Residential Treatment for Drugs and Alcohol

For many of us, making the decision to enter a residential treatment facility was one of the most arduous, yet most enriching decisions we have ever made. To take charge of your life and begin to deal seriously and wholeheartedly with the problems that you had been facing for perhaps  years, can be an exhilarating for yourself and your loved ones. The beginning steps into the journey towards your new and healthy future can be some of the best times of your life and one is one of the best things you can do for a better future.

When you begin an inpatient residential program, your body will begin to detox and all the substances that once permeated your body and mind will begin to leave your system and you will have an adjustment period where you will have to learn to function again without the presence of the drugs in your body. There are often a lot of unpleasant side effects from this ranging from DT’s, or delirium tremens, with alcohol to the shakes, nausea, chills and bone and muscle pain if detoxing from opiates. Depending on what substance was being used there can be a lot of differing side effects from the detox period and this period can often be very dangerous for your health. Choosing to detox in a residential treatment facility where the trained staff can support you during this period, monitor your health, and administer medications to ease your symptoms is a wise idea on many levels, not just the medical.

If there is one side effect that is common from all the detox periods of the various substances that one might enter rehab for, it is depression. Depression is a formidable foe. The level of depression that you can experience during this time can be very profound and sap your motivation and convictions to stay clean if you're not careful in dealing with it. There are a variety of ways to manage this depression during your stay in rehab. Perhaps one of the most simple is to keep a journal. Keeping track of your thoughts and feelings, listing the things that you are thankful for and goals that you have, can be a great tool for alleviating your blues. A lot of treatment facilities will also have a variety of activities for you to engage in that can be of great use to you. Exercise is a fantastic way to help your body build and maintain healthy levels of endorphins. If acupuncture is offered, you might consider going for a few treatments to help manage your depressive symptoms. Group activities are common as is art therapy. If you're having a hard time and feeling down and like you can't do it, talk to the staff there and talk to the other people there with you. The staff can help you by suggesting different strategies for dealing with your depression and even talking about it to those in the residential facility with you can be of great help.

Inpatient treatment facilities are a great place to start you on your path to sobriety. Being around others with the same goals and motivations is a tremendously supportive tool in getting you on the road to recovery. One need not be afraid of the depression that is sure to come when making such a major change of lifestyle, and as a side effects from detoxing, as there will be many ways available to you to manage your depression. Stay focused on your goal and remember that you are beginning a journey to change your life for the better!