Deciding to obtain treatment for problems related to drugs and alcohol is the first step toward creating a better life for yourself. Through therapy sessions and discussions with other people in a similar situation, you have the opportunity to entirely turn your life around. However, you may be wondering if you can stay in-touch with family members and friends while you’re treated.
Out-Patient Treatment
If you are going for an out-patient program, then you do not have limitations on who you can see when you are outside of the program. An out-patient program does not require you to live at the facility. However, counselors may very well suggest that you avoid interactions with individuals who have assisted in your destructive path in the past. For those who are enrolling in an in-patient program, other rules will apply. You can still interact with family members and friends, but you’ll have limitations.
Leaving The Facility
When you are enrolled in an in-patient program, you should expect to leave the facility frequently, and it is likely that you won’t be able to go out at all. If you want to have actual contact with your loved ones, then they are going to have to visit you. Upon starting the program, your main focus should be on yourself and your recovery. After you have been there awhile, however, you may wish to ask if day trips are permitted as long as they are approved by the staff and accompanied by a supervisor.
Visiting Times and Hours
Family members and friends will have the opportunity to visit you at the facility, but you will need to abide by regulations. For example, they will not just be able to come at any time of the day; they will have to follow the visiting hours. Furthermore, they will not be present when you are in therapy sessions or other programs designed to help you overcome your struggles. On top of that, you may be allowed to have only a certain number of visitors at a time for the safety and comfort of the other patients.
Technology and Communication
People who are used to spending hours a day on social media sites and computers are probably going to be in for some changes when they arrive at rehab. You are unlikely to have the same amount of access to a computer that you did before you enrolled in the program, so be sure to keep that in-mind. Times may exist when you are able to communicate with your family members and friends through email, but your main focus is not one these tasks. Too much time on the Internet can be a form of addiction, and you want to move past addictions.
Writing Letters
In 2014, many people have forgotten about methods that used to bring a great deal of joy to individuals. You don’t need a computer to send a message to a loved one. Instead, send a real letter and tell the person what you have been up to. Then, you will wait for a response from him or her. In some ways, waiting for a response, instead of having one delivered to you immediately upon sending an email, can help you to handle the problems with instant gratification that drugs and alcohol bring.
Choosing Your Friends Wisely
During this time period, you are probably quite happy to see a familiar face from home no matter who it is. While you have only yourself to blame for the problems that have manifested in your lives with drugs and/or alcohol, other individuals could have been influences in a negative way. Seriously consider cutting off your ties with these people. They are toxic to your life, and you don’t need them to bring any more negativity to you. Limit the visits and communications with people who you know are really there for you and who want to see you recover from these addictions.
Building a support system and maintaining the one that you already have are both important elements when you’re going through a rehabilitation program for drugs and alcohol. Doing so helps you to see that there are individuals who want to help you when you leave.
