The Lowdown: What Happens at an Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centre?

You can start your treatment programme as soon as you finish detoxing – if detox was necessary in the first place. Private counselling plays a significant role in recovery at an alcohol and drug rehab centre. It is non-judgemental and helps you dig deep, dissect the reasons behind your behaviours, instil a sense of optimism and hope, achieve sobriety, and learn techniques to cope with temptations, triggers, and stressful situations after you return home.

Substance abuse and recovery can be excruciating alone. Research shows that group counselling is equally as effective as individual counselling. Indeed, for many people, it’s one of the most useful aspects of their treatment, tapping into our natural desire to congregate, share common experiences, and bond with those around us.

Group therapy sessions are an opportunity for self-expression, positive peer reinforcement, and healthy new relationships. They offer insights, ideas, accountability, and motivation that may not have been possible in private sessions alone.

Individual and group counselling used together offers a well-rounded therapeutic tool for treating addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders.

Let’s look at a few of the many different kinds of therapy offered by an alcohol and drug rehab centre.

CBT and MBCT are talking therapies. CBT and MBCT counselling help addicts realise connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. These therapies are used in the majority of rehab centres because they are highly effective at aiding recovery and preventing relapse. With CBT and MBCT, addicts can finally understand the reasons behind their substance abuse making it much easier to overcome addiction.

With guidance from a trained counsellor, you will hone in on the negative thoughts and behaviours associated with your craving triggers such as pressure at work, time with particular friends, or simply feeling tired, hungry, or lonely.

You will be able to recognise environments and circumstances that lead to substance abuse, learn how to avoid and remove yourself from triggers, and use specific techniques to cope without turning to drugs or alcohol.

After identifying negative situations and behaviours, your therapist will help you list objective evidence to support or disprove your negative thoughts. Then, you will develop new responses to those triggers.

Stress increases the likeliness of substance abuse. MBSR soothes stress with meditation, body awareness, and yoga. It also helps you untangle the unconscious interactions between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Ultimately, MBSR drives a conscious wedge between cravings and actual drug or alcohol use.

The 12 Step Philosophy was introduced in the 1930as and is still widely used today. Following the twelve steps means admitting you have a problem beyond your control, turning to God as you understand him, conducting a moral inventory of self and admitting to any wrongs, asking God for assistance and allowing his help, making amends with people you have wronged, praying, meditation, and finally, awakening spiritually. Research suggests that 12 Step Philosophy is especially effective for patients with a strong support network and this includes local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings back home.

When your family or partner attend therapy they can learn more about their role in your life, how to help you gain awareness of your behaviours, and devise ways to bolster the entire family unit. They can improve their own mental wellbeing, open up new lines of communication, and understand and avoid enabling behaviours. They can even become part of your relapse prevention plan and help halt the spread of substance abuse in your family.

Addiction can impact your family and friends. In many cases, dysfunctional relationships can contribute to and perpetuate addiction. It is unsurprising that addiction is often referred to as a family disease. Family Therapy considers a person’s drug problems in light of their family interactions. It explores dynamics that may affect behaviours and contribute to drug or alcohol abuse.

Relapse Prevention is something all good alcohol and drug rehab centres incorporate into their treatment programmes. It redefines recovery into something transitional and positive, and provides individuals with the skills necessary to maintain new, healthy long-term behaviours.

Relapse is a legitimate concern for anyone who checks in to rehab. Choosing alternative ways to handle stress is challenging when you used to rely on substances. There are ways to reduce the risk of falling victim to drug or alcohol abuse again, though.

During your therapy sessions, you and your counsellor will identify potential relapse triggers and high-risk situations. Then, you will be equipped with a range of coping mechanisms and exit strategies, develop your self-confidence, and learn to handle any falls from grace as a learning experience instead of failure.

Additionally, you will learn how to assess a situation, identify negative thoughts and behaviours, and confront those thoughts and behaviours with objective logic. This kind of reasoning can be a powerful tool when battling temptation to indulge in drugs or alcohol.

Sober Houses are a key step after successful completion of a treatment programme. They are a safe bridge between structured life in rehab and the real world. You are free to make your own decisions, use the techniques you learned during your treatment programme, and gradually shift into normal life in a safe, supportive environment.

Clients in Sober Houses live together, support each other, and attend private and group therapy sessions. Local support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) can be especially beneficial to Sober House residents.

As an outpatient, you will live at home, continue attending to your various responsibilities, and visit the rehab clinic for counselling sessions, medication management, and relapse prevention therapy. Outpatient treatment usually costs less than inpatient treatment because you don’t have to pay for accommodation.

Unfortunately, outpatients are still surrounded by the same old triggers, affected by the same stressful situations, and around the same people that influence negative behaviours. Researchers in Psychiatric Quarterly found that outpatients were four times more likely to fail their treatment programmes compared to inpatients. Outpatient treatment requires a commute and weekly commitment of up to 20 hours for two to four months, whereas inpatient treatment is usually one month.

Outpatient is an option worth considering for motivated, high-functioning addicts who want to save money, take more control over their recovery, and can dedicate up to four months to their treatment.