A rehab experience can be intimidating, whether it’s your first time or fifth. The thought of having to retrain body and brain, give up what is perceived as a pleasurable experience, and learn to deal with difficult emotions and life situations can be almost too much to bear.
Remembering a few things about rehab
In most rehab situations, you have likely enrolled on your own. You have the ability to enter and leave at will, and you will feel a bit better knowing that your choice to move in a more positive direction will yield more positive, healthy results for you and your loved ones. There is no one forcing you to stay; you are free to leave at any time. You continue to make your own choices regarding care, for the most part, with the assistance of doctors and other medical professionals who teach you what it means to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.
Steps in rehab
An in-patient rehabilitation program has several stages. Most programs run thirty days, with options for sixty and ninety day programs for people who feel they need additional support. You’ll likely experience the following while in your program:
1. Detox
The detox process begins when the body has been without an addictive substance for more than 24 hours. During this time, a person can experience a number of unpleasant symptoms, depending on the length of time they have abused a substance and the amount of drug or alcohol that is consumed. Detox symptoms include:
- Anxiety, panic attacks
- Depression, loss of appetite
- Poor sleep
- Poor concentration and memory
- Dizziness, headaches
- Nausea, vomiting
- Shakiness, delirium tremens
- Sweating, clammy skin
- Racing heart, erratic blood pressure
Detox must be done under the watchful eye of medical professionals who can prescribe medication for symptom management, as well as to evaluate whether symptoms are worsening. Once detox has been completed, the real work of healing begins.
2. Therapy
A combination of therapies is implemented in most centers. Individual therapy occurs weekly, with a patient checking in with both doctors and psychiatrists to work on restoring both mental and physical health. Often, this is used in combination with group therapy, where a patient is encouraged to socialize and engage with others as a means of returning to relationships once more. This time of growth and self exploration may be uncomfortable, but it is in facing some of those uncomfortable emotions that allows a patient to uncover the real reason for addiction, and to be given the strength to face it head on.
3. Alternative therapies
The comprehensive work of nutritionists, medical practitioners, personal trainers, psychiatrists, and even spiritual advisors are made available to those who wish to take advantage of them. Not all rehabilitation facilities offer all alternative therapies, but the combination of these and ongoing work in group and individual sessions has proven to be the most successful in giving someone the tools to return to “normal” life once more.
A bit more about these specialists
With a combination of services offered by a rehab facility, including work done by:
- Doctors and nurses
- Pharmacists
- Therapists and counselors
- Holistic practitioners
- Alternative medicine practitioners
- Nutritional counselors
- Personal trainers
- Spiritual advisors
The target is the ongoing health of the whole individual—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. These talented and caring professionals work to find deficiencies in a person’s wellness plan; in doing so, they are able to make suggestions and care plans designed to give one the tools for proper healing and optimal health. While this process takes time and commitment on the part of the individual in rehabilitation, it is by far the most effective way of cutting down the roots of addiction and replacing negative, self destructive behaviors with those that promote health, healing, and a return to life on the other side of addiction.
Ready for a better life? Get started today!
You deserve the health and healing that will promote better quality of life, for you and your loved ones. Don’t wallow in the throes of addiction any longer; take advantage of the services that we offer to give you a chance and hope and healing once more. Contact us today at 833-820-2922 to see how we can get you started on the path to a better life.