Why do people keep letting drugs and alcohol destroy their lives when help is just a phone call away? It’s complicated, but for many it’s a case of the devil you know being better than the one you don’t: Going to rehab and living in recovery is a huge, terrifying question mark, so it may seem easier to stick with the status quo — no matter how painful that is — rather than taking a chance on a new life. For that reason, knowledge is power when it comes to addiction recovery. Understanding what happens in rehab may make it seem like a realistic option for you. So, read on.
Residential Addiction Treatment: Day One
When you arrive at rehab, you will probably feel overwhelmed, dazed, and confused. Understand that the staff knows you are likely scared and tired, and they’ll do everything they can to ensure you get a safe landing at your facility.
In fact, it’s likely that many of them have been where you are. You can expect them to be friendly, understanding, and kind as they show you around, help you get settled into your room, introduce you to other staff and clients, and help you with your belongings.
You also will meet with medical professionals and staff members who will do initial consultations and assessments, talking with you about your addiction history and assessing your mental and physical health. Of course, they won’t dive into the nitty gritty on day one, but they’ll figure out what they need to know to prescribe medications or other medical interventions that may be necessary to make your first days in treatment as safe and comfortable as possible.
From there, your team of providers will begin working together to gather all of the information they need to create a customized addiction treatment plan just for you.
Residential Addiction Treatment: Ongoing Programming
Once you are settled in, you will begin your regular treatment program. While each program is customized to the individual, they share common traits. For example, some of your time will be spent in programming led by staff or medical professionals. You will attend groups with other clients, getting to know them and making friends. Many clients in rehab form long-term friendships and bonds because they feel like they have finally found a group of people that “get them.”
Classes and groups may focus on any number of topics, such as relapse prevention, addiction education, coping strategies, and introductions to recovery programs like the 12 Steps. Through these groups, you will start to gain the knowledge and tools needed to live a life free from addiction.
It may sound intense, but a lot of the programming will actually be fun. Learning to enjoy life again is a big step on the road to recovery. There are sessions for therapies like music, art, yoga, and meditation, which will give you an opportunity to discover passions and hobbies that you’ve overlooked or forgotten because of your addiction.
Residential Addiction Treatment: Individual & Group Therapy
Individual and group therapy sessions will be an important part of your treatment plan. That is where you’ll really start to dig deep and figure out how you got to where you are — and where you are going from here. Drugs and alcohol abuse are a symptom of underlying issues, and therapy begins to treat those conditions as well as any trauma that may be fueling the substance abuse.
Therapy sessions will be a combination of different types, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), family therapy, and relationship counseling. (Your team will pick the type of treatment that’s going to work best for you.)
In therapy, the team can help you work through the stress, anxiety, or depression that may be affecting your mental health. Therapy will also be able to help you rebuild relationships that may be damaged because of your addiction, and give you tools to have healthy relationships in the future.
Best of all, therapy goes at your own pace. No one will push you into approaching painful emotional wounds or memories until you’re ready.
Residential Addiction Treatment: Recreational Time
Recreational time offers a break from the hard work of getting well. At the same time, it’s an important piece of the therapeutic process.
In active addiction, drugs and alcohol take over your life. Even the “fun” you had partying becomes a distant memory by the time you’re ready to get help. In rehab, you can learn to have fun again as you heal.
For example, at Country Road, we offer equine therapy that allows residents to spend time with gentle horses. You might also spend time floating in the pool, or exploring our 135 acres of lush green pastures in Tecumseh, Oklahoma. Try a pickup game of volleyball with friends or just read in bed with our residential therapy dog.
Every moment you are not drinking or using is another step on the road to recovery.
Rehab: How To Start?
How does all of that sound? If you have additional questions about what residential addiction treatment could look like for you, the best thing to do is to chat or call our team. Check out the photos and videos of our facility on site, and you can even set up a tour and see if it’s the right fit for you.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely at a fork in the road. Choosing Country Road and choosing recovery will bring you to a better destination — even if you can’t see it yet.