personSo you’ve decided to take the first steps to repairing your life and setting out on a new, improved course. You’ve decided that addiction isn’t going to define your life and you’re going to go to rehab. The next few months won’t be easy, but you’ll look back on this point of time as a highlight of triumphing over your demons. The steps leading to this point may have seen you come to grips with difficult situations, but there are still steps to take before you head out the door to reclaim your control over life.

What to Expect on Your Path

When you enter into a rehabilitation center, any good program will consist of withdrawal, recovery, detoxification, nutrition, exercise and then a confrontation of and solution to pressures that caused a reliance on drugs or alcohol to begin with. You’re going to face difficult times during withdrawal, but you’ll also create healthy and supportive relationships with staff members and fellow recovering patients. In preparation, get into a mind frame where you can tackle whatever urges, hardships or pains befall you. Building this strength now will only better prepare you for recovery.

Narconon is a model network of rehabilitation clinics across the country and globe. The Narconon rehabilitation program consists of a program that starts with a withdrawal phase (done drug free whenever clinically possible), and a detoxification phase that helps addicts sweat out chemicals and drugs lodged in fat cells. This includes proper exercise and nutrition to rebuild a healthy body. Then a recovering addict will learn how to confront the problems in their life, how to handle the issues leading to addiction and how to overcome traps which pull people back into the addiction.

Setting Up Your Life for Your Stay

Before heading out to the rehab center, you need to put your life in order. You don’t have to tackle these objectives completely on your own as will be mentioned later. Furthermore, many of these actions can be completed after admission into the rehab center. Contact the facility for any help on this matter, setting up priorities and to resolve what can be done after arriving. Here are some of the actions to address:

  • Contact your employer and address the issues you’re facing and the steps you’re taking to handle your addiction. Being up-front with your employer may sound like putting your livelihood at risk, but as an addict, you are actually covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and can’t be discriminated against for going to rehab.
  • Lock up your house, apartment, set up care for animals, get trustworthy friends and family to look after your vehicle or possessions if need be.
  • Some of these steps can be arranged by others if there’s an urgent need to get into rehab and disassociate yourself with negative people in your life.
  • Pack! You’ll need normal clothing, workout clothes, toiletries and normal day to day items, but also consider taking a memento of someone that will help you keep your end goal in mind. If you go through any tough times you’ll have a reminder of why you’re committed to getting better.

Drug Addiction Treatment – Who Can Help

During this time, you as a recovered addict are taking a step that will be encouraged and facilitated by those around you that truly care about your survival and health. It’s completely natural for friends and family to want to help you in what could be the most important quest of your life. Many addicts have taken advantage of their friends and family while under the influence of drugs. This usually leads to addicts feeling guilt towards their loved ones. But understand that helping you get into rehab successfully is something that they will be proud of contributing to.

References:

Samhsa.gov – National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services –http://www.samhsa.gov/data/DASIS/NSSATS2012_Web.pdf