While South Dakota rejoices in one of the lowest drug abuse problems in the United States, residents should not become complacent. Marijuana and methamphetime are found in even the most rural communities in the state, and every home with a medicine cabinet stocked with prescription drugs is at risk. Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Ambien, and a hundred other legal drugs are among the fastest-growing abuse problems nationwide, and not all of the addicts got that way accidentally.

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment centers in South Dakota report that marijuana grown locally in South Dakota tends to be more potent than marijuana imported from elsewhere. Marijuana addiction is no joke; it requires professional treatment the same as an addiction to cocaine or meth or Xanax. If you even suspect that a loved one may have a problem with marijuana, alcohol, or any other substance, seek help immediately. In South Dakota, drug and alcohol treatment and rehab centers are usually found in the larger communities.

You should evaluate any drug treatment program or recovery center carefully. Because the incidence of certain types of drug abuse in South Dakota is so low, not every rehab facility will have experience with every type of problem. There is no “standard” approach to addiction, and any drug or alcohol rehabilitation center that offers one should be shunned. Make sure that the rehab facility or program you choose is experienced, is adequately funded, has sufficient trained staff to handle the number of patients it sees, and offers in-depth, comprehensive services.

At a minimum, any drug and alcohol treatment facility in South Dakota or anywhere else should offer end-to-end treatment focused on a long-term goal of living clean for life. If the local center only offers management of withdrawal symptoms without long-term counseling, keep looking. Three key elements should be part of any treatment program: detoxification, counseling, and long-term behavior modification. These address the “mind-body-spirit” components that are each essential to a permanent recovery from addiction.

Don’t be discouraged if your local clinic cannot offer what you are looking for. In many cases, it is actually more effective to take an addict out of the home, even away from the local community, during treatment. While it is natural to want to look first at South Dakota drug and alcohol rehab facilities, the “cooling down” period offered by rehab conducted elsewhere is good for both families and addicts. The family gets time to take advantage of family outreach programs and work through issues of anger and resentment. The addict gets 24/7 medical care away from work stress, family needs, so-called friends who helped him buy drugs, and the bar down the street. He will be surrounded by people focused on helping him get well, and she will receive the type of “tough love” many families cannot manage on their own.

No family should depend on hope and willpower to return their loved ones to them. If a South Dakota drug and alcohol treatment center can’t meet your needs, find one that does.