Preparing yourself to be successful in rehab is an essential part of the recovery process, yet it is one of the most difficult. Here’s how to prepare yourself, mentally and physically, to be successful in drug and alcohol rehab.
Rehabilitation provides a leg-up for climbing the steep hill that is the first few days of recovery.
While admitted, the patient is sheltered from the discomfort and stresses that can accompany detoxing and rehab treatment while at home.
Physical and psychological ailments of withdrawal are tended to by professionals, who are dedicated to the task. New coping skills are gained, to aid the recovering person in the coming days of returning to regular life.
Choosing to Go to Rehab Is Scary
Committing to receive this type of help requires that a person exercise bravery. For a period days – sometimes several – the patient is agreeing to place his or her care into the hands of others.
For those who have struggled on, alone, during the battle of addiction, surrendering to this type of care can be difficult.
The following are some tips for preparing, mentally and emotionally, to successfully receive the benefits of rehab.
Tip #1: Accept That the Help Is Needed
For many of us, it takes a long time before we realize that we aren’t able to do something on our own.
Those who are raised in the United States, particularly, live in a culture which values independence, and where asking for help from others can be viewed as a weakness.
Once a person finally accepts the idea of help being beneficial, he or she is likely to find that the road to wellness becomes much easier.
Making the phone call to admit into a treatment program can be scary, but the journey begins with honesty.
Be prepared to disclose the full extent of your substance abuse and addiction problem. Holding back on any details of your usage of drugs or alcohol will only impede the process of receiving proper services.
Take this time to admit to yourself – if you haven’t already – that getting help will be easier than not getting help. Putting all cards on the table is the best way to exit the destructive game of substance abuse.
Tip #2: Arm Yourself with Knowledge
One of the best ways to alleviate fear or anxiety over a situation is to become familiar with it. This step of being open to receiving help can be considered the first step toward self-empowerment.
It is your life, and your treatment, and you have the right to ensure that the program that you will be committing to is one that will meet your needs and address your concerns.
Take this time to ask any detailed questions, that are important to you, about the treatment programs being considered.
- What is their overall philosophy toward addiction and recovery?
- How qualified are the staff?
- What is their success rate?
- Do they permit family involvement and visits from friends?
- What steps are taken to ensure patient comfort during the stay?
- What is done to ensure patient privacy?
- How do they attend to follow-up care?
- What are the fees, and what insurances are accepted?
- How soon can you be admitted?
Also ask about the process of their actual rehab treatment.
- How much input is the patient allowed to have in the medical process?
- Which medications will be utilized for your, specific, needs?
- Will there be access to food and drink when requested?
- What are the counseling options available during this time?
Tip #3: Advocate for Your Own Wellness
Both before, and during, the treatment process, keep your eyes set on your goals. It is sometimes beneficial to experience discomfort in the short-term, if doing so will produce good results in the longer.
Keeping a focus on those longer term benefits of receiving treatment can help to provide the strength needed to endure the intense period of separation from daily life that services require.
Following this temporary commitment, you will be able to return to your daily routines. However, you’ll see that these routines now include renewed strength, hope, and wellbeing.
It can help to keep in mind, throughout the process, that this is about you.
Many who struggle with drug or alcohol addictions are accustomed to being called selfish for engaging in their habits. It may seem counterintuitive, but this time of rehab calls for more selfishness.
This time, though, it is a self-centered focus toward wellness.
The benefit of this relatively short period of dedicated self-care is that we are eventually able to present ourselves to our loved ones in our full glory, free from the destructive control of the substances.
Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself during this time.
- If the room is too cold, ask for a blanket, or for the heating to be turned up.
- If you are thirsty, make sure you are provided with access to a beverage.
- Would like some privacy? Make sure that your room is cleared as soon as possible.
Detoxing from substances and starting a new life is difficult enough. It doesn’t need to be made more difficult by being denied creature comforts.
Tip #4: Go into Rehab with an Open Mind
As much as we might know about life, there are always others who have some insight that we don’t possess.
And, while we are the ultimate experts on ourselves, the members of a quality rehab treatment team have dedicated themselves to the study of their craft.
This means that they just might have some perspectives and ideas that have been demonstrated as useful and effective in recovery.
After the above steps have been established, it is time to be open-minded to the process.
While it is usually ill advised to surrender all control of decisions over to another adult, the information which you have already gathered can work as a safety net for venturing into any unknown territory. The fact is that what you have tried, on your own, before, has not worked.
Allowing space for new ideas, perspectives, and techniques to be explored may provide you with the missing pieces of your sobriety puzzle.
Conclusion
Finding the inner strength to go to rehab is one of the most difficult things to do.
That is why preparing for a successful rehabilitation is of the utmost importance.
By accepting that you need help, arming yourself with knowledge, advocating for you and your wellness, and keeping an open mind, you will find that rehab treatment programs can be successful.