Your first-time experience in rehab can be frightening. No matter how determined you are to fight the addiction, it is normal to fear the unknown. Understanding what happens in drug rehab can help put your mind at ease. All rehabs are unique in offering treatment to their patients, but three are some common features that cut across the board.
Check-In & Assessment
Once you arrive at the drug rehab, you will be received by staff members who will interview you to get more information about you. This step is crucial because the information you provide is used in putting together a treatment plan ideal for you.
Most drug rehabs offer inpatient treatment for 90 days, 60 days, or 30 days. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) endorses that patients spend no less than 90 days in drug rehab. Depending on your situation, financial ability, and other factors, the health practitioners might recommend a shorter stay inpatient, with follow-up outpatient treatment.
Going through Detox
After assessment and admission, you will go through detox. The detoxification process involves getting rid of drugs from your system following prolonged misuse. Detoxing is a difficult process for most and extremely uncomfortable. Most patients experience physical symptoms such as chills, fevers, vomiting, and nausea, among others.
The effects of detoxing are more severe for patients who have abused drugs for a prolonged time. Detoxing is crucial for recovery because it helps get rid of the drugs from your system, making it easier to overcome dependency. Going through the detoxification process from a drug rehab is safe because trained medical practitioners attend to any medical emergency that could arise.
The detoxification process can take three to 14 days depending on one’s physiological build, type of drug used, the number of drugs consumed, and period of misuse. Because our bodies are different, it is not unusual for the detoxification period to exceed 14 days. The staff at the drug rehab will be in a position to monitor your progress and determine if and when the detox is successful.
If you have a history of abusing highly addictive substances such as heroin, benzodiazepines, morphine, or alcohol, you are likely to experience severe withdrawal symptoms. To alleviate the discomfort that comes with the withdrawal symptoms, medication is given to patients. Some of the drugs administered are FDA-approved, such as Methadone and Buprenorphine. Beyond alleviating the symptoms, these drugs also help in fighting drug cravings.
Therapy in a Drug Rehab
There are many types of therapies used in drug rehab, and they all intended to help you overcome drug cravings, prevent relapses, and help you stay clean for the rest of your life. During the assessment, the health care providers will propose the types of treatment they feel are best suited for you. However, adjustments can be made in the course of treatment to improve efficiency.
Some of the most common types of treatment include:
- Individual therapy- during individual therapy sessions, you work with a therapist one-on-one. These sessions help you take an honest assessment of yourself, the addiction you’re struggling with, the reasons behind the addiction, and the effect the addiction has on your life and the lives of those around you. This evaluation is key in your healing journey.
During the one-on-one sessions, the therapist also helps you recognize addiction triggers. Once identified, the therapist then equips you with coping mechanisms that help you eliminate or healthily deal with the triggers.
An addiction expert customizes the right combination of therapies that suit your exceptional needs. While therapy comes in many forms, the most common forms include motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Individual therapy sessions can be conducted from the therapist’s office or any other private environment. The frequency and duration of the sessions vary from one patient to the next. Most patients have weekly or bi-weekly sessions for about an hour in each session. With time, together with your therapist, you will find the best combination for you.
- Family counseling- Research indicates that involving close family and friends in therapy sessions significantly improves rehabilitation outcomes. As a result, more drug rehabs today and incorporating family counseling sessions in therapy.
Patients struggling with addiction often fail to realize how their actions impact those close to them. These sessions give a safe space to talk about how the addiction has impacted them individually. They get a chance to unravel complex emotions and, in doing so, help the patient come to terms with their behavior and see why it needs to change.
During the sessions, your family and friends are also equipped with the tools and skills to help you fight the addiction and leave a clean and healthy life once your time at the drug rehab comes to an end.
Most drug rehabs involve close family and friends in the rehabilitation process from the onset to the very end. Some centers require that some family members attend some meetings before being allowed to visit you at the drug rehab.
Aftercare Planning
Before your rehabilitation at the drug rehab comes to a close, you will create an aftercare plan with your therapist. Aftercare programs play a critical role in helping prevent relapses. They also help you cope with the verities and realities of life when they rejoin society.
The aftercare plan includes a lot of medical and social support services that help one transition. It includes transitional housing or sober living homes that provide a safe environment for recovery. Follow-up counseling and therapy are provided, alumni support sessions, medical evaluation, and other support.
Finding the Right Rehab
If you complete your drug addiction treatment at drug rehab, you will likely live a healthier, more productive life. There are many drug rehabs, but it is important that you find one close to you and your family and loved ones because they will be involved in your recovery journey.
It would help if you also considered the treatment options available, cost of treatment, and overall feel of the drug rehab. Ultimately, it would help if you found a treatment facility that you’re comfortable with to focus on healing and not stress about the facility.
