Going to rehab is a big step to take when it comes to recovery from addiction. It’s a necessary step to take, but one that takes a lot of courage. In fact, it takes a whole heap of courage to even recognize you are struggling with addiction.
When it comes to treatment, rehab is certainly the most effective step. But even today there’s a stigma and fear around rehab. Perhaps mainly because there is an air of uncertainty as to what to expect.
Ultimately, addiction treatment is different for everyone, and any rehab center worth its salt will create tailored programs to suit a person’s addiction, personality, and coping mechanisms. However, you will still find a similar structure to days in rehab, no matter where you are.
So, if you are considering rehab, then here’s a little snapshot of how a day may look as you set yourself on the road to recovery…
The Morning: Breakfast and the Day Ahead
In rehab, you’ll become accustomed to the early rise. It’s a healthy, hearty breakfast to begin with, while many rehab centers will also encourage yoga and meditation as they are proven ways to relax the mind and set you up for the day.
This is all to encourage a new, healthier routine that will not only be part and parcel of your time in rehab, but also change your approach to the day moving forward, and the rest of your life.
Following your breakfast, it will be time to start working on your recovery. Mornings can often start with meetings, which could be group-led or one-to-one with your therapist. It’s here that you begin to unpack the issues you have with addiction, as well as the people or environment you surround yourself in that have contributed to that addiction.
These are designed to help understand particular patterns that drive addiction and help you recognize certain trigger points to avoid relapse in the outside world.
The Afternoon: Therapy
Moving into the afternoon, the treatment typically starts to intensify and this is where you’ll find more tailored programs. Therapy can come in all manner of forms and you’ll initially sit down with your therapist to unlock the most effective method of therapy for you.
Typically this will involve one of the following four therapies:
- Group therapy
- Individual behavioral therapy
- Family therapy
- Specialized sessions
In the case of the latter, that could involve something more specific to you, such as stress management or grief counseling, if those are among the trigger points for your addiction. Alongside this, many rehab centers are also dipping their toes into alternative therapies too such as art, music, and equine therapy, which have proven hugely successful for a number of individuals.
Evening: Dinner and Meetings
Dinner will of course be delivered, which again will typically be a healthier option. After all, a healthy body is a healthy mind. There will also be multiple opportunities to get involved with further sessions. A group session may be delivered, if there hasn’t been one throughout the rest of the day, while you’ll often also find the classic 12-step program meeting in the evenings which can be optional.
When it comes to going to bed. It is encouraged to go to bed at a good time, with sleep a crucial part of rehab. Similar to wake-up and breakfast, this is designed to develop healthy sleeping patterns that then sees the body refreshed for the start of the next day. Where it all starts over again…
