staff and counselors and what you can expect as far as treatment is concerned, i.e., detox, counseling, classes, workshops, etc.

b. Spend some time online: The internet can be invaluable to your search. You can find all types of information on California alcohol rehab facilities online. Not only will you be able to visit their websites, if they have one, but you may also be able to find out what other people, specifically past patients think about them. The internet is a great place to get background information on rehab centers because people love to discuss their experiences.

c. Get a referral: If at all possible, try to get a referral. Mouth-to-mouth advertising is often considered better then any other because people generally give their family and/or friends their real opinion. If you want to get the real deal about a facility, do what you can to speak with other people who have already spent time there and actually experienced it. A good referral can enable you to save both precious time and money. If you consistently hear that a rehab center is bad, don’t ignore this information. It would not be wise. Don’t enroll there. On the other hand, if you keep hearing that a particular rehab facility is really good, look into it.

It is important to always consider the cost, reputation, quality of the program and level of expertise exhibited by the counselors and staff before making a final decision. These factors will determine the quality of care that you receive and the likelihood that a particular facility will be able to help you.

Where to find an alcohol rehab center:

a. Local Phone Book: Your local phone book is a great place to begin looking. They will likely have a pretty decent listing of facilities. Depending on whether or not you live in a metropolitan area, the number of rehab centers listed may be large or small.  Whatever the case, start calling around and interviewing staff members. Once you get through the preliminary interviews and find a couple that you think might have something pretty decent to offer, make arrangements to go and tour the facilities.  It is a good idea to take along a family member or friend whose opinion you trust. They may be able to give you some additional insight and offer a voice of reason.

b. Online: The internet can provide a treasure trove of information about potential rehab center prospects. The internet can provide you access to facilities all over the country and even the world. Many rehab programs will have an online website. These will generally provide general information about the facility. Read what you can and jot down any questions that you have that aren’t answered on the website. Be sure to ask these when you speak to someone over the phone or in person.

c. Social Service Agencies: If you are currently working with any social service agencies, they should be able to help you locate a good alcohol rehab facility. Often times they will have a list of programs that they refer people to. These are generally pretty good, likely affordable and will definitely be worth a look.

If you or someone you love is suffering from an addiction to alcohol, it is very important that they get help. For many people, this help will come via rehab. There are many good facilities available. It is only a matter of locating and enrolling in them. You can find alcohol rehab centers in the phone book, online and from social service agencies. It is important that after you locate them to ask some very important questions. These will include inquires about the training and qualifications of their staff, cost of the program and their treatment philosophy. Only when these issues are explained to your satisfaction, should you consider signing up with a program. Try not to settle for the sake of quickly getting in a facility if you can help it.

Often times the most expensive rehabs facilities, for example, those that are considered luxury or private will offer services that may not actually be needed, such as access to swimming facilities or tennis courts. These types of facilities may not be necessarily for a person to get clean. Though they may help make a patient’s stay more comfortable. These perks also help to justify the cost of very expensive rehab.

There are several different types of alcohol rehab centers.  They include outpatient, inpatient, private and luxury. Outpatient centers typically have the lowest costs because you are not required to stay over night. You simply visit the facility throughout the week. Of course, depending on where you go, the price will vary. Some may cost a couple hundred dollars every week. Some will be less expensive and others more.

Your private alcohol rehab centers will be more expensive.  These are mostly for people who are either rich, a celebrity or those that want to make sure or at least increase the chances that their stay at an alcohol rehab facility is kept private. Consequently, these are typically more expensive than your average inpatient stay and your outpatient centers.

Luxury alcohol rehab is most often times for famous persons. These people need to be around either other wealthy or celebrity patients. This is largely so they can have some measure peace and anonymity. They are less likely to receive this if they check into a regular rehab. Luxury alcohol rehab centers cater to stars, politicians and other public figures.  They are typically very expensive and out of reach in terms of cost, for most people.  They will typically be very posh, come with a lot of perks and patients (or their family members, friends or “handlers”) will definitely pay for the privilege of getting sober in high-end surroundings.

Inpatient rehab centers will likely be less expensive than a luxury facility but more costly then an outpatient one because the center must cover the costs of caring for an individual 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

An inpatient alcohol rehab center will allow individuals struggling with alcoholism to live at the facility for a set amount of time or until they get clean. Generally it is the latter. The center will offer all types of counseling, including individual and group sessions. There are often classes given on the effects of alcoholism, reconciling with family, as well as what and who to avoid in order to stay sober. Inpatient alcohol abuse rehab is generally pretty expensive because it does require that the facility cover the costs of not only the individual’s treatment but also their stay which will include room and board.

Inpatient rehab facilities may also offer medical detoxification. This is a medically supervised program that helps individuals get all traces of alcohol out of their systems.  Persons who have become physically addictive to alcohol will have some very serious and often severe withdrawal symptoms which may include but are not limited to, convulsions, nausea and throwing up. Therefore, it will be necessary for a doctor or nurse to be around. Medication is sometimes administered during this process in order to decrease the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.  As a result, a physician or nurse will need to be around to monitor the situation and make sure that nothing goes wrong.

Outpatient programs are another option for rehab. These involve the alcoholic visiting the facility   each week or in pre-determined intervals and going through counseling, taking classes or sitting in or workshops.  Persons who choose outpatient services often times may just be beginning to have problems with alcohol or they may have already gone through more intense treatment and are just following up to make sure that they stay alcohol free.

12 Step programs are a very popular form of treatment. They can be stand-alone rehab programs or they can be part of an outpatient or inpatient program. If it is a stand-alone program a person may meet for 12-step meetings weekly where they may discuss who they are, how long they have struggled with alcoholism and whatever else they may want to share. They will also be able to sit in and listen to others.

All three of these (inpatient, outpatient and 12-step programs) can be very effective in helping people get sober. The particular program that a person chooses will depend on what they can afford, what their insurance covers and how bad their addiction is.  For example, a person with a severe addiction may be best served with inpatient treatment.