American rehabilitation centers have existed since the 19th century. Its history, as with most histories, is filled with twists and turns. There are three things that stand out about the history of rehab centers that make it particularly interesting.
- Rehab centers started BEFORE the Prohibition Act. The idea of rehabilitating addictive behavior existed since the beginning of the early temperance movement with the beginning of acknowledge addiction. To help rid men of temptations of the world, “sober houses” were set up as early as 1840.
- President Gerald Ford cut federal funding of treatment programs even though his wife founded one of the United States iconic rehab facilities, the Betty Ford Clinic. The Betty Ford Clinic was created as a result of Betty’s own addiction to alcohol and prescription medication and a way to help others who shared her dependence.
- Prior to 1980, anyone seeking help for alcohol or drug addiction were sent to a sanitarium. Rehab was housed in psychiatric foundations because addiction was viewed as a weakness of will rather than a disease.
Interesting facts courtesy of How Stuff Works.