7 Reasons You Should Go to Rehab

Author: Justin Mckibben

Statistically, the vast majority of alcoholics and drug addicts do not acknowledge the need for treatment for their substance abuse issues. Many people who struggle with alcohol and drug abuse are actually oblivious to the severity of the disease of addiction, and how real the hold it has over them can be. Rehab is typically not the most popular vacation spot, and people may be afraid of what it will be like, or they may even deny that their problem is in any way serious enough to seek treatment.

There are a few reasons people do not go to rehab, but for the most part these are really just excuses. There are far more real reasons people should get help, and too many don’t. Here are 7 reasons you should go to rehab.

1. Window of Opportunity

One of the best things rehab does for many people is puts some space between them and the drinking and drug use to find some clarity. Some people don’t see the point in going to treatment, but just having that window of opportunity alone to be clearer after a physical detox can make a world of difference between trying to quit cold turkey and relapsing over and over on your own.  Treatment presents people with a chance to realize the effect the drugs and alcohol has on them, and make a decision to change based on the new opportunity.

2. Learning New Coping Skills

Many people who have developed serious addictions to drugs or alcohol do so out of a habit that becomes a vital coping mechanism for anything and everything they are presented with throughout their lives. When people try to quit on their own, they often relapse because they have no knowledge of another way of life.

Rehab teaches people how to cope with the problems presented in life through things that are much safer, healthier, and ultimately can grow into passions. Drug and alcohol treatment offers so much as far as teaching an addict or alcoholic how to deal with life on life’s terms.

3. Finding a Financial Future

Saving money was definitely not a priority for most addicts and alcoholics, unless it was for more drugs and alcohol, and even then a lot of us have trouble trying to pace ourselves. Going to rehab may cost some people a little money if any at first to get into treatment, but in the long run the kind of money someone spends on using drugs and alcohol addictively is practically pennies in comparison.

4. Finding Strong and Sober Supports

Building a network of sober individuals who are like you and are working toward their recovery is one of the great gifts of attending rehab, because it puts people who are struggling with the same issues together with a chance to learn and grow side by side through a tough time, which makes that bond strong.

Going to rehab can also help introduce you to people already in active recovery who have more experience, strength and hope to share, and who can set you up with meetings, support groups, and help you get connected once you leave treatment.

5. Repairing Old Relationships

A period in treatment gives a lot of people a chance to step outside of their current relationship roles in order to reassess the situation and see where they have made mistakes, where they can improve, and what they need to do to repair damages they may have never noticed before.

Drugs and alcohol can change a lot about relationships, especially when a person is an addict or alcoholic and they allow their mood and their behavior to be dictated by a substance. Rehab helps people separate from the old toxic patterns to try and make right the wrongs in each relationship.

6. Experiencing Holistic Healing

The goal of recovery goes beyond mere abstinence. The idea is to get clean and sober and start living healthier overall. Holistic healing is about trying to treat yourself in all areas of your life, so that you are not just getting away from the drugs, but you are improving your health mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Going to rehab and experiencing holistic healing vastly improves the odds of someone staying on the right path and maintaining their sobriety.

7. It Can Save Your Life

When you get down to it, rehab can save your life. Addicts and alcoholics are in the grips of an illness that becomes more deadly on a regular basis, and every day they roll the dice with life and death when they use drugs and drink. The disease of addiction is no joke. Going to rehab can change everything, and even if you lose a week or two of your time, you gain the rest of your life-time to truly live it. If you don’t believe any other reason is enough, you can surely believe that going to rehab can save your life for as long as you’re willing to work for your recovery.

You can come up with as many excuses as you want to avoid getting the treatment and structure that you need to make a change, but if you’re honest with yourself there are so many incredible and fulfilling things that can come from making the choice and the commitment to a new path, and that path begins with going to a rehab that will give you the opportunity to building on your future. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-961-6135