Treatment for substance use and addiction begins the moment you decide that you’ve had enough. The moment you step through the doors of a rehabilitation center a new life begins. That new life requires undertaking one of the most trying processes you can imagine, but it’s all worth it once you get to the end. There are essentially four steps to rehabilitation: intake, detoxification, rehab, and recovery.
What Can I Expect From Intake?
Walking into a detoxification and rehabilitation center can be scary. You don’t know what to expect and maybe you have never been through withdrawal before. Maybe you’ve never been in a rehabilitation program before. But the intake process is designed to help you settle into the facility and is an opportunity for caregivers to learn about any physical problems as well as your emotional state of being so that they can give you the very best care available.
You can expect a lot of questions about your health and your drug use history. You’re probably not feeling too well and starting to withdraw at this point but it’s necessary to do all this paperwork for intake. The more questions they ask, the better they can tailor a program for you.
In addition, if you have any co-occurring mental health disorders, be sure to mention them during your intake so they can treat those as well.
What Can I Expect From Detox?
How your detoxification is handled depends on the facility and your personal needs. Different facilities have different methods of treating you during detoxification but they will select the best approach for your situation. If you’re withdrawing from alcohol, medical supervision is a must for your safety as alcohol detoxification can be deadly without supervision.
Fear of this step can keep many people from going into an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Some medications and methods can make detoxification more comfortable and we’re here to help you get through it. Expect to spend two to three days in acute withdrawal and as much as a week or 10 days experiencing detoxification symptoms of varying degrees.
What Can I Expect From Rehabilitation?
In rehabilitation is when the real work begins. Detox may have put you through the wringer and exhausted you but now you have to go to work. Counseling sessions and meetings–lots and lots of meetings–help you get to the root of the emotions and thought patterns that developed your substance abuse problem. You may attend a family counseling session to better understand what they have been going through and to help them better understand what you have been going through. Counseling begins to repair the damage in your relationships and your life.
If we lived in a perfect world, this phase of treatment would go on for months for everyone. Some people do get to spend several months in the safe environment of rehabilitation, but most have to get out into the “real” world after a few weeks because medical insurance still doesn’t understand the importance of building some tools that will help you in the outside world, unfortunately. There you will face the consequences of your previous substance abuse disorder as well as any broken relationships and the cravings that come along with a history of substance abuse.
What Can I Expect From Recovery?
While you can complete the steps of intake, detox, and rehabilitation, you’ll be in recovery for the rest of your life. The good news is most rehabilitation programs offer aftercare and regularly invite alumni to visit. It can be a visit just to catch up or to help you “tune-up” your recovery.
Your counseling may continue as outpatient therapy and social workers may help you make adjustments in finding employment, a place to live, and resisting the cravings that cause a relapse. It can be tough to try to make it on your own, so it’s important to know that it’s not the end of the world if you relapse. You may have to start over in the treatment process but there is still hope you can live a sober life even after a relapse.
Sometimes it takes several tries and several stints in rehab to make recovery stick. You may feel powerful and on top of the world when you leave rehab, but the reality of everyday life can be harsh to face. The cravings can be hard to manage even when you have the right tools and support to help you learn how to cope but recovery may be a one-time event that leads to a lifetime of sobriety.
It’s like that old saying, “No one said it would be easy, but no one said it would be this hard.”
There are four steps to rebuilding your life and letting go of a substance use disorder. First, you have to acknowledge your addiction and that you need help so you can get into a rehabilitation facility. Second, you have to go through detoxification. Third, you need to start rehabilitation and fourth, you need to take the counseling and tools you learned in rehabilitation and take them back out into the real world in recovery. Sobriety is a never-ending battle. Here at Everlast Recovery Center, we can guide you on the way to success. From the time you walk through our doors, to the time you walk out and beyond, we will be here for you. Our Riverside, California facility offers detoxification and rehabilitation on-site, and we also provide aftercare follow-up when you enter into recovery. Through counseling and holistic activities like yoga and art therapy, we help rebuild the parts of you that are broken and seeking substances to self-medicate your pain. We have low staff-to-patient ratios so you get personalized care in a home-like atmosphere. It’s time to stop your suffering. Call us today and learn how we can help at 866-DETOX-25, (866-338-6925).
