What to Expect During Addiction Rehabilitation

You or someone you know has made the decision to pursue addiction rehabilitation and regain control of a precious life. This is so awesome! Congratulations. The commitment is the first place to begin and you are on your way. You are casting aside an addictive lifestyle and replacing it with an improved, wholesome and positive attitude that life is again worth living and loving.

So, now what can you expect to see, hear, smell, taste and feel while you go through the process of drug rehabilitation? Many who enter drug rehab treatment centers experience anxiety and fear at first primarily because of the unknown factor of it all. Will I be safe? Will I be taken care of if I cannot take care of myself temporarily? Will they talk about me to others? Will I fail? Will they fail?

All of your senses will be jangling. Perhaps you will hear soothing music and the trickling sounds of water fountains or you may hear overhead operator announcements and charts clapping in the hall. It really depends on the type of drug rehab center you either choose or are admitted to for your treatment. The first scenarios would be a holistic or private integrative center and the last description is probably what you would hear in a highly clinical and medical environment.

Smells influence individual thoughts and behaviors in profound ways. Some centers are very savvy in this area and have even hired clinical aroma therapists to help the client deal with nausea and headaches in a drugless fashion during detoxification and drug withdrawal.. During drug rehab, some clients report that their sense of smell was significantly altered and things they loved to smell before became intolerable. This is similar to a smoker kicking the habit and now cannot stand to be near smoke.

In many addiction treatment centers, you will find nutritionists and dietary advisors who will redirect your food intake to reinforce internal healing and detoxification for you body. This does not mean bad food. Not by a long shot. The menu is normally well thought out with freshness in abundance. Your taste may change will going through treatment for addictions. You may notice metallic tastes, dryness in your mouth, an increase or decrease in flavors and almost always there will be cravings of some sort.

The feelings associated with drug addiction treatment are sometimes overwhelming. You will feel warmth in the saunas and refreshing coolness in the pools, you will feel cared about as massage therapists help ease tension, increase relaxation and expel toxins from your tissues. You may feel cold and hot, you may shake and quiver. Some folks feel as though insects are crawling on them, thus the term…creepy crawlies. It is likely that you will feel uncomfortable initially and this is normal. Your eyes will take in so much information they may roll and cross from the input. Unless you are accustomed to clinical arenas, what you see may be frightening in a hospital setting. In integrative centers, the atmosphere is typically very resort like with lakes, calming colors, a great deal of natural surroundings and peaceful decor.

Due to the variety of drug and alcohol addictions, treatment methods and the length of stays will differ from facility to facility and from person to person.  When entering a rehabilitation facility, it is crucial to not carry in with you unobtainable or irrational expectations of yourself or the staff. Do not expect to be “cured” over night. Do not expect that you will be discomfort free. Do not assume that you will not be held responsible for yourself and your actions. Do not think that this will be easy. Do, however, expect a positive outcome and believe that you can accomplish this very important life goal.

Addiction