There are many reasons why people attend drug and alcohol rehab, but one of the most important ones is the acknowledgment that they live with addiction and cannot fight it alone.
Why People Attend Alcohol & Drug Rehab
A substance use disorder is like any other health condition—it requires comprehensive treatment without shame, fear, or judgment. While different people have different reasons for attending an addiction treatment center, some reasons are more common than others.
Life-Saving Care
It is well-known that alcohol or drug use is not good for your health. When you live with addiction, you’re likely not using in moderation.
Over time, that kind of alcohol or drug abuse can severely affect your health. You or your healthcare provider may notice specific health issues caused by your addiction, and you could be putting your life at risk.
By going to rehab, you’re taking a step toward improving your health and decreasing your risk of overdose. Going to rehab can be the first step to saving your life.
Sense Of Control
Going to an addiction treatment facility can also be a way to take back control of your life. When you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, the drugs and their side effects control you more than you control them.
With rehab, you can take back that control and learn to live without drugs being your main motivation.
While in rehab, treatment like support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you see the ways your life could be better without abusing drugs or alcohol.
Mental Health Support
Lots of people who are struggling with a substance use disorder also have a co-occurring mental health condition.
Someone may receive treatment for depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety and then realize they have a problem with drugs and alcohol as well. This can ultimately be what leads them to attend rehab.
If co-occurring mental illness and addiction are an issue, it’s important to find a rehab center that treats both at the same time. Treating one before the other has not been shown to be successful.
Medical Detox Services
Quitting drugs on your own can be very dangerous, especially if your body is dependent on alcohol, opioids, methamphetamines, heroin, or benzodiazepines. The withdrawal symptoms involved in quitting these drugs after you’ve become dependent on them can be life-threatening.
By attending rehab, many people receive medication or other forms of treatment from healthcare professionals to ease withdrawal symptoms in a medical detox program.
If any other health issues occur, your healthcare providers will likely be there to catch it before it turns into something serious. After medical detox, inpatient or outpatient rehab can be the next step.
Relationship Issues
If a relationship has broken down due to your alcohol or drug use, rehab can be the first step in healing that divide with your loved one.
You may discover all the ways you hurt that person while in treatment but you also have the opportunity to make amends. Family therapy is often a part of rehab and can help you begin to rebuild your relationships with any family members.
Avoid Further Trouble
Some people go to rehab because they are in trouble with the law and addiction treatment has been given as an alternative to jail. But jail doesn’t have to be the thing that leads you to rehab. It could be losing your job or being expelled from school.
When something bad happens that shows you how much your drug and/or alcohol use affects your life, it can lead you to go to rehab instead of falling further into your addiction.
Why People Return To Rehab
As many reasons as there are for people going to rehab, there are just as many for why people return. But one reason likely stands above all the others: relapse.
Relapse
The most common reason people return to rehab is that they’ve relapsed and need more help. However, this isn’t a failure and happens regularly during the recovery process.
While the causes for relapse tend to be personal, it’s not a sign of weakness. It’s likely a sign that old coping behaviors need to be replaced with new, healthier ones. This makes another round of addiction treatment an effective option for maintaining recovery.
If you or a loved one continues to struggle with substance abuse, our treatment options include group therapy, behavioral therapy, and medication-assisted treatment on an outpatient basis. To learn more, please contact us today.
