About AvoidRehab

What this site is

AvoidRehab.com is an independent editorial outlet covering evidence-based alternatives to 28-day residential substance use treatment. It does not sell treatment, does not own or operate any rehab facility, and does not accept payment from programs in exchange for coverage. It is a reading resource, not a referral service.

How the content is made

Every article on AvoidRehab starts with a research file. Before any drafting begins, the relevant peer-reviewed literature, federal clinical guidelines, and medical society statements are compiled and organized. That source base is what the article is built on, and you can see it in the citations at the bottom of every page.

The sources we draw from include peer-reviewed journals (JAMA, Addiction, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the Cochrane Library), federal agencies (SAMHSA, NIDA, NIAAA, CDC, FDA), and clinical practice guidelines from ASAM. We prioritize systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials over expert opinion and anecdote.

Every article is reviewed and edited by a practicing clinician with direct background in substance use treatment before it publishes. The standard is simple: would a qualified clinician stand behind every claim on this page? If the answer is no, the article does not go live. If evidence on a topic is contested, we say so. If something carries real safety risk, we flag it plainly.

Who reviews the content

Reviewers are practicing or former clinicians, counselors, and social workers with direct experience in substance use treatment and recovery. They check for clinical accuracy, appropriate characterization of evidence quality, safety warnings where they matter, and language that respects the people this site is written for.

Reviewers have no financial relationship with any treatment facility and are not compensated by any program covered on this site.

What this site is not

AvoidRehab is not anti-treatment. Residential care is the right choice for a specific set of situations: severe withdrawal risk from alcohol or benzodiazepines, repeated failures of outpatient care at the right intensity, or a home environment that is itself a major driver of continued use. When that is the situation, we say so clearly.

The premise here is that most people who end up in 28-day residential programs could be treated as effectively at lower, less disruptive levels of care, and the clinical evidence supports that. The goal is to give people the information they need to make a real choice, not to push them away from any particular option.

Byline policy

All content publishes under the AvoidRehab Editorial Team byline. Individual reviewers are not named publicly. Clinicians who work in this space face real professional pressure from the rehab industry, and we will not put names on the line unnecessarily.

Corrections

When we make a factual error, we correct it transparently and note what changed and when at the bottom of the article. We do not delete or silently edit past errors. To flag an error, use the contact page. We respond within 5 business days.