Have you been considering entering a women’s residential treatment program near you? Do you hesitate because you don’t know what it will be like or because you’ve heard rumors and are afraid the rumors are true? Hopefully, this article will separate the fact from the fiction so you feel more comfortable seeking help.
Myth: If you join a residential program, they’ll cut off all contact with friends and family, and you’ll be all alone.
Fact: Usually, there are a few days just after check-in when the staff limits your contact with others. Part of this is a safety measure. Many women suffering from substance abuse disorders use their drug of choice to deal with abusive relationships. Others may receive communication from their dealers.
However, most residents have restrictions lifted within the first week. Communication with supportive friends and family are often encouraged. There are also family counseling sessions where the family learns how best to support you in your recovery journey, how to overcome unhealthy patterns of behavior that drive addiction, and how to reach goals as a family.
Myth: Resident programs are like prisons. You lose all your freedom.
Fact: Unless you are ordered by the court system to attend rehab, you are free to leave anytime you wish. No one can make you get healthy before you’re ready. The real loss of freedom is continuing to be a slave to your addiction. It steals your time, health, money, job, relationships, and self-respect.
Inside a women’s rehab center, there is some structure to the schedules and programs, but you are a full participant in your treatment. You’ll have free time and access to a variety of sports and leisure activities as well as access to loved ones after the initial few days.
Myth: Rehab is an instant cure.
Fact: Unfortunately, once your body develops an addiction to a substance, it will always be sensitive to it. Inpatient treatment provides an intensive detox and learning program. You get the tools you need to manage your addiction for the rest of your life.
The good news is the longer you successfully manage the addiction, the easier it gets. Your brain develops other coping techniques. You think about your preferred substance less and less.
Myth: Rehab is like a spa retreat.
Fact: While most centers aim for comfort and privacy, you will likely share a room. The food is usually great, though you’re not likely to get exotic, overpriced meals. While there is leisure time, activities lean more toward art therapy, equine therapy, and yoga than mud wraps and facials. Rehab emphasizes function over fashion.
Myth: You will feel judged by the staff.
Fact: While there is some social stigma in the outside world, rehab is a safe place. Many of the staff have been where you are. They experienced the pain, fear, and doubt of their own addiction and fought their way to sobriety. They are experienced guides willing to show you the way to victory.
Myth: You’ll lose your kids if you go to rehab.
Fact: You may be separated from your kids, but that is not the same as losing your kids. In fact, getting well is your ticket to being able to keep your kids. A judge looks more kindly on a mother who voluntarily goes into rehab to create a safer and healthier environment for her kids than a mother whose children are taken away by CPS and who is forced to go to rehab after the fact.
Myth: You’ll lose your job and home if you go to rehab.
Fact: An understanding employer may hold your job for you while you go through an inpatient (residential) program. If not, you will leave rehab more fit than before to hold down a job. And if you absolutely can’t do a residential program for financial reasons, there are intensive outpatient programs that may fit your needs.
If you opt for an outpatient program, you will need to use every resource available to prevent relapse. Go to your meetings. Be proactive in making the behavioral changes suggested by your counselors. Change neighborhoods, jobs, friends, or anything else that will undermine your efforts. Make health and wellness your priority.
Myth: Going to rehab proves you are weak because you couldn’t beat your addiction on your own.
Fact: Detox is a dangerous process. Depending on how much and how long you’ve been using, detox could be fatal. It’s not brave to try to detox on your own; it’s reckless.
Once detox is over, why not avail yourself of all the resources rehab has to offer? The truth is, they can’t cure your addiction. They can show you the path to recovery, like handing you a road map. You’re the one who will make that journey. You are beating your addiction the smart way.
Conclusion
Hopefully, rehab seems a little less scary, and you can take that step toward better health. Call our Utah drug and alcohol detox and addiction recovery centers if you have any additional questions.
Infographic
Are you considering a women’s residential treatment program but feeling uncertain due to rumors or lack of information? This infographic clears up misconceptions to help you feel more confident in seeking help.
