How to choose a rehab center that is licensed and safe, and what really decides the cost

How to choose a rehab center for someone you love

If you are wondering how to choose a rehab center, start here: the best one is officially licensed, has qualified doctors and therapists, begins with a full assessment of the person and then builds a treatment plan that fits them, and respects their dignity and their right to stay in touch with family. No single place suits everyone. The best place for your relative is the one that suits their own situation.

The US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in its guide to the principles of effective treatment (2018), stresses that no single treatment is right for everyone, and that effective treatment looks after all of a person's medical, psychological and social needs, not just the drug. So the real question is not "Which place is the most famous?" but "Which place can treat my relative safely?"

If you feel confused and afraid, that is completely normal. Take your time to ask questions. A considered decision protects your relative more than a rushed one.

Licensing and medical supervision: what to ask for and how to check

In Egypt, the Ministry of Health and Population, through the General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, is working with the General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation and Regulation to speed up the registration and accreditation of mental health facilities, and the authority is also preparing standards for addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers, as the State Information Service reported in March 2026. Rules and responsible bodies can differ from one country to another, so always ask which official body is responsible where you live.

• The license: ask to see the license, which body issued it, and whether it covers inpatient stays and detox.
• The doctor in charge: ask for the name of the psychiatrist responsible for patients, and whether a doctor or nurse is available around the clock.
• Staff qualifications: the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends asking about the staff's training and credentials in addiction treatment.
• An assessment and a written plan: the international standards for the treatment of drug use disorders from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2020) require a comprehensive assessment of every patient, a written treatment plan that is reviewed regularly, and an up-to-date medical record for each patient.
• Emergencies: ask how the place handles medical complications or suicidal thoughts, and which hospital a patient is transferred to if needed.

Medical supervision is not a luxury. Withdrawal from some substances, such as alcohol, can quickly become life-threatening, as the MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia (2025) explains, so it needs medical care, not being "locked in" a room. You can read more in home detox or a treatment center.

Rehab red flags: signs of an unsafe or unlicensed place

Some signs are enough on their own to make you stop and ask more questions, or to look for another place:

• Promises of a guaranteed cure or "full recovery in a week". NIAAA warns against anyone who promises a definite cure in a set time, because there are no quick fixes.
• Secrecy about staff: they will not name the doctor, or they dodge your questions about qualifications and licensing.
• One program for everyone, however different the cases, or refusing any medicine on principle.
• Cutting the patient off from their family against their wishes: banning every visit and call, or giving no news at all, with no clear treatment reason. If an adult patient chooses not to see visitors or not to share details of their treatment, respecting that choice protects their privacy and is not a warning sign.
• Punishment and humiliation: beating, restraint, withholding food or insults. The international standards (2020) say these practices must never be used.
• No medical check at all on admission, or no medical record for the patient.
• Sending someone away at the first relapse instead of reviewing the plan and adding support.

Patient rights: dignity, visits and contact with family

A person with a substance use disorder is a patient who deserves care like the care for any other mental or physical illness. This is what the international standards of the World Health Organization and the United Nations (2020) set out, and among the most important points they make are:

• Respecting the patient's dignity and rights, without discrimination or stigma.
• Getting the patient's consent before any treatment whenever they are able to give it.
• Keeping the medical record confidential.
• Involving family members and other people who matter to the patient in the treatment plan, with the patient's consent.
• Strict ethical rules for staff, and avoiding harsh confrontation and shaming methods.

Ask about visiting and phone times, whether there are family counseling sessions, and how you will hear about your relative during treatment. With an adult patient, visits and news about their treatment also depend on their own wishes, so do not be surprised if the place asks your relative first. A good place explains its rules clearly and sees the family as a partner in recovery, not a burden.

What decides the cost of rehab?

You will not find prices here, because the cost differs from one case to another. But it helps to know what genuinely changes it, so you can compare places fairly:

• Length of treatment: the NIDA guide (2018) says most people need at least three months of treatment to clearly reduce or stop their use, and that better outcomes are linked with longer treatment.
• Level of care: an outpatient clinic is different from an inpatient stay with a doctor and nurses around the clock.
• The medical picture: using more than one substance, or having physical illnesses, needs closer monitoring.
• Dual diagnosis: depression, anxiety or another mental health condition alongside the addiction means both need treating together, as NIDA (2025) recommends.
• After discharge: follow-up and relapse prevention are part of treatment, not an extra.

Why the cheapest or fastest option is rarely the safest

The NIDA guide (2018) explains that detox alone is only the first stage and is rarely enough for lasting recovery. A very short program may look cheaper, but if it ends in a quick relapse, the family may end up paying twice. Always ask: what does this price include, and what happens after detox?

In Egypt, the Fund for Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction offers treatment at no cost and in full confidence through partner centers, via its hotline 16023, available around the clock. It is an important option for anyone who finds the cost hard to manage. To see how it works and how to reach it, read state-funded addiction treatment in Egypt.

Religious and spiritual support during treatment

Many people find strength and meaning in faith during recovery. A systematic review published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence in 2019, covering twenty trials, found evidence that spiritual and religious interventions may help with substance use problems, but most of those compared with other programs were twelve-step type programs, and the researchers called for more, and more rigorous, studies. The international standards (2020) also count spiritual and community leaders as part of the recovery support network.

• Ask: can my relative pray and practice their faith at the proper times?
• Is there optional spiritual or religious support that respects the person and is not forced on them?
• Does spiritual support work side by side with the doctor and the therapist?

But spiritual support does not replace medically supervised detox, treatment for depression or psychosis if they are present, or psychological therapy. Be wary of any place that makes religion a substitute for medicine or a tool for pressure and humiliation. For more, read mental health and faith.

Questions to ask on the first phone call

Based on the ten questions NIAAA recommends, here is a list you can keep with you:

1. Is the place licensed, and which body issued the license?
2. Who is the doctor in charge, and what are the therapists' qualifications?
3. Does treatment start with a full medical and psychological assessment, and how is each patient's plan built?
4. What kinds of treatment are offered, and can the doctor prescribe medicine if the case needs it?
5. How do you handle mental or physical conditions that come with the addiction?
6. What is expected of the patient and of the family, and what are the visiting and phone times?
7. What do you do if a relapse happens during treatment?
8. What happens after discharge? Is there follow-up and support to prevent relapse?
9. What does the fee include, and are there any extra costs?

A good place answers calmly and clearly, does not rush you, and never makes you feel your questions do not matter.

A center close to home, or traveling to another city?

The NIDA guide (2018) holds that treatment should be easy to reach at the moment a person is ready, because delay can mean the chance is lost. That gives a nearby center clear advantages: easier visits, more family involvement in sessions and simpler follow-up after discharge.

Traveling may make sense if there is no licensed place near you offering the level of care your relative needs, or if getting away from their usual surroundings would help. Either way, quality and safety matter more than distance, and ask how follow-up will work once your relative is back home.

When to seek help, and how treatment works with us

Seek help now if your relative keeps using despite clear problems, has tried to stop and could not, shows withdrawal symptoms, or their behavior, sleep and mood have changed in a worrying way. If they refuse treatment, the family has every right to start on its own; read my son refuses addiction treatment.

At Oxygen Center in Damanhour we see people aged 15 and over (under 18 with a guardian's consent). Treatment starts with a drug test, a doctor's appointment and an assessment, followed by medically supervised detox for men in our inpatient unit, then the rehabilitation program, which includes family counseling, follow-up and relapse prevention. Doctor appointments, therapy sessions and drug tests are open to both men and women. You can learn about the stages in detail in the stages of addiction treatment, or call us on +20 101 687 0711 (phone and WhatsApp) or +20 45 320 0011 and ask every first-call question yourself.