Challenges of Rehab and Privacy

Coming to terms with the fact that you are suffering from addiction is not an easy process. It is extremely emotional, and chances are, you have had to suffer from many negative consequences in your life in order to come to this realization. Moreover, making the decision to finally get help for your addiction is an admirable one, but it is not always something you want to broadcast for everyone to know. This is one of the many challenges of rehab and privacy, and it can be a major roadblock for people when making the decision to finally go to treatment.

How do you get help for your addiction or go away for an extended period of time for treatment, without having to let people know about your condition? Understanding your privacy rights, connecting with your therapist and choosing the right facility for your treatment are all major keys in overcoming the challenges of rehab and privacy.

Understanding HIPAA and Your Rights

According to the state of California, HIPAA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that was passed by Congress in 1996. HIPAA does the following:

  • Provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs;
  • Reduces health care fraud and abuse;
  • Mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes; and
  • Requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information

The final bullet point is the most important one for overcoming the challenges of rehab and privacy. Your health information is considered private and confidential, and it is illegal for healthcare providers to share that information. That includes going to the doctor for a cold, getting a cast for a broken bone or treatment for addiction. No matter what, your health information is private to only you and your doctor. As such, you should never be required to reveal or talk about any type of medical condition, including addiction.

Protecting Your Job

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a labor law that also provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It also requires that their group health benefits be maintained during the leave. FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons, such as:

  • For the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee;
  • For placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;
  • To care for an immediate family member (i.e., spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
  • To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

Connecting with Your Therapist

Divulging your innermost personal thoughts, feelings, and emotions with a complete stranger can be intimidating. In addition, the same fears can go for group therapy sessions and telling strangers about certain emotions, traumas or fears that you’ve never revealed to anyone. However, connecting with your therapist and your therapy program is one of the most important parts about the recovery process.

Choosing the Right Facility

Selecting the right facility for addiction treatment can help overcome the challenges of rehab and privacy. If you choose to receive treatment at home, you may run into the issue of having less anonymity. Chances are, people may live or work in your community and, due to the stigma surrounding addiction, you may be worried about your privacy. While getting treatment close to home can be a benefit or an upside for many people, it also offers less anonymity. Choosing to get help far from home will remove you from your community and allow you to receive help without feeling like you need to hold back.

About Cliffside Malibu

At Cliffside Malibu, we protect your privacy at all times. We never allow any other people besides our guests, their families, and the staff members to be in Cliffside Malibu.

Since no two addictions are the same, Cliffside Malibu offers an individualized treatment plan for every client. Treatment plans are created based on a client’s current stage of the Transtheoretical Model: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, or Maintenance. This model helps ensure that all patients receive the best treatment path possible based on their own specific needs. Moving our clients through this model to completion is our goal.

Cliffside Malibu’s policy is to ensure that all people who choose treatment with us receive the best care possible. We strive to provide a continuum of care including medically supervised detox, residential treatment, day treatment, and outpatient services. Our program includes not only evidence-based behavioral therapy but family therapy and holistic therapy, as well. Whether an individual is suffering from substance abuse and/or alcohol addiction, our programs are designed and structured to be a supportive environment in order to maintain sobriety.

In addition to world-class treatment, Cliffside Malibu offers luxury accommodations, a serene environment, five-star dining, and plentiful amenities. We understand that addiction treatment is a rigorous process. Therefore, we provide for your comfort and relaxation at every turn, allowing you to rejuvenate, to meet the demands of treatment with your greatest energy and attention.

For more information on Cliffside Malibu, visit cliffsidemalibu.com