How Drug Rehab Works [Guide]

Written By: Annalise Baare

Article Overview

For many people, entering treatment is a scary endeavor that creates a lot of anxiety. Rehab anxiety is not uncommon and occurs in more individuals than you think. As a result, many ask, is rehab worth it? The short and simple answer is yes, it is. Despite the anxiety you may feel about going to rehab, it is the first step to a better life.

To overcome treatment anxiety, it is worth the time to research how the process works. Additionally, having the right support group such as family and friends will ensure a more successful treatment. Entering recovery blind only increases the risk of avoiding it, in turn not overcoming addiction.

If you are ready to step towards sobriety, call us at (888) 906-0952 today. We will get you started with a personalized treatment program that best suits your needs and history. By taking the brave step and entering treatment, you can live a brighter, more productive life without addiction holding you back.

In this guide, we go over what to expect in rehab, why rehab is worth it, and how you will benefit by choosing to go to rehab.

Is Rehab Worth It?

If entering treatment is a concern for you because you are afraid of rehab, do not worry. It is more common for individuals to fear entering treatment than you might think. Not only does treatment allow you to overcome addiction and live a more fulfilling life, but it is economically more successful.

Addiction treatment is cost-effective for both the government and you in the long term. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), entering treatment will lower future health and social costs. If you were to maintain addiction for a long period, the damage to the body becomes so severe, and emergency medical services become more necessary to maintain health.

Additionally, you can avoid the damage that addiction causes to social aspects of life by entering treatment. It is common for substance addiction to create strains on work, school, family, and friends if not treated.
Furthermore, the NIDA found that helping individuals overcome addiction through treatment is more cost-effective than incarceration.

NIDA research states that one year of methadone treatment for opiate addiction would cost $4,700, while one year of incarceration would cost $24,000. These numbers rely on single-patient recovery for one-year estimates. No matter the price differences between medication recovery, the price will be significantly lower than incarceration.

Alongside this, the NIDA found that social angles of life find much-needed repair. These findings show that work and school productivity are higher, and drug-related deaths decrease when an individual completes treatment. The personal benefits of treatment should also be taken into consideration when overcoming treatment anxiety.

What You Have to Look Forward to in Rehab: The Positives of Getting Treatment

While asking yourself, “is rehab worth it?” consider the major achievable benefits to everyday life. First, you must make a conscious decision to enter treatment. It should not be anyone else’s choice for entering treatment, only your own. According to Psych Central, programs for recovery include the following:

• Drugs will no longer invade your thoughts – Treatment often includes a detoxification stage that relieves your body of substances. The detox process slowly creates a clearer way of thinking that allows you to move on from addiction. Withdrawal will still occur, but with counseling and group sessions, you can overcome your addiction. While in treatment, you will become educated on substances and why they cause the damage they do.
• Substances will no longer influence socialization – While in treatment, you will socialize and work with lots of people in similar situations as you. Addiction changes how you act in front of others. The sober you come back with treatment, which will take some time to become used to again.
• You will be happier more often – Depression is common among individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol. With addiction recovery, you will overcome the negative emotions you are accustomed to. After the withdrawal period, happiness is more common.
• Self-esteem will rise – While under the influence of substances, depression and anxiety are strong. Defeating addiction should make you proud and feel accomplished. Addiction treatment will make you feel accomplished as substance-induced depression and anxiety disappear.
• You will be able to take care of yourself – To live a bright and successful life, you have to take care of yourself. While addicted, you cannot effectively care for yourself, let alone others. Drug rehab will empower positive thinking and allow you to be more aware of your emotions.

Once again, you must choose to enter treatment to become the best you. No one else can make that decision for you. It is normal to be afraid of rehab, but do not let that fear stop you from obtaining sobriety. With healthy relationships like friends and family, the success of completing treatment is higher than attempting it alone.

Rehab Provides Peer Support

In 2016, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) researched a correlation between peer support and addiction recovery. The NLM describes peer support as “the process of giving and receiving nonprofessional, nonclinical assistance from individuals with similar conditions or circumstances to achieve long-term recovery from psychiatric, alcohol and other drug-related problems.”

They found that supportive family and friends can assist someone in a successful recovery. Before this study, there was little support for that claim other than an individual’s word. Commonly, family and friends will give their support in many ways to assist an individual going through recovery. Support ranges from financial to emotional support. The data collected shows that family and friends involved in an individual’s substance recovery can increase positive behaviors of substance abstinence in a long-term setting.

Peer support can also be medical staff, doctors, counselors, or other patients around you. The NLM data found that individuals who created healthy relationships with fellow patients had a lower chance of relapse. Alongside that, those transitioning from inpatient to outpatient programs had a better success rate with peers who were also undergoing treatment.

It is very important to note. Peer support is not a suitable replacement for professional treatment. Entering a professional clinical setting is the most effective way to overcome addiction – peer support is here to guide you through the treatment and ensure you maintain set goals after leaving a rehab center. If you enter a negative or high-risk situation, your peers will not handle it the same way as a medical professional.

It’s Up to You to Be Successful in Rehab

Entering treatment is a big step, especially for someone questioning, is drug rehab worth it? The effectiveness of these programs is purely what you make of them. By applying yourself and ensuring that you are on course for recovery, they are certainly effective. While researching several individuals, the NIDA found that those who begin and remain in treatment show success by stopping all drug use, stopping all criminal activities, and getting restart a drug-free life. These individuals had success at work, school, and former psychological functions.

It is worth noting here that rehab cannot cure addiction, but it can give you the tools to live without the pain and suffering of addiction. Each day is a step to building your new life. Addiction treatment effectively rewires the brain to stop using negative behaviors and thoughts to justify drug use. Instead, those thoughts and behaviors are changed to positive ones to regain control of life. Another reason for addiction treatment’s effectiveness is continuous involvement. These programs do not last for several weeks then abruptly end. Often, individuals will partake in several weeklong inpatient programs under medical or clinical supervision. Once this stage is complete, patients transition to an outpatient program that is more self-driven. These kinds of programs tend to last several months to a year.

One challenge you might face while undergoing treatment is relapse. Do not fear relapsing while in recovery. Relapse is common and happens to a large number of individuals working on bettering themselves. Inpatient programs are prepared for this to happen because it is such a common occurrence. If you relapse, do not give up on treatment. Use it as a learning experience and continue with treatment. Relapse is a common deterrent for individuals with rehab anxiety, but it should not be. Many people endure this challenge and still find success because they do not let it stop them. Addiction treatment exists for a reason. It is effective in helping individuals with substance addictions recover. So long as you stay involved, maintain your treatment through the highs and lows, and stay connected with healthy peer support, you can overcome not only addiction but treatment anxiety.

Trust the Professionals: Take the Next Step

Recovery begins with wanting to become a better version of yourself and taking the leap into sobriety. Living a life without addiction is brighter and more productive. It all begins with researching treatment programs and learning how the process works.
Talk with your medical professional to get a clearer understanding of the system.

Furthermore, maintaining healthy relationships with family and friends will ensure a higher success rate. They will keep you on track and pushing for the final goal of sobriety. Overall, is rehab worth it? Even with rehab anxiety, yes, it is worth it. If you are ready to beat addiction and live a more productive life, call us at (888) 906-0952 today.
We will get you involved with a program that is best for you. Addiction does not have to be the only way to live, and it all starts by building the strength to take that step.