Alcohol Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Don?t Have to Break the Family Bank

Published February 4, 2011

Alcohol Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Don’t Have to Break the Family Bank

The Retreat – Alcohol Rehab

Minneapolis, MN (Vocus/PRWEB) December 15, 2010

Alcohol rehab has not always been complicated by psychiatry, medicine, and sophisticated modern therapies and it was not always expensive. The Retreat, a small non-profit organization in Wayzata, Minnesota, just outside the Twin Cities of Minneapolis St Paul, has developed a model that harkens back to a time when things were simple. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, alcohol rehab and alcohol treatment was a place where people simply took a break from their busy lives to work through the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. There were not very many programs, but most of the ones that existed focused on the solution found in AA, not the medical and psychiatric modalities we see today.

The Retreat is not only one of the most affordable alcohol rehab programs in the country, it is also one of the most effective. They have been independently tracking their outcomes for ten years, and the results are comparable to, if not better than, many of the medical-model drug and alcohol treatment programs across the country. With all the advances in psychiatry and therapeutic practices, outcomes have not necessarily improved over the years. The key to The Retreat’s success is the involvement of the broader community in the recovery process. This would not be possible were it not for the vibrancy of the Minneapolis St Paul recovering community.

“This is one of the most vibrant recovering communities in the country,” says John Leonard, Marketing Director at The Retreat.“Minnesota and the Twin Cities in particular, is a Mecca for recovery. People come from all over the world to get sober here.”

The Retreat has effectively harnessed the power of community by employing over 400 volunteers in their program every month. By incorporating the recovery community into the alcohol rehab process, The Retreat has enlarged the pool of wisdom available to their clients.

“The volunteers are the direct agents of change in our approach,” said Leonard. “They carry a message of hope and recovery that is based on their own experience. And they do it with passion and enthusiasm.”

Most alcohol rehab and alcohol treatment programs use a staff-based approach, and many of the staff members are not in recovery.

“Our entire staff is in recovery and there is a real feeling that we are all in this together,” says Leonard. “And when you call The Retreat, you will get someone on the phone that has been there and has a personal understanding of your struggles.”

The idea is to surround people who want recovery with people who have it.

“We take people that are motivated for change and surround them with people who have walked a similar path, and are now living their recovery at the highest level. It’s very attractive,” says Leonard. “If you are at all interested in recovery, this is an attractive mission. It’s contagious.”

Step Twelve states: “Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.” It is about one alcoholic sharing his experience with another so that together they can recover.

“This is the essence of Twelve Step recovery,” says Leonard. “If you are not carrying the message, then you are missing a big piece of the puzzle”.

If you are looking for an affordable and effective alcohol rehab center, The Retreat may be a good option. At just $ 4,400 for a thirty-day stay, or $ 475 for long term sober living, it is an exceptional value. Visit their website at The Retreat or call the admissions office at 877-446-9283. They would love to help. If they are not the appropriate program, they will help find a facility that better suits your needs.

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