April 24, 2012
Going Behind Closed Doors: What Rehab Is REALLY Like
With stars checking in and out of rehab with such frequency, we’ve always wondered what really goes on in rehab and what it is really like. So, today we take you behind closed doors, and give you an insight into what is the day-to-day reality of being in a treatment facility.
We spoked exclusively to Richard Taite, President and CEO of Cliffside Malibu, who gave us a better perspective on life in rehab.
Here is our interview with him….
Celebzter: Cliffside Malibu is described as a 5-star rehab, what are the attributes that make it more elite than other facilities?
Richard: The level of expertise and service provided by the entire staff is impeccable. We have personalized treatment programs that are created for each individual based on their needs, and along with one-on-one therapy, we have available an entire array of integrated holistic treatment therapies such as yoga, personal fitness instruction, chiropractic care, massage, detox foot baths, acupuncture, orthomolecular therapy, brain mapping/neurofeedback, EMDR, hyperbaric chambers to name a few.
We also provide high-end quality to all the accommodations on our site. That means, 1000 thread count sheets, down pillows and comforters, flat screen TV’s, DVR’s, turn down service, maid service, chefs that cook to order for all dietary needs, comforts that our clients are used to on a regular basis.
Cliffside Malibu is located on a private, serene estate, with white water ocean views which acts as a natural calming and soothing atmosphere during some intense times in our clients lives.
Celebzter: Can you tell us a little about what the treatment facility offers in terms of specialists?
Richard: We only use specialists for all areas of our treatment programs and therapies that we offer, such as:
The Stages of Change
One-On-One Therapy
Orthomolecular Therapy
Acupuncture
Massage
Yoga
Relapse Prevention Therapy
Life Coaching
Spiritual Counseling
Equine Assisted Therapy
Celebzter: What are the success rates?
Richard: Our success rates are among the highest in the country. To date, of those clients that have successfully completed all 3 levels of care, none have relapsed, however, this represents only about 22% of our alumni. What typically happens is because our clientele is so successful in other areas of their life they believe that success transfers over to their capability of dealing with their addiction, so roughly 4 out of 5 leave prior to going through all 3 levels of care (which typically takes about 90 days). So, if a client leaves after 30 days, or 60 days, we do not track their success rate because we are only interested in the success rate of people that have fully completed all 3 levels of care. Out of the more than 200 people who have done this, all achieved at least 1 year of continuous sobriety.
Celebzter: Have you had a slew of famous faces pass through your doors?
Richard: Cliffside Malibu has a strict policy of confidentiality. The majority of our clients consist of elite business professionals and their families, captains of industry and their families, politicians and their families, world leaders and their families, and many professional sports franchise owners and their families. This is truly a place for people who absolutely, positively, have to have the finest treatment experience in a safe, empathetic setting, with all of the amenities they are used to in the course of their daily lives.
Celebzter: How much does a stay cost?
Richard: Our monthly rates range from $53,000 for a semi-private room, to $68,000 for a private room. The length of stay differs for everyone, as everyone has different needs.
Celebzter: What we are most interested is the day-today practicalities of what it is like being in rehab as most of our readers have never been. Can you walk us through the first day when a patient arrives? What happens?
Richard: The first day at Cliffside Malibu is filled with the intake process which consists of the following: a tour upon arrival to familiarize the patient with the facility and all the amenities; filling out admissions paperwork; completing a medical assessment with a personal physician; introduction to staff and present patients; showing patient to their room; and in most cases, it is the beginning of a safe and comfortable detoxification process. The first 72 hours at Cliffside Malibu are called the “acclimation period”. During the acclimation period the client’s therapist and personal physicians work together to create the individualized treatment plan outlining goals and objectives to ensure the client’s success. We do not require any participation in a full treatment schedule. We want patients to have time to safely get through their detox, familiarize themselves with the facility, and slowly start the recovery process. After 72 hours we encourage full participation in their schedule.
Celebzter: If people are badly addicted to drugs or alcohol, how do you wean them off them?
Richard: The body’s physical dependence on a substance is the first thing we address and eliminate by using a professional, properly implemented, medically supervised detox program. At Cliffside Malibu we make this process as painless and comfortable as possible.
Celebzter: Doesn’t someone die if they suddenly stop drinking or taking drugs?
Richard: The symptoms of withdrawal are very serious and can actually be deadly in some cases. Your body has become dependent on a particular substance for so long, and to simply just stop taking that substance can cause an adverse reaction or even failure in your organs, heart, or brain. A medically supervised detox program is critical for a chance at successful recovery.
Celebzter: Are people moody, throwing up, irrational?
Richard: The first week is the hardest for most, especially having to go through detox, but we try to make it as painless and as comfortable as possible. The reality is your body is going through some pretty hard changes and having reactions to these changes is normal. Detox if done incorrectly can be quite painful, but here at Cliffside Malibu the patient along with his personal physician collaborate to go through a painless a detox as humanly possible. I would equate this to a cold or minor flu symptoms, which is remarkable when you think about the long-term damage that some of these patients have put themselves through. All of this is being done in a safe, contained, supportive environment with all the creature comforts of home.
Celebzter: How do you calm them down?
Richard: There is no need to calm anyone down when they are being treated with dignity, empathy and respect. When people feel that you genuinely care for their well-being and are coming from a good place there is very little containment that needs to be done. However, containment can only be done when you have top-notch professionals who know what they are doing, and have been doing this for a long time.
Celebzter: Are those first few days the most difficult?
Richard: Many people handle the process differently. For some the first day of detox is the most difficult, for others it’s when they realize how they screwed up their lives and the lives of their loved ones, and that could be in the first few days or after a few weeks. Sometimes the difficult days come right before they go back out in the world. It is always difficult giving up something that you hold as valuable until you replace it with something more valuable.
Celebzter: From there, what happens?
Richard: Treatment begins meeting the client where they are at. Since everyone comes in at a different stage of change, everyone’s treatment experience is personal to them.
Celebzter: How hard is it for people to break their addictions?
Richard: The difficulty of overcoming an addiction is different for each person, and depends on several factors: what type of substance(s) were being abused, how long it was being abused, and how much of the substance(s) were being abused. Someone who had back surgery and became dependent on pain killers for 4 months will probably require less time in treatment, have fewer issues to address, and will respond to therapies quicker. Someone who has been an alcoholic for 20 years, drinking a bottle of vodka every day, will usually require more time in treatment, will have more deep-rooted issues to address and process, and their body will have more physical damage to repair.
Celebzter: How do you help them do that?
Richard: A dedicated treatment team creates a personalized program which involves intense, one on one therapy along with an array of integrated holistic interventions. As each client progresses through the stages of change we are there helping them every step of the way, and making adjustments to the treatment path where necessary.
Celebzter: What tools do you give them to be able to function in the real world once they leave?
Richard: The whole process here at Cliffside Malibu is to create a self-awareness on why it is you behave the way you do, why it is you feel you have to self-medicate the pain, and about healing old wounds and correcting old behaviors. Once you leave Cliffside Malibu, you HAVE the tools to succeed outside of Cliffside. However, like anything else in life, if you are not working to get better at something then you are probably getting worse at it, and recovery is no different. For example, a client who leaves Cliffside Malibu will either be sent back to his current therapist and if there wasn’t one, be referred to a panel of therapists that we have vetted, so that the client may continue the good work that he has started at Cliffside Malibu. We typically suggest a client see a therapist twice a week for the first 90 days, and then depending on how he feels, titrate down to once a week. Remember, therapy isn’t something you have to do, it’s something you get to do. Working on yourself to become the best person you can possibly be is the most esteem-able thing someone can do for themselves.
Celebzter: Is being in real rehab anything like what is shown on TV on Celebrity Rehab?
Richard: No, it is nothing like the TV show. People don’t get help when they are not completely honest and authentic and they are playing to the camera. What’s worse is once they relapse they are under the illusory impression that they had actually given rehab a chance when they had not.
Celebzter: What is the most rewarding part?
Richard: Hearing from alumni a month later, a year later, 5 years later, saying they are living the life they were always meant to live. They are thriving. They have joy.
About Cliffside Malibu
Cliffside Malibu offers comprehensive, integrated, cutting edge treatment for substance abuse, drug and alcohol dependence, co-occurring disorders, and other mental health disorders. The residential facility has some of the very best addiction specialists overseeing all patients, and has built an international reputation for innovative addiction treatment and exceptional service. Whether an individual requires detox, residential drug rehab inpatient alcohol treatment, or extended care, Cliffside Malibu is the drug rehabilitation center of choice built by reputation for seven years
