Getting clean can be a frightening proposition. While staying on drugs isn’t the option of choice, getting clean provides a whole new set of challenges that can be daunting. There are also misconceptions circulating around the drug world about facilities like these, lying claims to things that are simply not so. Knowing what you or your loved one will go through goes a long way to helping ease the concerns felt when embarking on this journey. This article provides an overview of the steps encountered when a person stays at a rehabilitation facility:

Free Will

First and foremost, it is important to dispel the myth that rehabilitation facilities are akin to jail cells. That couldn’t be further from the truth. There are no locks on the doors of these facilities. People can leave if they choose. There are consequences to your actions in this environment as there are with everything that you do, but rehabilitation facilities do not force you to stay. Be sure of any legal ramifications before taking action.

Detox

Perhaps the most feared aspect of the journey is detoxification which is the first step that people encounter when they enter a rehabilitation facility. There is no way to sugarcoat the reality of this process. The physical toll that detoxification takes on patients is rough, but it is a necessary step to maintaining a clean and sober life. The body must be rid of the toxins that have been put in it before the mind can recover.

There are two ways that drug rehabilitation centers in Arizona address detox. Some continue to do it on-site, but many opt to have the patient detox at a different facility. Understanding the complexities of withdrawal, many centers have their patients admitted to a facility equipped to handle the physical demands for 5-7 days. Once the patient is clean, they can be transferred to the rehabilitation center.

Education

Once the patient is admitted to the rehabilitation center a normal routine of education and therapy gets established. Education in the form of introspection and honest evaluation is most prevalent in facilities of this type. Patients are taught about the vice they used and what it does to the body and mind. They are educated on the particulars so they can understand the chemistry of how their drug of choice interacted with their bodies. They will learn about what happens to the body if used isn’t terminated in an effort to drive home the impact of drugs on their lives.

Therapy

Individual counseling and group sessions are also part of the rehabilitation process. The frequency of each varies from facility to facility, however, each incorporates this method of discussion as a way to encourage patients to express why they did drugs and why they want to stop. Many come into rehab in denial of the depth of their addiction. These sessions are designed to break through their denial and get to the core of the problem. Group sessions also let the patient see that they are not alone in their struggle. It teaches them to embrace each other and serve as a rock for mutual success.

Therapy also provides coping mechanisms that can be used once the patient leaves the facility and goes back out into the world. Patients are taught how to identify instances where they may want to use drugs and are given coping mechanisms to help them avoid those situations and people.

Family Interaction

Sometimes family members are allowed to participate in inpatient treatment. This eliminates the alienated feeling some patients may feel by being separated from everything and everyone they know.

Family members receive a similar education as the patient in that they learn about the intricacies of addiction and how to avoid pitfalls. This will better equip them to help the patient once they are ready to reenter the world and transition into active recovery. Family members also learn how their actions enabled the patient and ways to change that behavior moving forward. These sessions also allow family members to begin to heal from the suffering they have experienced because of the addiction.

When It’s Over

After the patient has gone through the rehabilitation program (about 28 days), many facilities have an aftercare program. This program helps the patient transition back into an environment where drugs are prevalent and access is unlimited.

Many options exist for handling aftercare. It may be suggested that the patient get into a 12-step program to maintain accountability, live in a halfway house, or receive outpatient treatment. That decision is based on the patient’s personality and progress and will be made by the counselor prior to the patient’s release.

Getting clean isn’t easy. It takes perseverance, acceptance, understanding, and a willingness to think better and do better for oneself to be successful. Getting into a rehabilitation facility is a great start on the road to recovery. Be sure to research facilities to determine which program works best for you or your loved one and then, in a word, commit. Commit to yourself. Commit to your family. Commit to your life.