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The better you’re prepared for inpatient rehab, the better your experience and recovery are likely to be. After choosing an addiction treatment center, you must think about being away from home, work, and other important responsibilities. Taking care of preparations now allows you to focus strictly on your recovery the moment you arrive.
Make arrangements now for children and pets, and ensure all your personal and professional affairs are in order. This way, you can resume your daily life more seamlessly and with less stress following treatment. Here are a few other steps to follow as you get ready for your time away.
Tie Up Loose Ends
Many people, especially those with co-occurring mental disorders or a lack of social support at home, need residential or inpatient care. Remember, this will mean that you won’t be able to leave the facility to take care of daily tasks until you complete your treatment program. Therefore, it’s best to take care of all the loose ends you will not be able to control once you are in treatment. Here are some steps to keep in mind:
Plan for Bills
Make sure a friend or someone you trust will be able to pay your bills for you while you are away. You can also set up automatic bill pay if that’s easier and appropriate for your situation.
Take Care of Pets
Your pets may need to be taken to a kennel or a friend’s house. If you have more self-sufficient animals, someone can be arranged to look in on them while you are gone.
Speak to Your Employer
You don’t have to divulge all the details of your treatment plan, but your employer will need to know if you’ll be taking time off work to attend inpatient care. Many businesses have specific courses of action for just this type of issue, so employees can seek treatment. Some employee assistance programs can even help you make sure your job will be protected while you are gone.
Arrange Childcare
Make arrangements for childcare, so your kids are well taken care of while you’re at rehab. Ask for help from family members and your closest friends, or consider enrolling your kids in special programs like summer camps if this is a feasible option for your family.
Call the Facility
Call your rehab center to learn everything you need to know about your stay so you can make the necessary preparations. Many rehab centers will provide you with important information such as the length of the program and your stay, and whether you can bring certain personal effects.
Reach Out to Your Rehab Center
Before you begin treatment, make sure you know what to expect as soon as you arrive. Here are a few important questions to ask as you prepare:
- What items am I allowed / not allowed to bring to the facility?
- What type of clothing should I bring?
- What will my daily environment be like?
- What amenities will I have access to?
- Will I have a roommate?
Ask your inpatient rehab center if you can tour the facility before beginning treatment. This can help you better prepare for what to expect and make you feel more comfortable about your decision to get help. Feeling comfortable about your living environment while at rehab can help you experience a more fulfilling recovery and put to rest any doubts you may have about treatment.
Know What to Bring and What Not to Bring
It is important to call the rehab facility before you begin treatment to find out what is allowed and not allowed at the center itself. You wouldn’t want to bring anything that could get you kicked out of the program or that could be confiscated. Remember, anything related to drugs or alcohol (often including mouthwash, cleaning products, etc.) will be banned from a rehab facility. Call the center itself to find out what else is prohibited. In most cases, it is important to bring
- Casual clothing, sneakers, and shower shoes
- Money, credit/debit cards, or checks to pay for your expenses
- An alarm clock
- Pictures of your family and friends
- A journal
Rid Your Personal Space of Substances
After you leave rehab, you’ll no longer have any use for alcohol, drugs, and paraphernalia. Before going to rehab, rid your home, car, and office of any existing substances and paraphernalia so you can come home and experience a fresh start without triggers or temptations that could interfere with recovery and cause a relapse.
This includes unopened bottles of alcohol, old prescription bottles, lighters, and any other items that facilitate alcohol and drug use. If you’re unable to do this on your own, delegate this task to a trusted friend or family member who can remove these items from your personal space.
Talk to Others
People who have already been to rehab can offer great insight into what the experience is like, so you know more about what to expect once you get there. If you don’t know anyone who has had a successful, rewarding experience with rehab, consider attending open support group meetings where you can meet others in recovery. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are just some mutual support groups that are open to anyone who has a problem with alcohol or drug use or who thinks they may have a problem with substance abuse.
Your other options include using the Internet to chat with people in online support groups and forums who have been to rehab, and speaking with doctors, therapists, and addiction treatment professionals who can tell you more about life at an inpatient or residential rehab. Talking to other people about rehab may help ease anxiety and make you feel more excited and confident about your recovery.
Seek Treatment Today
Find rehab programs where you can safely begin your journey of recovery under the care of medical professionals. Look up addiction resources in your state now.