Top 10 Tips for Getting the Most from Rehab
You deserve a lot of credit for entering a rehab program because you have decided to take control over your substance use disorder. This is a massive step in your life and your recovery. However, becoming a client of a rehab program is such an important step that one should never do it in haste. To get the most out of a rehab program, you’ll need to approach your time in the best way possible. This article will discuss 10 tips for getting the most from rehab.
1. Seek Out Assisted Detox
The first step to recovery is withdrawal, which can be very difficult physically and emotionally. For that reason, professional rehab programs include assisted detox. When a person with a substance use disorder no longer has access to the substance in rehab, the withdrawal will happen. The withdrawal symptoms can be highly uncomfortable depending on the substance. Professional medical support while going through withdrawal can help with these unpleasant to severe symptoms and withdrawal in a treatment facility.
2. Do Not Fight the Fact That You Have a Problem
You are in rehab for a reason. You’ve decided to enter because you want to recover from your substance use disorder. You’ve detoxed, and you are ready to continue your treatment. To get the most from recovery, you need to accept that you have a problem. Once you admit that you have a substance use disorder, you can do what is necessary to recover.
However, accepting that we have a problem, especially with a substance use disorder, is often easier said than done. Usually, it’s easier to fight the problem by denying we have a problem, avoiding discussions or thinking about our situation, and blaming other people or the circumstances of our lives for our problem. This behavior is not conducive to successful rehabilitation.
But one of the rewarding aspects of rehab is when you accept that you have a problem and enter rehab, the facility has the tools to help you solidify your acceptance. In other words, you won’t be dealing with your reality alone. You’ll not only be with other individuals who are in recovery, but you’ll also have the support of professionals.
3. Go All In
You have made a personal and financial commitment to the process when you enter rehab. This decision is huge, and as we’ve said, you deserve a lot of credit. In other words, you deserve to be congratulated for taking this big step. Therefore, get the most out of the process while you are there.
What does commitment mean in rehab? It means that you must put in the hard work. Many people suffering from a substance use disorder would say that it is easier to be in the problem than to get out of the problem. Success in rehab is hard work because you need to commit to your sobriety.
Also, it is essential to acknowledge that relapses do happen. Approximately 40% to 60% of people relapse within 30 days of leaving rehab, and roughly 85% relapse within the first year.
However, keep in mind that relapsing does not mean failure. It means that your treatment needs to be continued, reinstated, or adjusted, or an alternative treatment is necessary. Remember why you are in rehab and commit whether you relapse or not.
4. You Will Have Good Days and Bad Days, So Be Patient
Rehab is not a quick fix. It is a process that takes a long time. You won’t always have good days during this process, and you need to be patient with yourself. Comparing yourself to others in rehab is not something you should do. Your recovery is personal, and your journey is your own.
Post-acute withdrawals, otherwise known as PAWS, are another issue to keep in mind. The symptoms vary according to the person and the dependency, and it can last from a couple of days to a couple of years. (We’ll provide more information about PAWS below.) Working through PAWS during and after recovery is crucial, and you will receive the tools to do it.
Finally, not only must you be patient with yourself, but your friends and loved ones must also be patient as you recover. Effective recovery means that friends and loved ones acknowledge that you are working hard to recover and that recovery takes time.
5. Record Your Thoughts on Paper
Another tip for getting the most from rehab is to write things down on paper. Also, keep a file of your notes and include any handouts and other literature you are given in recovery. Why should you take information out of your head and write it down on paper? There are a couple of reasons.
For one, writing information down on paper helps you to achieve your goals. When you take the information you are learning in rehab and write it down, you help yourself achieve your sobriety goals. In fact, individuals who write information and record their goals are 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to achieve those goals. You’ve got all the information in front of you to look over again and again rather than trying to remember everything that you have heard.
Second, writing information down helps to deal with any PAWS impact. Post-acute withdrawals, or PAWS, are impairments that can exist days, weeks, and even months after an individual discontinues the use of a substance. It can affect approximately 90% of opioid users and 75% of alcohol and psychotropic users. The condition can include anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, low energy, insomnia, and chronic pain. PAWS can interfere with your cognitive functioning and your ability to retain information. Therefore, writing thoughts and information down as they enter your head will help combat any PAWS interference.
6. Keep an Open Mind While Advice Is Given to You
In rehab, you will receive a wide variety of help from professionals who are experts at what they are talking about. It is strongly advised that you listen to what the professionals say and follow their advice. Keep an open mind. Take full advantage of the resources and medicines available. With that said, there will be information that you may disagree with. A good practice is to take what you need, write it down, and leave the rest.
7. Always Follow the Rules
Part of your responsibility in rehab is to follow the rules, no matter what they are. If you don’t follow the rules, you will harm your recovery, and you won’t be practicing honesty and integrity. There’s a saying in the recovery world: “You can’t expect to stay clean if you’re living dirty.”
8. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask a Lot of Questions
Never be afraid to ask many questions while you are in rehab. For example, referring to number seven, if you have questions about a rule, ask. However, don’t be combative or disrespectful. If you have questions about approaching your rehab, feel free to sit down with the facility’s counselors, therapists, and other staff members. If there are professionals who have recovered, discuss what worked for them. Asking questions is a large part of the process of a successful recovery.
9. A Rehab Program Is Just the Beginning
When you enter rehab, you must understand that it is not a quick fix for your substance use disorder. Sure, you will receive all the tools and resources you’ll need to start your recovery, but it’s just the beginning. Many people believe that you are all fixed once you enter treatment and complete your 30, 60, or 90 days. Not so fast! Your recovery continues after you leave treatment. If it doesn’t, the chances of relapse are greater.
10. Begin Your Aftercare Planning as Soon as Possible
As we mentioned above, once you leave rehab, the healing doesn’t stop there. Aftercare programs are significant to help you avoid a relapse. Aftercare programs, or “continuing care,” provide structure and help you stick to abstinence. Aftercare programs include 12-step groups, medication, therapy, sober living, and other elements. There is no set amount of time for aftercare. However, the more you focus on your sobriety, the more successful you will be.
Based in Salem, New Hampshire, Granite Recovery Centers has the goal of helping a client return to a drug-free and productive life. Our organization offers professional drug rehab in many facilities throughout New Hampshire.
When you are a client at Granite Recovery Centers, you will not receive a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, there is individualized and personal treatment in a setting with a low client-to-clinician ratio. The center provides medically supervised detox, residential treatment, outpatient treatment, aftercare programs, holistic treatment, individual and group counseling, dual diagnosis treatment, a 12 step program, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and trauma therapy. At Granite Recovery Centers, we also offer experienced staff members who have recovered from a substance use disorder and who can relate and empathize with your condition as you move through the process of living a substance-free life. If you or a loved one needs help with a substance use disorder, contact us at 855-712-7784.