While in excess of 20 million Americans are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, it’s approximated that just 11 percent end up receiving treatment for their drug use disorder. Many factors may affect an individual’s decision not to look for help, consisting of incorrect notions about rehab. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five rehab misconceptions that hold individuals back from seeking effective treatment at intensive outpatient programs.
Rehab Misconception 1: You Have to Hit Rock Bottom First
The concept of “hitting rock bottom” incorrectly presumes that an individual shouldn’t look for help for their addiction or won’t benefit from rehab until they’ve struck an all-time personal low.
It’s certain that some individuals do not seek healing until they’ve experienced a crushing blow: a job loss, overdose, divorce or an arrest. However, reaching “rock bottom”—whatever that indicates—is not a requirement for obtaining support. A person can look for treatment in all phases of addiction, and there’s no need to go through extra pain, suffering and loss before pushing the reset button.
The rock-bottom misconception is likewise an unsafe one. Alcohol and drug addiction are progressive diseases, and waiting to hit rock bottom can result in irreparable bodily injury and even death. Between 2000 and 2015, more than half a million individuals passed away from drug overdoses—and a good many of them most likely thought that hadn’t struck rock bottom.
Waiting to get treatment can likewise make healing more difficult in other ways. Addiction puts a dreadful strain on relationships, and the longer you have been having problems with drugs or alcohol, the more difficult it can be to fix or reconstruct those damaged relationships.
You do not have to wait until you crash to get support. As the saying goes, “you’ll hit rock bottom the minute you stop digging.”
Rehab Misconception 2: You Can’t Afford Treatment
The perceived cost of rehab is among the most typical deterrents for help. Nearly half of all Americans suffering from a substance use disorder choose not to look for treatment since they think they can’t afford it or due to the fact that they don’t have health insurance coverage.
While treatment can be costly, there are more ways than ever helping people cover the expense of inpatient treatment. Under the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare as it’s more frequently understood) insurance companies are necessitated to cover mental health and drug abuse services as “important health benefits.” Many people struggling with an alcohol or drug addiction may also be unaware that Medicaid, which was significantly broadened under ACA, also covers drug treatment.
Check to see what other payment choices treatment facilities might have if you do not have insurance coverage and do not qualify for Medicaid.
It can pay to check with a range of providers because the cost of programs can vary widely from facility to facility. If cost is a factor, you’ll probably want to avoid facilities that tout themselves as “luxury” rehabs, and you may need to bypass on the private room. You may likewise wish to think about outpatient treatment, which can be much more inexpensive.
Numerous programs offer something called partial hospitalization, or day rehab, which offers extensive care and treatment during daytime hours, however, permits you to return home and sleep there at night. There are likewise many free resources available, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, that can help you attain sobriety.
Don’t let the expense of rehab prevent you from getting help. Keep in mind that treatment for dependency is a strong investment in yourself that will pay dividends for life.
Rehab Misconception 3: It Will Make You Sick and Miserable
If you’re thinking about getting treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, you may be concerned about whether detox is painful. The fact is, recuperating from addiction isn’t easy, however, a clinically supervised detox can relieve the adverse effects of withdrawal.
The detoxification process is usually the first step of dependency recovery. This includes the procedure of clearing drugs or alcohol from your system. While a number of physical negative effects may accompany detox, the strength of withdrawal symptoms and length of the withdrawal procedure can vary extensively from one person to another, depending on the substance abused and other factors.
For example, individuals undergoing heroin or opioid withdrawal might experience the following:
- Anxiety
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Muscle pains
- Intense cravings
- Abdominal cramps
- Unmanageable twitching
- A host of other signs
Thankfully, doctors manage a lot of these symptoms and side effects with medications that will keep you more at ease.
Since withdrawals can be hazardous—such as when somebody is withdrawing from alcohol, opiates or benzodiazepines—detoxing is much safer in the care of experienced experts. Medical personnel will have the ability to monitor your vital signs and provide care should any serious problems occur.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the withdrawal stage isn’t permanent. The typical period of detox is roughly 7 to 10 days, which is a reasonably short duration of time that will pave the way for healing and recovery.
Rehab Misconception 4: There’s No Hope for Those Who Relapse
Relapse prevails in recovery. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately 40 to 60 percent of people treated for drug addiction will relapse.
Relapse, however, does not imply treatment has actually fallen short. Because a drug use disorder is a persistent illness, relapse in an individual recovering from addiction is frequently a signal that treatment may need to be renewed or adjusted or that another treatment ought to be tried.
Many view relapse as a personal failing because of the stigma often attached to addiction. Unfortunately, this deformed view can trigger feelings of shame or guilt. In turn, this can magnify an individual’s desire to drink or utilize drugs. Once that happens, they are sent into an intensifying cycle of abuse.
Breaking this pattern is best achieved when addiction is treated like other chronic illnesses, which are diseases that can be handled or managed, but not cured.
In fact, the relapse rates for addiction resemble the relapse rates for a variety of chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Just as a diabetic with inadequate glucose control requires renewed intervention, a person with a substance use disorder who relapsed might require their treatment restored and adjusted.
Rehab Misconception 5: It’s Like Jail
Lots of people who’ve never been to rehab envision something comparable to prison or a mental institution. In their wild imagination, they imagine you’re “locked” away for 30 days, strip-searched and prohibited from seeing your loved ones. Sounds like the average prison movie, doesn’t it? The fact is that this conception is utterly ridiculous.
In actuality, most rehab centers go out of their way to ensure individuals are comfortable. Of course, all rehabs are different. Many offer amenities such as swimming pools, physical fitness spaces, massage and meditation. In other words, hardly a criminal justice setting. And, of course, most programs should include your family in your treatment.
The function of rehab is to release you from the grips of addiction, and getting you to that place requires structure and supervision.
At most rehabs, you’ll sleep, attend and eat therapy sessions along with other men and women recovering from substance abuse. This is an environment comparable to camp. You’ll be kept busy with a range of organized activities to help you master your addiction. A common day may consist of the following:
- Group treatment sessions
- Behavioral therapy
- Life skills training
- Relapse prevention training
- Family therapy sessions
- Recreational activities
A lot of rehabs limit the use or forbid personal cell phones and other electronic devices. However, the intent is not to cut you off from your friends and family. Rather, it’s to reduce opportunities for relapse and limit distractions, so you remain focused on your healing.
Keep in mind, going to rehab is a voluntary choice. It’s not a sentence. Therefore, you can check yourself out at any time.
Get Past Rehab Misconceptions
Rehab myths keep you from overcoming your addiction. The longer this goes on, the greater the risk you face from addiction. Nothing should dissuade you from seeking effective addiction rehab treatment.
Don’t ever assume rehab misconceptions are true. In virtually every instance, they aren’t. Perhaps you’ve heard troubling rumors about rehab that are standing in the way of treatment. If so, it’s guaranteed that they are based on half-truths and outright fabrications. Do your research and have a look at the facilities for yourself. When you’re ready, call Coalition Recovery at 888.707.2873 for more information
