When most people think of drug rehabs, they imagine dreary places filled with unhappy addicts. However, the reality is that good rehab centers in US are vibrant hubs of people all trying to build a better life. Residents meet like-minded but diverse people who have experienced similar struggles to them. They enjoy each other’s company while connecting on a deeper level normally reserved for the closest of friends.
The staff at rehab centers are warm and supportive, rather than cold and punitive. They run sessions without judgment, encouraging everyone to listen to each other, no matter how difficult a person’s story may be. Individuals who have a tough time getting on board with the principles of recovery – and almost everyone struggles to some extent – are received with empathy and understanding. Contrary to many depictions in pop culture, they are never written off as troublemakers or cynics.
Rehab is never easy. That would defeat the purpose. On the contrary, it takes hard work which makes it all the more rewarding. While there are many different paths to recovery, all good rehab centers tend to abide by the spirit of the following principles.
Community
In rehab, a strong, supportive community is key. Individuals learn how to be vulnerable around one another. They begin to accept support in their journey, no matter how averse to asking for help they are at the start.
Furthermore, in learning to support others, they gain insight into their own disease. Often, it is easier to forgive someone else’s flaws than your own. In seeing others struggling with similar demons, residents of rehabs get an outside perspective of what they themselves are going through.
This solid community structure not only facilitates mutual recovery, but actually makes the time spent in rehab enjoyable. No one wants to be in rehab, but many former residents remember it as a special time in their lives. They think of their fellow residents with affection and gratitude, and are appreciative that they had the opportunity to grow together.
Non-judgment
When rehab is portrayed in many series and movies, a common trope shows staff (and sometimes residents) disapproving of a protagonist who has the gall to resist the program and treatment. This is an unfortunate misunderstanding of how rehab works. Nearly every single person who enters rehab rages against the system to some extent. It is only natural when your patterns are urging you to go back to old habits. Rehab only works because it is an environment of nonjudment.
Rehabs are not run or staffed by people who cannot handle criticism and antipathy. On the contrary, they are run by people who understand all-too-well how difficult it is to accept the help on offer. They know the depths of the despair that leads most addicts to believe that the program is never going to work for them.
In addition, you are not going to be judged on who you are or what you might have done. Everyone in rehab has done things that they regret. They have done things that they deem unforgivable. Staff members have to be able to understand that these acts don’t make the person evil or malicious. Anyone who cannot empathize in this way is not cut out for the job.
Dual-Diagnosis
Another aspect that good drug rehab centers have in common is that they take a dual-diagnosis approach. This means that they do not view the substance use disorder in isolation. They understand that it is often connected to struggles with at least one other mental illness.
Many addicts suffer from depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD, and a range of other mental illnesses. Substance use often begins as a tool for coping with the symptoms of mental illness.
The corollary is that substance use can lead to other mental illnesses. As a substance starts to replace one’s healthy coping mechanisms, the individual becomes overwhelmed by emotions and thoughts that they were once capable of managing.
Dual-diagnosis rehab centers examine residents for other mental illnesses right from the start. Effectively treating one without treating the other is impossible.
Holistic
In the same way, good drug rehab treatment centers view the individual from a holistic standpoint. Each resident is more than their disease. They are a complete human with physical, mental, and emotional needs. A healthy, balanced life is essential to recovery.
Treatment centers therefore offer nutritionists, occupational therapists, fitness coaches, mindfulness training, and a range of other treatment modules. The healthier an individual is in general, the more likely they are to maintain their recovery.
Recovery is a continuous process
Finally, a good treatment center should have a strong commitment to aftercare and sober living. Recovery does not end at the end of inpatient treatment. While in the treatment center, residents are in a bubble, in which hard work is recognized and triggers are kept at bay. Outside of the center, individuals need to appreciate their own work, even when they are struggling. They also need to manage their own triggers.
The treatment center should be a companion throughout the process of recovery. It cannot play the same role in a person’s life after they have left inpatient treatment, but it should provide a solid framework for support.
This includes continued group and individual sessions, resources in a crisis, and a sense of community. Recovery is not considered “complete” and is rather seen as a continuous process of self-development.
Luxury drug rehab centers are all committed to the same essential principles. Start your recovery today in a rewarding atmosphere of a nonjudgmental community.
References:
- Boisvert, R. A., Martin, L. M., Grosek, M. and Clarie, A. J. (2008), Effectiveness of a peer‐support community in addiction recovery: participation as intervention. Occup. Ther. Int., 15: 205-220. doi:10.1002/oti.257
- Ziedonis, D. and Brady, K. (1997). DUAL DIAGNOSIS IN PRIMARY CARE. Medical Clinics of North America, 81(4), pp.1017-1036.
- Young, M. E., DeLorenzi, L. d. and Cunningham, L. (2011), Using Meditation in Addiction Counseling. Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 32: 58-71. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1874.2011.tb00207.x
