Deciding to go into treatment for drug or alcohol addiction takes immense bravery. Often, people with these challenges avoid going into treatment until the problem has become too difficult to manage.
Facing the reality that you have a drug or alcohol addiction is not easy, and it’s understandable that it may take someone a while before they come around to treatment. Nevertheless, the sooner someone with a drug or an alcohol addiction seeks help, the better their chances of lasting recovery.
While many sufferers know that enrolling in treatment is the right decision, there are many factors beyond denying the problem that can get in the way of seeking treatment at a recovery center like The Forge Recovery Center.
If you’ve been reluctant to pursue treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, read on to learn about four common myths surrounding drug and alcohol recovery centers that may put your mind at ease.
Myth #1: Rehabilitation At A Recovery Center Doesn’t Work
If you’re struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, you may have heard from others that rehabilitation doesn’t work.
Although addiction has both genetic and environmental factors and is, in some ways, always with you, with the right tools in place, you can make the choice to stay sober and use the tools you learned in rehabilitation in your real life.
Choosing sobriety is a standard commitment; in other words, it is a choice you make repeatedly. There will always be urges and cravings, but if you stick to your aftercare correctly, you can maintain sobriety and you will find that, yes, rehabilitation at a recovery center does work.
You may have heard that rehabilitation at a recovery center doesn’t work from friends and family who have failed to maintain recovery. It’s not easy to stay in recovery, but it is possible.
Sometimes people need to believe things that aren’t true to deal with their problems. Understandably, a person who has yet to stay clean and sober would assume that rehabilitation doesn’t work for them.
Remember that you are in charge of your own destiny, and you don’t have to take anyone else’s words to heart. Use your best judgment and trust the process. Healing is never achieved by walking in a straight line!
Myth #2: You Stay In Treatment For Years
This myth couldn’t be farther from the truth. A recovery center typically provides treatment for 30 to 90 days. There are undoubtedly individual factors that play a role in the length of time it takes to finish treatment, but years on end is not something to be concerned about.
Remember, people are creatures of habit.
As your body adjusts to the lack of drugs in your system and you learn tools to manage your addictive tendencies, you make changes that carve your path to recovery day by day, not year by year! If you know of someone who has been in and out of a recovery center for years, that is a different story.
Again, this is a situation where someone has failed to maintain their sobriety. It does not mean that the methods to stay clean and sober are ineffective. Many underlying factors play a role in recovery. If someone has not had a mental health issue addressed, that could explain why a recovery center has not been successful.
As long as you remember to check all of the boxes in treatment, as in getting your mental health and all factors of addiction squared away, you can achieve lasting recovery. It takes preventative care and daily consistency.
Myth #3: The Programs Are Ineffective
This myth can sometimes have some truth to it. Unfortunately, health is an industry, and many upscale rehabilitation centers fixate on making money far more than they do helping their patients.
However, the good news is that you can pay attention to the signs that let you know to pursue your recovery elsewhere. Suppose you see that luxury accommodations like juice bars, gyms, dieticians, and other supplemental forms of care are stressed.
In that case, these are indications that you are not looking at a promising recovery center. There are plenty of practical, real-deal programs out there that genuinely want nothing more than to assist you in your recovery. Look for these compassionate, no-frills places to find solid treatment options.
If you are unsure if a recovery center is right for you, do yourself a favor and check the informational pages on the program’s website. See if the staff directory is made up of psychologists, addiction counselors, psychiatrists, and medical doctors.
If all you see are fitness instructors and volunteers, this is a red flag that the program is more likely to be ineffective because you’re not working with the professionals you need!
Thankfully, there are plenty of options out there with qualified staff members who can properly treat you. Be strategic in the program you go with, and you’ll avoid these issues altogether.
Myth #4: Programs Are Too Expensive
Similar to the previous myth, this is true in some cases, but not all.
Once you’ve pinpointed programs that offer objective approaches and have teams of medical professionals with the qualifications to treat addiction, you’ll also find that many of these programs will offer you financial accommodations.
Even in cases when insurance doesn’t cover the costs, you can often find a recovery center with payment plans and third-party contributors who are willing to help cover the costs you need taken care of for treatment.
The most important thing is to advocate for your financial needs. You can always work something out, and, sometimes, the recovery center you really need is the most accommodating one!
Don’t Let Myths Stand In Your Way
The reality is that it takes YOU to get better. You have to advocate for your needs, even when you feel completely out of control. The second you can ask for help, get it; while you’re at it, show these myths the door. There is a lot of centers available including this online alcohol treatment that can help you even at the comfort of your own home.
Recovery is achievable if you’re willing to do the work day in and day out!
