Drug and alcohol abuse in Mississippi are on the rise, thanks in part to the state’s location. As the “Crossroads of the South,” Mississippi’s interstate highways, rail lines, and river and Gulf Coast access make drug smuggling a major problem, and drugs are easily available to Mississippi residents. Crack cocaine, meth, and club drugs are a particular hazard to young people exposed to them at illegal raves, clubs and beach parties where high school and college students hang out. Just about any Mississippi family could unexpectedly find itself in need of a drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility or treatment program.

The network of Mississippi drug and alcohol treatment centers is growing, making help more easily available, but anyone seeking treatment should carefully evaluate the wide range of programs and services. Not all programs are right for every problem. Addiction is different for everyone, and newer drugs like meth and the wide variety of prescription painkillers which are widely abused often have different and dangerous side effects. Make sure any rehab facility you choose is experienced in treating your type of problem.

Detox centers, rehab programs, alcohol recovery centers, mental health clinics—which is right for any particular problem? Find out what services are offered through each, and look for the most comprehensive, end-to-end treatment. Some detox centers focus only on getting addicts clean or sober, a short-term goal of removing drug toxins from the body. Counseling is required for long-term success in staying sober, so make sure the program you choose offers both.

Many families will naturally want to find a drug and alcohol treatment center in Mississippi. Rehab programs located close to home offer many attractive cost and convenience benefits, but sometimes keeping an addict close only prolongs the problem. Getting a person clear away from the people who enabled his or her habit, the familiar environment where drug sources are known, and from the stressors and distractions that may have contributed to the substance abuse, is often essential to breaking the pattern of self-destructive behavior. Families should consider inpatient treatment centers or residential programs for drug and alcohol abuse located outside the local area. A clean break is a good way to jump start a cure.

A comprehensive treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse will always encompass, at minimum, three key elements: detox, counseling, and long-term behavior modification. If a program you are considering does not offer all of these, and wellness programs like nutrition and fitness besides, keep looking. Likewise, if the treatment center must outsource some of its services to other facilities, it can seriously degrade the continuity of care that is so important to a good outcome. Find a rehab facility, in Mississippi or elsewhere, that is adequately funded, staffed, and equipped to offer the sort of long-term, holistic program needed for a true recovery.

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment centers in Mississippi are easy to find, and the sooner you address a problem with substance abuse, the better. Try the phone book or the internet, and get started.