Rehab is the popular term for rehabilitation. The term rehabilitation is usually used to describe treatment for a wide range of addictions such as alcohol dependence, prescription drugs abuse, heroin, cocaine, and amphetamine addiction, but people may also enter rehab for treatment of sex or other sorts of addictions. In many cases, rehabilitation is needed to support or help the addict in recovery from addiction.
Is rehab really required to break the cycle of addiction?
Some people are able to break the addiction cycle by themselves, but most people will need support from a professional and a rehab program. This is why a rehab centre is usually staffed with professionally trained counsellors, who can guide addicts through the initial stages of breaking the cycle of addiction and associated withdrawal. A rehab centre typically has intensive rehab programs, including detoxification, local support groups, in-patient or out-patient treatment, one-on-one counselling sessions, group meetings, and family therapy. These addiction rehab programs normally take 28 days, but in some cases, in the case of chronic addiction, the addict is often advised to stay in treatment for 60 days or more.
The need for detox
Although there are many different rehab formats and locations to suit different individual needs, however, you should expect drug detox programs to be one of the initial steps. The purpose of detoxification is to get rid of the toxins in your body. Many addicts feel physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, but after a few days, you begin feeling physically much better. This is the shortest phase of rehab, but it can be the most uncomfortable one.
After completing the detoxification phase, you move into the next phase of rehab. If you have a serious addiction, you might stay in a residential facility, where you live on-site 24/7 or intensive in-patient treatment. Meanwhile, out-patient treatment is a less intensive program designed for people with mild addictions where those who have completed inpatient treatment are required to submit to regular evaluations by appointment, or at scheduled times. Out-patient treatment allows the recovering addict to live at home or continue engaging in a healthy daily routine which may include going to work or school, attending local recovery support group meetings, etc.
Residential In-patient Rehab
While some choose to accept treatment via a live-out arrangement where they meet on a regular basis with therapists during appointments (out-patient rehab), some of the most successful treatment outcomes arise through a more intensive live-in experience where patients are both treated and living in a rehab for a period of time (most typically 30, 60 or 90 day addiction treatment programmes).
Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centres frequently build their treatment for drug or alcohol addiction around these timeframes allowing time for both sober living and abstinence to break the cycle of repeated use, but also so that clients can begin to work through underlying behavioural patterns and understanding the cycle of addiction. While this educational focus is valuable in building knowledge of the problem, another key benefit is the opportunity for addicts to share their experience and listen to the experience of others in treatment. This helps them reconnect with others and build new relationships, a key element of successful recovery.
Misconceptions about Rehab
The rehab experience is rich with misconceptions. For example, many people think that rehab is a scary place, only for hardcore drug users, or that only rich people get treatment in a rehabilitation centre. Those are some of the common misconceptions society has. Instead, we view rehab as a place that’s designed to help sick people get better. You will make connections with other people in rehab and realise that you are not alone.
If you feared rehab because it seemed scary, you will see that it can give you the comfort and support you desperately need. Also, the sober and safe environment within a rehabilitation centre will help you to express yourself and have plenty of time to focus on your recovery process or repair and rebuild relationships with your loved ones by taking part in family therapy. Whilst many rehabilitation centres are described as ‘luxury’, the large majority of rehabs are not within this category. Some rehabs have an affordable price of less than £7,500 for a 28-day program.
A change of heart about rehab?
If you change your feelings towards treatment in a rehabilitation centre, your recovery journey will often be more rewarding and successful. Many clients or recovering addicts express their gratitude towards their fellow-clients when they are leaving the rehabilitation centre and the sense of safe community continues after discharge through 12-Step groups, aftercare groups, and personal support.
Once you’ve discovered that you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, you may find that an in-patient treatment centre may be suited to your needs. Again, all forms of rehab are different and designed for different individual needs. Choose a rehabilitation centre wisely and the question of “what is rehab?” will be answered in more detail after consulting with rehabilitation centre staff.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
