Ideas to Make Inpatient Drug Rehabilitation Successful for You

The key to success with inpatient drug rehabilitation is all in the follow through.  It is all about follow-up action.

Think about it.  Any drug addict, no matter how bad off they may be, can go to inpatient rehabilitation and get clean for a brief period of time.  Staying clean in rehab is easy.  In some situations, people are sometimes even forced into getting clean and sober for a brief time, such as when they are incarcerated.  This makes getting clean easy.  There is no struggle, no real challenge involved.  The option for relapse does not even exist when someone is stuck in jail.  The same is basically true for inpatient drug rehab.  It is ridiculously easy for ANY addict to stay clean in rehab.

So how can we judge an inpatient treatment program?  Only by the success of those who have already left.  It is easy to stay clean in pretty much any rehab, whether it is a poor facility or an outstanding one.  And really there is very little difference, in the end….which is the whole point.  Rehab is rehab.  You go there and they don’t have drugs or alcohol available, so there is no threat of relapse.  You are guaranteed to stay clean while you are there, for the most part.

photo credit: rommy ghaly

There are no miracles in rehab facilities–I don’t care how much it costs to go there.  Another way to look at it is that every rehab facility is full of miracles, even if it is just a free homeless shelter with a zero tolerance drug policy and an AA meeting every night.  There is no magic.  There is no shortcut to drug rehab success.  Any drug rehab or inpatient alcohol treatment pretty much offers the same chances of success.  The real driver of sobriety is up to the individual.

If you want to stay clean and sober, then go to an inpatient facility–any facility–and work your tail off.  Put all of your energy into staying clean and sober, every single day, and go way above and beyond what you think is necessary in order to stay clean.  This is the path to success in recovery.  Where you go to rehab is not important.  The fact that you go somewhere and start taking action is what makes all the difference.

Inpatient rehab is expensive, but it is still the best choice for most situations.  If you have struggled to get clean and sober, then you should give inpatient a chance.

Those who succeed in treatment are generally addicts who:

* Have completely surrendered to their disease when they get clean.  They are done fighting it.  They have given up the struggle completely.

* Are willing to do anything to find a new way to live.  They would not balk at suggestions of living in rehab for long periods of time, etc.

* Follow through on suggestions from counselors and therapists.  They take action.  This is doubly true for after they have left rehab, not just while they are there.

If you follow these key points then you will likely stay clean as well.  The key is to actually do it though.  Ask for help and then follow through.

Recommended Reading

• Overcoming Addiction
• Holistic Addiction Treatment Center