Effective Drug Rehabilitation
What happens in rehab?
No one has a life long ambition to go to rehab. It is not something we think about as a child: ‘when I grow up I want to go to rehab!’. However if we need it, we may be very grateful to finally get to the place we know is our best chance of getting out of the misery and pain of our addiction; or we may go to rehab very reluctantly, coerced by our family or friends who have had enough of witnessing our self destruction. The chances are that we will arrive in a poor mental and physical state, feeling rather afraid of what we might be facing and of letting go of the drugs.
How will I handle withdrawal?
If you are on a drug for which there is detox medication, it is likely that you will be offered this – for example, if you are on an opiate you may be given something which prevents you feeling the withdrawal symptoms. Many drugs do not require medicated detox but you may be given something short term to relieve your anxiety. Many rehab centres will also give you a sleeping tablet in the first week to help you establish a good pattern of sleep.
What happens when I leave?
A good drug rehab centre will give you advice on what to do once you leave. If you follow this, you should not go far wrong. It will include avoiding the people you used to use with and the places in which you used / obtained your drugs. It will also involve a complete change of lifestyle in which your recovery – including attending support group meetings and working a programme – comes first and foremost and is at the centre of your life. All the good things in your life that could happen when you leave will flow from being clean and sober.
Most rehab centres offer some form of weekly aftercare support and it is advisable to use this – especially as the people running the support are likely to have got to know you very well when you were in treatment. They can therefore best advise you on the challenges you are bound to face when you return to your everyday life.
Staying clean might involve you putting many hours into your recovery every week and certainly will require some daily devoted time. However, think how much time and energy you used to put into using drugs!
What might I gain from rehab?
Going through the rehab experience will give you a new life – if you want it. Lots of research has linked treatment success with the attitude of the addict. If you want to get and stay clean and sober, you can. It is almost as simple as that.
You will no longer be in the prison of addiction, under the control of drugs. It is the most amazing freedom ever.
Here is some feedback from people who have been through rehab at The Haynes Clinic in Bedfordshire. The feedback indicates some of the things they gained by going through the experience and what all recovering addicts can get from a rehab programme. As addicts….
- We learn about ourselves and we get self worth from helping others. It helps us to make sense of our addiction – maybe we can put our bad experiences to good use.
‘I thank you all so much. I told (my sons) I have gone to superhero school and I wasn’t far from telling the truth. The work you Guys do is heroic and you are the real heroes. I have learnt so much from you about myself and others. If I can help just one person half as much as you have helped me, I will be a happy man. In a weird way, it has been an absolute pleasure to be part of your programme. I wasn’t expecting rehab to be like this and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here getting to know everyone. I hope I can do myself proud and by doing that make you all proud also. Thanks again. Lots of love, ***** (Cocaine addict).
‘You… made me realise I was not here for my daughter, but here for myself. You….(have) so much wisdom and spirit. I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to enter Haynes and always putting a smile on my face.’
- We get a new chance of living when we might have killed ourselves with our addiction. We can be who we are meant to be.
‘Thank you for saving my life and for helping me to be the man I have always wanted to be’ **** (Cocaine and crack addict)
‘Thank you for helping me to see my own truth and showing me the door to freedom’
- We can start to be useful members of society
‘I’ll be 18 months on the 13th of this month….I can’t believe it… I finally did all that was suggested…fully engaged with the 12 Step Programme and my life is going beyond what I could have hoped for…. I’m working for a humanitarian.. organisation…. I’m even being considered for a manager’s role which is amazing …. Even to be considered is a miracle’.
I just want to thank you at the Haynes Clinic for all the incredible work you do…I often think about my time there. It’s where I was introduced to the concept of recovery… it is where my journey began. You all hold a very special place in my heart. I am truly grateful for everything you did and continue to do.’
‘I can’t believe it’s been a few years already! Things are going good for me. Still clean and sober, almost 3 years! I’ve got a job that I’ve been at for over a year now’
‘I’m almost 4 years sober and my last drink or drug was just before I came to you guys. I’ve got a full time job, I’ve got a home group and service and a great sponsor and my boyfriend and I are hoping to buy a house in the next few months. So things are really going pretty great! Thank you so much for everything you guys did for me and for the help and support while I was with you guys. Thank you for helping me start my journey to the life I have now and will hopefully keep having. I hope you are all well and safe. I am forever grateful’
So do not be afraid. If you need drug rehab help, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Go with the right attitude, grasp the opportunity that is being offered to you – however hard it seems at times – and move forward into a new happy and fulfilled life.
