FAQ
1. What if I’m not sure if I’m an alcoholic/addict?
2. How can I justify taking an extended time off of work or time away from my family?
3. What if I need to detox?
4. What happens after treatment? Is there any help with transitioning back into my normal life?
5. What if I have psychiatric issues and am addicted to drugs and/or alcohol?
6. How will my privacy be maintained while in rehab?
1. What if I’m not sure if I’m an alcoholic/addict?
Some people abuse alcohol or drugs and are able to change this behavior before it affects their life in a serious way. However, if you have tried repeatedly to control your drinking or drug use, you may be an alcoholic or addict. Most people have a difficult time admitting they are an alcoholic or an addict, and it is completely normal to feel this way. If you answer yes for any of the following questions, you likely have a problem with alcohol or drug abuse and may be an alcoholic or addict:
- Do you ever consume five or more drinks at a time?
- Do you need more and more alcohol to feel the psychological effects or to feel good physically?
- Is drinking affecting your work or ambition?
- Is drinking causing problems in your home or family life?
- Do you drink because you feel you need to do so in social environments, or because it boosts your self-confidence?
- Is your reputation being affected?
- Have you ever felt shame or guilt after drinking
- Has drinking gotten you into financial difficulties?
- Do you associate with friends or other people that you might not otherwise?
- Do you get cravings for alcohol at a particular time of the day and feel you need to have a drink?
- Do you want a drink in the morning to avoid a hangover or start the day?
- Is your sleeping being affected?
- Do you use drinking as an “escape?”
- Do you ever drink by yourself?
- Have you ever “blacked out,” that is, forget what happened when you were drinking?
- Have you ever had medical problems resulting from alcohol consumption?
- Have you ever gotten in legal trouble from drinking?
But instead of focusing on the label of addiction or alcoholism, try thinking about treatment in the context of getting the help you need to live a healthier life, and residential treatment may help ease you into this process. The education and support you will receive in treatment will allow you to make your own decision regarding that very critical question.
2. How can I justify taking an extended time off of work or time away from my family?
We understand that taking time for yourself in order to heal also requires taking a considerable amount of time from your career, family, children, and loved ones. But consider for a moment the time, health consequences and commitment it takes to continue using drugs and or abusing alcohol. Just realize that your treatment and recovery can lead you on a path of life-long benefits that will allow you to be fully present for your career, family and children. And the effects of not getting help can be devastating. We understand that it seems like a long time to leave your normal life, but the immense, life-changing rewards greatly outweigh the serious risk. And many times, people who enter treatment fully intending to stay 30 days experience such change that they decide to stay for one or two more months of treatment. It can be done, and families and employers are usually very understanding and know that you (and they) are making an investment in a better future. Top ↑
During the initial phone assessment, we will take your history and help you find a facility that has a medical detox program on site. The benefit of undergoing detox as part of a first phase of treatment at a rehabilitation center is so that your detox will be safely planned and monitored by a medical doctor. Many treatment centers have medical doctors on site that specialize in addiction and use medications to help you to detox safely, and every measure will be taken to make your detox process as comfortable for you as possible. Top ↑
4. What happens after treatment? Is there any help with transitioning back to my normal life?
The recovery process does not end when an individual completes treatment. Continuing support upon completion of drug and alcohol treatment is the key to a healthy recovery from addiction. Treatment is just the beginning of a lifelong process of growth and recovery in all areas of life that have been affected by drug addiction and alcoholism. Depending on the facility you choose, the aftercare could include:
- Setting up an individualized “aftercare plan”:
- Checking in with a coordinator from the treatment center for several months or a year following treatment
- A sober companion to help you with your transition back home and to help you set up a support network where you live (Recovery Hub also provides sober companions and sober coaches)
- Referrals to therapists and psychiatrists near your home and help with setting up appointments
- A transitional living home or (sober living), where you live with other clients in early recovery in a stepped-down, structured environment (Recovery Hub will be happy to help guide you sober living homes which may be right for you.)
- Participating in an outpatient program that will allow you to work during the day and attend groups at night.
5. What if I have psychiatric issues and am addicted to drugs and/or alcohol?
Very often, drug and alcohol addiction occurs along with other psychiatric or emotional illnesses such as bipolar disorder or depression. This is referred to as “dual diagnosis” or “co-occuring disorders.”
Drugs and alcohol are commonly used to mask the symptoms of psychiatric or emotional problems. Conversely, the substances can contribute to the magnification or recurrence of those illnesses, or limit the effectiveness of psychiatric medications. Often, a person can become locked in a continuous cycle of illness and drug or alcohol abuse
It is best to locate an addiction treatment facility specializing in treating clients with other psychiatric problems that coincide with addiction. Medical doctors, psychiatrists, and experienced therapists should be well-equipped to assess each individual’s situation.
At Recovery Hub, our placement coordinators are familiar with treatment facilities nationwide that are considered dual-diagnosis. Many facilities have on staff an addictionologist, or physician who specializes in addiction medicine, and a psychiatrist who is available to assess the patient from a psychiatric point of view.
They may work together to prescribe medications, if necessary, and therapists will help to assess which symptoms are the result of drug use over time and which have been a part of the patient’s life and have caused the patient to self-medicate. It is difficult to access this situation while a person is still in detox, as many of the symptoms associated with withdrawal mimic psychiatric symptoms. A complete evaluation may not be able to be accurately completed until a person has completed detoxification. People do recover when addiction and psychiatric problems coexist. If you have further questions or require immediate assistance locating an addiction treatment program or drug rehab center, call Recovery Hub.
6. How will my privacy be maintained while in rehab?
The high-end treatment centers pride themselves on their security for their clients, many of whom are celebrities and other high-profile people. Many facilities take extreme measures to protect the privacy of their clients by using security, gated and secluded facilities, and using alias names for their high profile clients. The confidentiality is such that even phone calls into the facilities are monitored and information is never given out without the permission of the clients. If you have further questions or require immediate assistance locating an addiction treatment program or drug rehab center, call Recovery Hub. Top ↑