Chapter 5: Location and Convenience
Can you imagine finding any healing in a rehab that is too close to where you developed your addiction? Most of you will say no, especially if you have traumatic experiences due to the people and the environment. Being too close to people and places that contributed to your addiction can significantly increase your stress and anxiety, making you incapable of responding more favorably to the treatment.
Choosing a location further away from your hometown can benefit your healing and boost your recovery. You might be skeptical about this aspect, but the following list will clarify the matter. Below are reasons why selecting a rehab further from your hometown can improve your recovery:
1. Increases Likelihood of Continuing the Program
The chances of quitting the rehabilitation program are higher when you choose a facility closer to home. You will know that you can quickly go back to your friends or family, and the presence of that option will make it difficult to resist the pain of withdrawal.
Several addicts quit their recovery during the detox phase because they find it too difficult to cope with the pain, anxiety, and other symptoms. Additionally, the risk of quitting will remain even after you have finished detox since you have a convenient solution available.
Hence, it is always better to go a little further away to make coming back inconvenient.
2. Far Away from Bad Memories and Influences
The last thing you want is to be reminded of all the horrible things you’ve experienced while trying to recover. You’d also prefer to be away from people who contributed to your addiction because there is a chance they can throw you back into that life.
Moving away for rehabilitation and finding a place further away can help you keep your bad memories at bay and feel more relaxed. There will also be no anxiety about being close to people who can hinder your progress at any point.
3. Adds the Excitement of Traveling
Going to rehab is technically part of the recovery journey, but who said you couldn’t enjoy the experience? You can consider the trip a form of traveling and take the opportunity to enjoy being in a new place.
It is unlikely that you’ll be permitted to wander around the market when your inpatient program starts, but you can treat the stay as a vacation and find ways to enjoy it as much as possible.
4. Feels Like a Breath of Fresh Air
Nothing feels better than changing your surroundings and getting a change in scenery. Rehab facilities often arrange outdoor activities, which will help to be in a new place where every sight and scenery is new.
It may seem like a simple change, but it will make a huge difference when recovering from an addiction. It will also help distract your mind by giving it new information to process and store.
This feeling is especially pronounced if the rehab facility is surrounded by nature and scenic spots. Such locations are always suitable for people with addictions and mental health disorders and significantly improve their well-being.
5. Reduces Privacy Concerns
The worst part of staying in your community for recovery is the privacy problem, especially for small towns. Smaller towns tend to have close-knit communities where everyone knows everyone. Going to rehab in such a place will increase the chances of your recovery journey becoming the local gossip, whether you like it or not.
Addiction recovery is a private experience, and not everyone wants to share each detail with everyone. It can increase your anxiety and slow down your recovery or hinder it. Hence, it is best to move away and choose a rehab away from home.
In short, pay attention to the location and choose something further away. The only exception to this rule is when you have a spouse or kids that you want to remain close to or when you’re in outpatient and must make the daily trip from home to the facility.
Chapter 6: Length of Treatment
The next factor is the length of treatment. Your ideal length of treatment will help you fully recover from substance abuse or mental health disorder in the perfect setting. Unfortunately, the reality is not always ideal, and your responsibilities and other needs will push you to create an optimal and feasible solution. However, your specialist will always discuss your case and inform you if your recovery mandates a more extended stay than your planned stay.
There are two primary treatment lengths you will encounter when checking yourself into rehab.
- Short-term recovery
- Long-term recovery
Short-Term Recovery
Short-term recovery programs are typically scheduled for 60-90 days and cover all parts of the treatment process. These programs are most suitable for relatively more stable people and show promising signs of adapting to the new circumstances.
This list also includes people with dependent family members or financial obligations that don’t allow them to take time off for recovery. However, specialists study such cases carefully to determine if the recovering addict can manage the situation and continue healing.
If they don’t feel confident about the progress, they can always request the patient to take some time off and check in for the inpatient program for adequate care.
Long-Term Recovery
Long-term recovery is suitable for patients who have had substance abuse and/or mental health disorders for some time and have to deal with their lasting impact. Their recovery process is understandably slow and critical since their brain has adapted extensively to their conditions.
Their condition requires consistent efforts and a team committed to the patient’s well-being. Most long-term recovery programs are inpatient, but you can also look for rehabs that provide similar services for partial hospitalization or outpatient programs.
They can last up to six months or more, depending on the patient’s condition, finances, and family situation. Not everyone can afford to remain in a rehab facility for longer than a few months, so the specialist must create a program that works for the patient’s recovery process and needs.
It will generally be up to the rehab team to determine which option is best for you. Still, you can work with them to find ways that will allow you to recover while returning to routine several months earlier than the recommendation. Your doctors will always reveal the risks and benefits of each option to ensure you have all the information needed to make a choice. But eventually, it will be up to you to determine which steps to take.
