10 Things You Didn’t Know About Rehab Centers

Entering a rehab center for drug or alcohol use can be intimidating. But if you’re ready to change your life, you’ll likely find that the right center can help get you started on the path to success. Here are some things about rehab centers you may not have known before.

1. You’ll Need To Put In Work To Succeed

Some people enter rehab thinking that recovery is something that will just happen. And while therapists, counselors, and even other patients can help tremendously, you’ll need to focus, take a critical look at yourself and your life, and consciously take steps toward change.

2. They Can Help Treat Mental Health Conditions, Too

Many people with substance use disorders also struggle with mental health diagnoses. Substance use disorders tend to worsen mental health conditions and vice versa, so it’s critical that both issues are treated. Dual-diagnosis treatment centers can help you learn to manage both conditions.

3. Physical Health Is Important, Too

Depending on your drug of choice, you may enter a rehab center in poor physical health. Good rehabilitation centers will help you make healthy nutritional choices and offer plenty of opportunities for exercise. After all, when your physical health begins to improve, it’s likely your mental health will as well.

4. Insurance Will Often Cover Treatment

While some treatment programs don’t accept insurance, many programs do. And thanks to changes in policy, most insurance companies will cover some or all of the cost of treatment. Your insurance company or the rehab centers themselves can help you understand coverage options.

5. Some Programs Work With The Whole Family

In many cases, one person’s substance use disorder ends up having an impact on an entire family. Some treatment centers help work toward family healing by offering therapy sessions for the patient and their family. 

Some even offer separate sessions just for family members. While these sessions won’t fix a family dynamic overnight, they can help the patients and their loved ones start moving toward a more hopeful future.

6. You Can Choose Men’s-Only, Women’s-Only, Or Co-Ed

Thanks to the sheer variety of rehab centers available, there’s something for just about every preference. Some people prefer the experience of co-ed rehab. But if you’d prefer something like a women’s treatment center, you can choose a single-sex environment, too.

7. Trauma Is Often A Focus

A significant proportion of people with substance use disorders have a history of trauma. And to move on from using drugs or alcohol to cope, a patient needs to learn healthier ways of processing trauma. 

Most good treatment centers will offer trauma-specific therapy. Some may even offer treatment modalities (like EMDR) designed to help improve PTSD symptoms.

8. Rehabs Offer A chance To Build Community

While in rehab, you’ll likely make connections with others in the program. But if you stay in touch with friends you’ve made after you leave, you can build a supportive network of others in recovery. 

If you find yourself facing difficulties in your life after rehab, some of these connections may be able to offer valuable advice and support to help you through.

9. The Growth Process Can Be Uncomfortable

If you really apply yourself in a rehab program, you’ll likely find yourself confronting painful memories and truths. Early recovery is not easy. 

However, by confronting and working through challenges using healthier coping skills, you’re helping to ensure you will have a brighter future where you don’t feel the need to use drugs or alcohol.

10. There Are Support Options After Leaving

If you choose to, you can attend a step-down program after inpatient rehab. Partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient programs can allow you to continue working with therapists and counselors. In some cases, rehab centers can help you find a sober living facility if you’d like to live in a supportive environment with other sober people.

Bottom Line

Hopefully, you now have a clearer understanding of rehab centers and how they work. And whether you’re looking for treatment for yourself or a loved one, the right treatment center can make a major difference in your life going forward.