What Kind of People Will I Encounter in Drug Rehab?
Posted under Drug Rehab on Friday, June 11th, 2010
You recognize you have a drug addiction problem and need treatment, but something is holding you back. Is it a feeling, conscious or just dangling in the back of your mind, that you don’t belong with "those people?" Stereotypes and myths about addiction feed the negative images people have of drug rehab. However, everyone from CEOs to doctors to blue-collar workers can become addicted to drugs or alcohol. If you are wondering who you will encounter is drug rehab, the truth is most likely, people just like you.
Obviously just as there are different types of people, there are different types of drug rehabs. They run the gamut from outpatient methadone clinics to state-supported facilities to high-end luxury rehabs by the sea. When choosing a drug rehab, you will likely choose a place where you feel comfortable, so a long conversation with the admissions people or with previous alumni of a drug rehab will give you a sense as to whether or not it’s the right fit for you.
The largest group of drug rehabs are larger facilities that tend toward middle-class and some upper-middle-class clients. The facilities will be clean and safe, but not luxurious. You will likely have to share a room with one or more people. Sharing a room is pretty typical for rehab, but frankly you will not be spending much time in your room. You will sleep, shower, and change there. Most of the time you will be with groups, in individual therapy, or participating in yoga, equine therapy, or any other adjunct therapies offered by the rehab.
There are a growing number of luxury drug rehabs. These are often located in high-end communities such as Malibu, California. Some of these facilities become known for treating celebrities, but most of the clients will not be famous. They will be successful business people and leaders in their professions. These facilities often have private rooms or suites.
It’s important to remember that addiction is not a disease limited to one type of person or class of people. It affects rich and poor, college grads and trades people, young and old. If you think you will not relate to the people in rehab, you are likely very wrong. The thing you will all have in common, even if you are from different worlds, is addiction. Research has shown that peer-based recovery is the most successful, hence the long-term survival of 12 step programs such as AA. It’s still around 75 years later because it works.
If you are still unsure about the environment and people you will encounter at a drug rehab, ask to tour. You will usually get a feel for the place within a few minutes and in most cases, you will see it isn’t that scary place of myth.
