When finding the right rehab for you, you may not pay attention to the environment of the facility in which you attend. Many people find themselves hurried to check into whatever facility can admit them first. However, making sure your environment in rehab is a positive one is vital. Every treatment center is different and what’s best for someone else may not be best for you. One thing that matters for everyone, though, is a positive, safe, and supportive environment to start the healing process in.
Your daily surroundings make a huge impact on your life. For example, people who surround themselves with negative or emotionally abusive people tend to be unhappy and hurt a lot of the time. On the other hand, positive and supportive environments better promote healthy habits and happier individuals. Here are 4 reasons your environment matters during rehab.
For Many, It’s Life or Death
Unfortunately, addiction is often a life or death situation. Whether it’s an alcoholic dying a slow, painful death, or a young heroin user dying of a sudden overdose, many addictions are potentially fatal. Hundreds of people die each day due to drug and alcohol-related problems. The sooner people get help, the better. Many medications used in treatment, such as Suboxone, are known to reduce relapse rates and overdoses. Medications like Vivitrol reduce alcohol abuse, protecting people from the harm alcohol causes to the body.
When you find help, you are essentially allowing yourself another chance at life. Finding a drug rehab that has a positive, trusting environment increases the likelihood that you will heal, get sober, and stay sober. Addiction isn’t easy to overcome, but it’s made easier with the help of a compassionate, trusted drug rehab staff. In the end, the quality of the rehab you choose may ultimately mean the difference between life and death. Obviously, you want to pick the one with the environment that is most conducive to recovery.
Rehab Should Separate You From Triggers
One core component of residential rehab programs is that they separate people from people, places, and things that may provoke thoughts of drug or alcohol use. During rehab, you are temporarily away from your job, family, home, and social structure – but that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes, people need time away from the things they love most in order to heal.
For some people, rehab environments that are too close to home or have too much family involvement aren’t effective. In many cases, healing from addiction requires a temporary separation from life and time dedicated to therapy, counseling, and growth. The right rehab will promote an environment that makes you feel comfortable enough to settle in but not comfortable enough to gain exposure to triggers.
You Need to Feel Safe
Safety is a crucial aspect to consider when choosing the right rehab for you. First of all, if you’re addicted, you might experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop using drugs or alcohol. Consequently, your safety during detox may depend on the professional assistance provided at a detox and treatment facility. After all, it’s dangerous to deal with withdrawals on your own. Your physical safety isn’t the only thing that matters though – making sure you feel safe matters, too.
Opening up isn’t always easy. Sitting in a group with other people and a therapist that you barely know while being asked to speak about troublesome times in the past is a difficult thing to do. However, it’s a lot easier to do when you trust the people around you. A good rehab will do their best to make the therapy sessions and the environment, in general, to feel safe. You want to make sure you feel comfortable with your therapist and that you feel safe confiding in him or her. Establishing this level of trust is important, especially in therapy. While it’s not always easy to talk about some things, you begin healing as soon as you do.
Therapeutic Rehab Environments Cultivate Healing
Your environment during rehab should provide counseling, therapy, and emotional support. This treatment plan should also be customized to meet your specific needs. It’s important that your rehab puts a heavy focus on therapy and counseling, as these are things that prevent relapse. Therapeutic environments help people uncover the underlying causes and conditions of their addictions and arm them with the coping skills and tools to stay sober in the future.
Many people enter a treatment program while overwhelmed with feelings of guilt, heaps of issues, and emotional struggles. Understandably, many of these feelings stem from addiction and it’s consequences. Some feel as though they don’t have a shot at long-term sobriety or that they don’t deserve it. However, a good rehab will cultivate an environment where your feelings matter. Compassionate clinical teams will help you process emotions, work through your past, and gain hope for your future in recovery.
Many drug rehabs offer holistic treatments to help promote alternative therapeutic methods, such as fitness, yoga, music and art therapy, nutrition education, and more. These holistic activities further cultivate a therapeutic environment for you to begin healing in.
