Drug Rehab Mesa: How to Get Ready

If you’ve bravely decided to attend drug rehab in Mesa or are considering drug rehab Mesa residents can access, then you’re on the way to a better you. Change can seem scary, but you can improve your life. Admitting that you need help, to yourself and others, is a giant first step in the path toward recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Find out how to prepare yourself for rehab below and what you can do to ensure successful addiction treatment.

For more information on how our addiction treatment programs can help heal drug or alcohol dependence, please give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331.

When Addiction Gets Out of Control

Addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is a cruel and unforgiving disease. Historically, our society has treated addiction as a moral failing, like a conscious choice someone makes. We now know that addiction, in fact, is a disease of the body and the mind no different than cancer. Drug and alcohol addiction happens slowly and over time. Addiction can happen to anyone at any time in their life. What may start out as casual social use can build to something beyond your control, especially if you are using drugs and alcohol to medicate your feelings. Those who develop a substance use disorder often do so in response to adverse childhood experiences or other strong and persistent emotions resulting from trauma or mental illness. It is very common for those with mental health disorders, such as anxiety, PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder to develop a substance use disorder. This is called a co-occurring disorder, affecting around 40% of people with a form of mental illness. 

Symptoms of Drug Addiction

So how do you know if your drinking and drug use has crossed the line from casual use to addiction? Like any other disease, addiction presents itself with signs and symptoms that are present in everyone with the disorder.

People who are battling drug and alcohol addiction will generally experience the following:

• Withdrawal from family, friends, and social events
• Drinking far more than friends at social events or drinking heavily alone
• Experiencing blackouts from drinking or drug use
• Excessive and intense mood changes
• Unexplainable weight loss
• Increased secrecy about activities and whereabouts
• Drowsiness, lethargy, and slurred speech
• Increased need for money or stealing money and items
• A decline in performance at work or school
• Shirking work, family, or childcare obligations
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when drugs or alcohol are unavailable

As we are all unique individuals, no one person’s battle with substance use disorder will look the same. And no addiction treatment plan in Mesa will be the same, something that works for one person may not work for another. The good news is that drug addiction is a treatable illness despite the stigma addiction carries within our society. 

For more information on how our addiction treatment programs can help heal drug or alcohol dependence, please give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331.

5 Benefits of Inpatient Drug Rehab

The idea of spending weeks away from your family and obligations may seem daunting to you, but the initial recovery from an addiction to drugs and alcohol is a full-time job. And it’s a job that you are capable of, the strength to recover is within you, even if you feel hopeless now. Attending an inpatient rehab treatment center in Mesa, which is defined as a treatment program where you live at the facility or in sober housing, offers you the best chance to recover from addiction without a relapse. Benefits of inpatient treatment include

• You’ll be able to focus solely on your healing. Time away from obligations like work or school will allow you to discover the reasons why you have been self-medicating with drugs and alcohol.
• You’ll benefit from structure. Those in recovery from addiction, or a co-occurring disorder, will participate in therapy and activities designed to return a sense of normalcy to their life.
• You’ll build community. People living with addiction may feel isolated and cut off from friends and family by the severity of their illness. During inpatient rehab, you’ll meet others fighting the same battle as you. A large part of recovery from addiction is community support, including doing sober activities with sober friends.
• You’ll form new, healthy habits. Drug addiction steals our health and sparkle, bit by bit. During rehab, you’ll learn how to exercise, eat nutritious meals, and practice mindfulness under the care of rehabilitation experts.
• You’ll form the tools needed to stay sober. Undergoing therapy sessions will help build the skills you need to stay in recovery.

12 Steps to Get Ready for Drug Rehab

The unknown can be frightening, but being well-prepared can lessen those fears. We’ve put a list together of the things you can do to prepare yourself for an inpatient rehab stay, like the following:

• Plan to be offline from devices and away from social media for the first week of your stay to limit distractions to your recovery. With your approval, the family can receive updates about you from the staff.
• Bring a form of card payment. Although you don’t need cash, vending machines that take credit or debit cards are available.
• Bring comfortable clothes for lounging, exercise clothing, and shoes for hiking, fitness, and yoga activities. Clothing should be free of any alcohol or drug-based theme and shouldn’t be tight or revealing. Bring around 5-7 days’ worth of clothing that can fit into a small bag. Laundry is available at no extra cost.
• Bring cigarettes if you smoke, only sealed packages and cartons will be accepted.
• Bring your favorite pillow. Linens and bedding are provided, but if you have a pillow you love be sure to bring it with you.
• Be prepared for a roommate. Rooms are semi-private containing two twin beds.
• Prepare your employer or school for your absence for at least 30 days. You don’t have to share the medical reason. Check with your HR department about leave benefits that may be available to you.
• Let your trusted friends and family know that you will be dedicating 100% of your focus on healing, and thank them for understanding why you may be out of contact for a while.
• Bring your grooming and hygiene products with you, they must be new and in sealed packages. Bring flip-flops and a housecoat if you have one. 
• Bring a swimsuit.
• Don’t bring things like perfume, nail polish, food, or mouthwash.
• Bringing books about spirituality or recovery is ok

Support After Drug Rehab 

Now that you’ve got a sense of how to prepare for rehab, you might wonder how to prepare for life after rehab. Many different types of aftercare, including outpatient rehab programs, can help with the transition back to society. Another form of aftercare many people access after rehab is alumni support. The most well-known alumni support groups are Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, but if you are uncomfortable with faith-based programs organizations like the Secular Organization for Sobriety would be a good choice. Community support is an essential part of aftercare and relapse prevention planning.

Get Ready for Drug Rehab Near Mesa By Calling The River Source

There is hope for recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, but the first step toward healing must be taken by you. We accept many different kinds of health insurance, and you can verify yours quickly and easily. Our admission specialists are standing by 24/7 to answer your questions, pick up the phone and call us at 866-294-9331. There is no better time than today to make a change!