Is this your first time in rehab? It’s normal to anticipate rehab. But there’s nothing to worry about. Read this guide and know what happens in rehab.
Entering rehab doesn’t have to be intimidating. Facing your addiction with support from a specialized rehab center can refocus your life and put you on the road to recovery.
Read our guide to understanding exactly what happens in rehab so you know there’s nothing to worry about.
What To Pack
Something you may not consider is what to pack when taking a break from your regular life to go to rehab. Packing up a few personal items will make your experience go as smooth as possible.
Here is a list of essential items to bring to rehab with you:
- Driver’s license
- Cash
- Clothing
- List of close family and friends
- Reading material
- Writing material (journal, notebook)
- Toiletries
- Photos from home
Be Responsible
Before entering the treatment facility, you should also inform your school or job that you will be away for up to 30 days.
Tell your family and friends that you will not be able to contact them for a certain period of time, too. You may have the opportunity to accept visitors, but these times can vary throughout the duration of your stay.
Set up automatic payments for your household, car, insurance, and any extraneous bills that will need to be taken care of before you step foot in the center.
If you have pets, make arrangements for your cat or dog to stay with friends or family while you are away.
Did you know that the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees who seek to participate in substance abuse treatment?
Understand your rights as an employee when you discuss your treatment with your boss if you feel comfortable, and if not, you can make other arrangements.
The First Step To Understanding What Happens in Rehab: Drug Detox
One of the first steps in rehab is detox.
Although difficult, the detoxing process must begin as soon as you enter the rehab facility as no drugs or alcohol will be permitted beyond the doors of the center.
Detox services will be available upon your arrival.
These services are ready to help you ease out of the painful withdrawal side effects associated with your drug addiction.
Once the detox has ended, you can carry on into daily treatment plans which include a healthy combination of therapy sessions, physical exercise and stretching, nutritional lunch breaks, group therapy, journaling, and other homework assignments.
Psychological Assessment
Did you know that the next step in what happens in rehab includes a psychological assessment? A licensed medical doctor called a psychiatrist will evaluate you once you complete your drug detox.
If you suffer from psychological issues, such as depression or anxiety, which are often symptoms of drug addictions, you may be prescribed medication to help.
The on-site psychiatrist is also available to see you a few times during the course of your treatment as your medication may improve your side effects and need to be altered to fit your new lifestyle free of drugs.
Individual Therapy Sessions
For a few hours every week, especially in a place such as the Ambrosia Treatment Center, you will sit down with a therapist for individual treatment. Focusing on your daily needs with addiction can be effective with some one-on-one time that you may never have received before.
These sessions are designed to help you talk to someone about your addiction, usually a licensed counselor and various behavioral specialists, to determine how you can achieve success while in rehab.
Individual therapy, a helpful aspect to what happens in rehab, can be an extremely effective form of treatment, yet studies have shown that most people receive group therapy excel at beating their addictions.
Group Therapy Sessions
Another factor of rehab includes talking with other peers who can relate to your own personal struggles with addiction.
You can talk to these people and feel less alone because you are all going through the rehab treatment together.
A lot of past residents have exceeded overcoming their drug addictions because of group therapy sessions.
The sessions are designed to make you interact with each other to understand how different people are able to connect and make changes to benefit their lives as a strong unit.
Rules
As with most treatment centers, there are strict rules to follow.
Once you enter a rehab facility, you will need to pay attention to the rules in order to succeed while undergoing treatment. Rules to establish consistency, which promotes the positive activities to perpetuate what happens in rehab, need to be followed or else you may be kicked out of treatment.
These are some basic rules for most rehab centers:
- No acts of violence
- Leaving the property unannounced
- Treat others with respect
- Attend all meetings and sessions
- Comply with drug testings
- No inappropriate behavior with doctors or staff
Aftercare Planning
The recovery process can take months to years to finally change your life. After you leave rehab, you need to continue talking to a counselor or therapist on a regular basis to develop a strong support network.
If you find friends through the group sessions, you can also connect with your peers to be accountability partners for each other after rehab has ended.
You need to include helpful strategies to reconnect yourself with your regular life, too. If your co-workers were drug addiction enablers, how will you cope with their lifestyle once you re-enter your old job position? If your family is unsupportive and does not believe you have conquered your drug addiction, how will you deal with those situations?
These are questions to ask your counselor as soon as you prepare to leave rehab and into the first few weeks after.
Looking to Find More Answers on Rehab?
Our guide to figuring out what happens in rehab can provide you with the comfort you need to know exactly what to expect once you enter the facility of your choice.
Bringing the right essential items, attending individual therapy sessions, connecting with others during group chats, meeting with a licensed psychiatrist, developing a healthy diet plan, and learning how to cope after rehab ends are all aspects to rehab.
Feel free to explore the rest of our blog. We frequently add tons of insightful articles to get you through your rehab journey.