Connect with us

Health

What to Expect in Drug Rehab

Published

on

One of the great things about someone being in a residential drug rehab facility is the fact that aside from removing the temptation to use (if there is no access to illicit narcotics someone can’t be tempted to use), they also keep you busy. Aside from going through different stages to ensure that the underlying cause of drug addiction is addressed, it is also important to ‘learn’ how to live a life free of addiction, considering this often means that someone has a lot of extra time in the day. Learning what happens throughout the day in a residential drug treatment facility can help relieve some of the stress people feel about attending one such treatment center.

The Beginning of the Day

Before eating breakfast, residents often get a chance to take care of personal hygiene needs. In many facilities, there is no sleeping in for residents unless extraordinary circumstances are involved. This is not done to punish someone but is done to provide a sense of stability in someone’s day-to-day routine.

Sometimes residents meet together before they have breakfast; this can mean that stretching, light exercise, or other pre-breakfast activities are done together. After breakfast, morning activities will often take place. Again, these can vary from program to program. For some applications, this means informational, educational, or therapeutic meetings, while for others, it may include responsibilities or chores. Afterward, there are scheduled activities that can consist of individual assignments, informational presentations, or other things. Some examples of different tasks involve reading or writing assignments or journalism.

Free time may occur in the morning or afternoon, but in most programs, free time is after dinner.

Many programs have a modified schedule during weekends and holidays. This is another critical aspect of the treatment because the downtime allows someone to have a better understanding of what life will be like once they are no longer in the facility.

Structured Activities and Meetings

Most of the structured activities that residents participate in happen from Monday to Friday, during daytime hours. This is when the professional staff is often onsite. Regular meetings with an assigned consultant or counselor are also part of the schedule. Any session is usually done with the input of the client. Unlike traditional 12-step programs that apply the same treatment plan to everyone, once objectives and individual goals are identified, a personalized treatment plan is usually developed. During these sessions, there is often a periodic assessment of how the resident is developing.

Many long-term inpatient treatment centers also have health care professionals on staff to provide a physical examination or solve physical problems should they arise. This is especially helpful if someone has a preexisting condition or is perhaps worried that withdrawal symptoms may be dangerous to their overall health.

Holistic Treatment and Nutrition

Several treatment facilities use holistic treatments to make sure that the body is taken care of, as well. Though the mind is often the underlying cause of addiction, the body needs to be healthy as well. Nutritional therapies and a broad range of vitamins and minerals are becoming standard for many programs.

Life After Treatment

Overall, treatment centers are not just about ridding the body of drugs or alcohol, but as much about educating someone on how to live a life without addiction. When someone is living with addiction, often, their life is consumed by the need to use. Residents must experience how to make it through a day with all the extra time previously taken up by drug use. While it is not possible to go through all the steps, you will find at a treatment facility; this is a typical overview of many of the treatment facilities you can see in the United States.