Washington Drug Rehab with Wilderness Therapy

Wilderness drug and alcohol treatment is a form of rehabilitation set in the wilderness where patients learn and practice teambuilding and survival skills as a foundation for recovery. The concept is that wilderness programs take people away from all the distractions of technology and society that can make recovery challenging. Instead, the patient is forced to face themselves and learn how to overcome the challenges of living in the wilderness with the cooperation of others. It’s an extremely rigorous and usually lengthy substance abuse treatment intended to help some of the toughest cases find recovery.

Most wilderness drug treatment programs take anywhere from six to 12 months to complete and are comprised of a group of patients and several counselors. Each day, the patient must complete whatever duties or responsibilities they have within the group, including anything from manual work to preparing food. There’s usually a structure or hierarchy to the group, and as patients progress, they may be given different roles and freedoms. Counseling may take the form of a group session or daily assignments or may evolve naturally as the patient faces different challenges and requires individual attention.

Wilderness programs are not for everyone. Most of the patients who attend them have made previous attempts at traditional treatment and subsequently relapsed. They may be looking for something different or challenging in hopes they find long-term recovery through a new approach. But if a person is seeking treatment for the first time or isn’t battling severe addiction, an approach like wilderness drug treatment could be overkill. Ultimately, it is up to the patient if they feel they need the benefits of wilderness treatment programs.

The questions from Addicted.org’s “Ask a Professional” are answered by Michael Leach, CCMA. If you need further clarification on any of the questions above or have any other questions you can contact him directly at [email protected].