What Is the Community Like at Residential Drug Treatment Centers?

After you decide to enter a residential treatment center, your life will change in several ways. Whether your stay will be two weeks or six months, there will be things you’ll have to get accustomed to. The most important thing you’ll have to get accustomed to is not using drugs or drinking. You’ll also have to deal with the fact that life inside a treatment center is separate from the rest of the world. There’s no TV, cell phones, or radio. In order to cope and make the most out of treatment, you have to get to know the community inside the treatment center and learn to lean on them for support.

The residents and employees at a residential treatment center are the people you’ll be seeing a lot of once you enter treatment. This community of people will become your new family in a sense. You’ll eat, sleep, laugh, cry, and share some of the most intimate details of your life with workers and residents in this community. Just like your family or work community, it will not be perfect. You will have residents who will irritate and upset you. What’s important is that during this challenging time, you build a strong support group. Part of being in a residential treatment facility is learning how to cope and deal with difficult people and situations without using drugs or drinking alcohol.

Getting the Most out of Workers and Residents While in Residential Treatment

The longer your stay in a residential treatment facility, the better your chances are of staying clean. However, some challenges come with extended stays in a treatment facility. One challenge is that the people you’ll be living with are addicts themselves, and not all of them will succeed or want to be there. Some will be serious about their recovery, and others will not. It’s essential that you associate with those who are committed to being clean and sober. Another aspect of the residential community within a rehab center is their personal views on life, religion, and addiction. Everyone’s addiction is similar, yet they’re all very different. Everyone in treatment will not agree on the same things, and you have to learn to respect and deal with others’ opinions. You’ll get a lot of opinions and advice during group meetings, so it’s important to take with you the things that help you and leave behind the things that don’t.

Why Residential Community Relationships are Important to Your Recovery

While in residential treatment, you’ll see residents come and go. Some will complete their time in rehab and move on to the next phase of their recovery, and others will quit or get kicked out. You may even see a few residents leave and then return. Treatment centers often have revolving doors, and very few people make it out of treatment the first time and stay sober for the rest of their lives. Recovery takes time and a lot of effort. It’s important to remember that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.

The residents you’re in treatment with will play a crucial role in your sobriety, whether you are aware of it or not. The stories they tell of their hardships and pain while using and drinking will become a part of your life. Sharing stories of problems, difficulties, and hope during groups with fellow addicts is an integral part of the recovery process. You may not like everyone in your residential treatment facility, but you must learn to trust and respect them as companions in recovery. Getting clean and sober is not something you can or should try to do alone.

The Importance of Team Members in Residential Treatment

The team members of a residential treatment facility will include doctors, counselors, nurses, and others associated with the recovery process. Many counselors and group leaders in treatment facilities are former addicts themselves with years of clean time. The workers at treatment facilities are there to help you in your recovery, and many of them have been through treatment themselves. Take the time to learn from them. Doctors and psychologists are important to your recovery. In stressful situations, addicts usually turn to drugs and alcohol for self medicate and help them cope.

Doctors and psychologists help you deal with the stress of not using and being in a residential treatment program by helping you cope emotionally, physically, and mentally by prescribing medications, therapies, and physical exercise. The community within a treatment center will consist of people you like and possibly a few you don’t like. Remember that you are in treatment to get clean and sober. While it’s okay to make friends, keep in mind that many people will come and go during your journey for sobriety. If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired and want a better life free from drugs and alcohol, call us today. Our counselors are available 24/7 to help you get started on your journey to sobriety. Call us at 833-820-2922.