Foreigner's Guide on Finding Drug/Alcohol Rehab Treatment in South Korea

South Korea boasts some of the world’s best health care, including rehabilitation treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Here, you can find help for addiction without insurance. Changes in the socioeconomic status of the country have contributed to the increase of addiction cases and more people are exposed to drugs and alcohol.

For some, the Korean traditional drinking culture of indulging in mildly fermented beverages with nutritious side dishes has shifted to consuming stronger distilled liquors and strong stimulants.

Despite the growing cases of drug abuse and addiction, rehabilitation options exist to tackle this problem. When seeking help, clients have to meet certain criteria. Mainly, the severity of the condition plays a big role in determining eligibility.

Regardless of whether your condition is severe or mild, you should consider seeking help. Some indicators of drug or alcohol addiction might include:

Abandoning activities to get high or drunk
Feeling as if you’re unable to quit using drugs or alcohol
Increasing the amount of substances you consume to feel their effects
Continuing to use drugs or alcohol even if they cause health, relationship, work, or school problems

Visiting a rehabilitation center or entering a treatment program could provide the appropriate assistance you need toward living a life free from drugs or alcohol.

Acknowledging Your Problems and Finding Solutions

Acknowledging your problems is an important step. This involves confronting your addiction and realizing that it has a negative impact on your quality of life.

Most addiction problems don’t have shortcuts or instant cures. It can take some time to become addicted and it often takes a long time to treat an addiction, even with help from a rehabilitation program.

Recovery from an addiction requires work, time, patience, and commitment. Otherwise, the desired results will not be achieved.

After you have recognized your problems, it’s important to find rehabilitative support. Several factors could influence your treatment, including your:

History of alcohol and drug use
Mental and physical health
Efforts to stay sober
Support from family and friends
Financial situation

Choosing a rehab facility to suit your needs can be confusing and frustrating. To make an informed decision, you need to know the rehab options available, the types of therapies provided, and the cost of such therapies.

Inpatient vs. Outpatient Rehabilitation Centers

There are two different types of rehab options available in South Korea: inpatient and outpatient.

Inpatient options - During inpatient treatment, clients stay on-site at the facilities where they’re receiving treatment. This option is more expensive, but it may have a higher chance of success since it removes clients from factors that might trigger their addictions. This type of rehabilitation is recommended for people with more severe addictions and mental health conditions.
Outpatient options - Unlike inpatient options, outpatient programs let clients go home while they attend treatment. Outpatient programs may be less disruptive to normal life and less costly compared to other treatment programs. However, the chances of success might be lower because people might still be exposed to addiction triggers. People with less severe addiction are better candidates for outpatient services.

Treating Drug and Alcohol Addictions

People are unique and so are their addictions and the ways they can treat them. Some common ways people address addiction include:

Detox procedures - Recommended for people with acute addictions, detox procedures clear alcohol or drugs out of the system and strive to prevent symptoms of withdrawal.
Long-term residential treatment - Clients might stay at treatment facilities for several months at a time, even up to a year. This comprehensive treatment can teach them how to function without drugs and alcohol.
Short-term residential treatment - Shorter treatment programs might not last as long but still provide medical and psychological assistance for fighting addiction.
Counseling - Attending individualized or group counseling sessions can help people view their problems from different perspectives and develop ways to solve them.

Finding Affordable Rehabilitation in South Korea

For some people who seek treatment in the United States, the cost of addiction treatment is the single most factor in choosing a rehab center. The pricing varies from rehab to rehab due to different factors. Luckily, there are many options available to help clients pay for their stay in rehabs across South Korea. One cost-effective strategy is finding rehabs that accept clients without insurance. These may include state-funded rehabs, faith-based rehabs, and rehab services offered through hospitals and research programs such as NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, an organization that works with education and research facilities to provide addiction education to people in South Korea and other nations.

You could get started by reaching out to support groups such as, Alcohol Anonymous in South Korea. They have an English support group that can help you get back on your feet as you find a rehab program that works for you. This link shows the different groups available in different cities. Another helpful organization if you already know some Korean, is this government run organization that runs community addiction help centers across the country. They help keep track of addicts who might be a danger to themselves, and also provide counselling for both addicts and dependents.

Since South Korea has a national health insurance system, it may be possible to find addiction treatment options there that are less expensive than they are in other countries.

Your sobriety is very important. It directly affects your health and overall quality of life. Finding a good rehab facility can help you recover and restore what you’ve lost.

Here are some local resources that might be useful if you or your friend needs help with alcohol/drug assistance:

Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoys writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.