Having the courage to make a firm commitment to giving up drugs and improving your life for the better is both an admirable and difficult task that you have set for yourself. Now there are many different avenues that a person can take when weighing up the treatment options for themselves, some feel that staying close to home and their support network of friends and families is best. While others may feel the need to go to the lengths of secluding themselves from potential negative influences by attending treatment in a residential rehab center.
There are pros and cons to every choice however, if you do go into a residential rehab you should understand that it may be a big shock and change to what you are used to, with many rules and regulations designed to help you withdraw from drugs and receive the necessary treatments and therapies required for you to come to terms with the trauma that causes your addictions. That being said, they should also try to make the process of fitting in and getting used to the new environment as easy as possible.
Get to know your surroundings
Rehabs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are very small communities of recovering addicts who may be operating out of a large house. Whereas others are sprawling complexes which in some cases, are even located in the grounds of a larger hospital. One of the first things the staff at the center should do is offer to give you a guided tour of the facility, if they don’t, ask if they can do so. This will help you to familiarize yourself with your surroundings and the sooner you do that, the sooner you will begin to relax and feel more comfortable.
Sometimes they may even ask fellow residents to walk you around and show you where everything is, they can help introduce you to key staff members and other residents that you will be sharing your time with while at the rehab. While they do this, the curfew hours and sleeping times should be explained to you in order for you to get a sense of what your days will be like. Once you are aware of where everything is and you have walked around the premises for a while, it will seem less alien to you and you will feel a lot better about your time there.
Make Some Friends
Generally speaking, residential rehabs consist of a combination of group therapy, one to one therapy and various psychological treatments to help you identify and break the habits of your addiction. As part of group therapy, you will normally be expected to introduce yourself to your assigned group and tell them about your experiences and opinions on your addiction. This helps a lot as time goes on if you begin to establish friendships and get to know people’s stories, you become more open and honest with them in turn.
Also establishing some friendships while in rehab will not only mean that you have a sympathetic ear to talk to when times get tough, and somebody to have fun and joke around with, but when you go back home the friendships you make now can help you establish a support network of people who know what you are going through and can give good advice based on their experiences. Accepting their friendship and getting to know the people in your group could be one of the most important aspects of your treatment.
Acclimate yourself to the rules
Getting to know and accept the structure, content and limitations of your day to day life at the rehab will also be a key factor in your success. Every rehab center will most likely have its own set of rules that you have to follow, which can be hard for an addict who has most likely become unaccustomed to following any kind of routine or having a structure in their lives in general. However, it is important to keep in mind that these rules are most likely tried and tested by the facility and are designed to give you the best possible chances of recovery.
Try to get the residents to explain to you the details and technicalities of the rules to you, this will give you a better idea of how to follow them day by day and help you to understand the logic behind them. You can also find out how the rules are enforced and what happens if you break a rule. Some trial and error are normally given but rehabs will not hesitate to exclude you from the program if you are refusing to cooperate with the rules, or are endangering other residents’ chances of recovery.
Try to keep looking forward
A good way to get through your rehab, which can be a difficult and painful journey at times, is to look at the end result rather than what you are doing at any given point. Your focus should be on arming yourself with the knowledge to help you get through day to day life after rehab. In many ways, rehab is actually the easy part as you have very little option but to stay clean and follow the rules or return to your old life; however, upon coming home, you will likely realize that life back home is full of temptation and setbacks.
While any serious emotions or problems should be raised with the counselors at your rehab, the majority of the negative emotions you will feel are completely natural and should be dealt with by looking forward to your hopefully positive future, and rehab is the first step on the road to that future.
If you are considering residential rehab for you or a loved one then consider Clarity Thailand. Our programs are specifically designed to help change your outlook on addiction as a whole and give you the best possible chances at success post-rehab. Call us today on +66 64 492 2208.
