Drug Detox in Alberta

Alberta is not the best place to be if you are a drug addict. The situation there is quite dire. The government did not expect the recent boom in drug usage and was not well prepared. There are not enough drug rehabilitation programs and drug detox centers in the province.

The first problem you are going to encounter after making the choice to get help for your addiction is a long waiting list. Before you are admitted into the detox program you are going to be evaluated by a counselor. It is up to the counselor to determine if you are seriously committed to your recovery. If they think you are, then you will remain on the detox waiting list. If they judge that you are not totally ready to quit the drugs, they will pull you off the list.

If you are not admitted into one of Alberta’s overcrowded programs, you should not despair. You are not out of options. The best option that is currently facing you is to enroll in a private drug detox program. In some ways the private ones are better. Some of them are directly connected to the residential facility so that as soon as you are over the worse of your withdrawal symptoms you can start getting counseled.
The cost of the private facility can be prohibitive. However it might not be impossible. If you have a health insurance, go through the insurance papers as there may be a rider that states they will cover the cost of the drug detox. Before officially getting admitted into the program, contact the insurance company find out if the program you are considering is included and if not which programs are.

It is important to make sure that whatever drug detox center you are considering, they have professionally trained staff that are going to be there at all times. There is nothing fun about the detox program. Some people become so ill that there is a chance they will become dehydrated or worse fall and strike their head. The staff is there to make sure that you stay safe and sound.

In Alberta there is a good chance that even the private drug detox facilities have a waiting list, so the sooner they are contacted the better. You cannot officially kick your drug addiction until you have been through the detoxification process.