A journalist recently asked me some questions about addiction, its costs and what constitutes quality care. Below is the Q&A. Can you talk about quality addiction treatment costs in South Africa, what medical aid pays and the issue of co-payments? Can you explain why treatment is expensive? What goes into a resourced rehab treatment programme […]
Here are the four stages of an alcohol treatment centre programme: Treatment Initiation Early Abstinence Maintaining Abstinence Advanced Recovery. Few alcoholics’ recoveries are this direct. We move back and forth between the four stages, some alcoholics more than others. Knowing where you are in the 4 stages of an alcohol treatment centre programme can help […]
Introduction Yes, medical aid in South Africa is required to pay for inpatient rehab under the Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs), but the day count and co-payment depend on your scheme. How Medical Aid Pays For Rehab In South Africa: Your 2026 Step-By-Step Guide If you’re limping from crisis to crisis due to your own or […]
Research shows that, on average, 35% of people will relapse in the year after treatment if their rehab programme was less than 90 days long. This drops to 17% for those who were in rehab for 90 days or longer. Relapse rates are even lower for those in treatment for a year or more.
Stepping in to help a loved one with a problem as serious as addiction can be daunting and downright terrifying, which is why it’s absolutely essential to understand the do’s and don’ts of a successful intervention. If things at home or work have become desperate and you feel like your loved one needs help – […]
If you are comparing rehabs in Johannesburg, the right facility will be government-licensed, employ registered medical and clinical professionals, treat dual diagnosis, run all three phases of care under one roof, and back recovery with a proper aftercare programme. The rest of this page is the evidence behind each of those standards. Picking a rehab […]
Research shows that rehab staff at a treatment centre are pivotal to the successful treatment of the client. Staff members need to be both appropriately qualified and experienced. There should also be enough staff members: A high staff to patient ratio improves positive outcomes. This is the post number 19 in our blog series ‘20 […]
Long-term addiction treatment in Johannesburg means continuing structured care after the 21 to 28-day primary care phase ends, through secondary care (typically 60 to 90 days), halfway housing, and ongoing aftercare. This sequencing is what the evidence shows actually works. Treatment that stops at primary care is treatment that ends at the point recovery is […]
Confrontational treatment approaches have been used for addiction treatment for decades, despite the fact there is no evidence to show it is effective. Studies show that confrontational treatment actually does more harm than good. This is blog number 13 in the series 20 things you should know about rehabilitative treatment: What works. This list was […]
Making the decision to come to treatment is difficult, but finding the right treatment centre can be even more difficult, that’s why it is important to ask these questions when choosing a rehabilitation centre in Johannesburg. You may be overwhelmed by the vast number of options revealed to you by an internet search. So how […]