What to Expect From Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen to Consider RehabTypes of Rehab CentersA Typical DayChecking InThe Detox ProcessTherapyAftercare PlanningYour Rights As a Patient

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

When to Consider Rehab

Types of Rehab Centers

A Typical Day

Checking In

The Detox Process

Therapy

Aftercare Planning

Your Rights As a Patient

A first-time rehab experience can be intimidating. Even if you want toovercome an addiction, you may still be nervous about going to rehab because you don’t know what to expect.

Knowing what happens in rehab may put your mind at ease. Here are some of the most common features of rehab programs so you can be as prepared as possible for the experience.

Once you recognize that you need some help with an addiction, you will probably consider other options before entering a formal rehab program. Peer support groups, including 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, as well as SMART Recovery or Celebrate Recovery, may be right for you.

A sign that you need help managing your addiction is when substance use negatively affects many aspects of your life, such as your job,your relationships,your hobbies,your mental health, and/or your physical health.

Ask yourself what substance use is taking away from your life. Are you withdrawing from activities you used to enjoy? Are you constantly thinking about the next time you can drink or use drugs?

Self-medicating with substances, like drinking or taking drugs to treat symptoms ofanxietyordepression, is another reason to consider rehab.Rehabilitation centers can help diagnose mental health conditions that may be co-existing with your substance use disorder, and they can often treat both appropriately.

Developing atoleranceor dependence on a substance may be an indicator of addiction. If you can’t imagine participating in your life without the use of drugs or alcohol, consider rehab as a treatment option to help you live substance-free and reclaim your life.

Symptoms of Substance Use Disorders

There are a few different types of rehab centers that you can consider. You do not have to determine which best fits you and your unique circumstances on your own. Usually a doctor, mental health professional, or social worker, as well as staff members at the rehab center, will help you decide.

Best Drug Addiction Treatment Centers

A Typical Day in a Rehab Facility

If you are in residential treatment, your days typically follow a structured routine. The idea is that consistency (and not having to make as many decisions throughout your day) will help support you as you recover.

Below are examples of what takes place during a typical day in rehab. Of course, what your day looks like will vary based on the rehab center and its approach, your addiction, and your personal circumstances.

Mornings

You’ll generally wake up at a set time each morning. Nurses give out any medications to those who have them prescribed. For instance, a doctor at a rehab center may provide you with a medication to managewithdrawalsymptomsor to treatmental health conditions.

You’ll be served breakfast and afterward, attend your first session of the day, such as group therapy.You may be given a break during the session to reflect,journal, or practice any skills you learned during the session.

Afternoons

After lunch, you’ll attend another session, such as individual therapy. You may be given free time to choose an activity, such as attending a fitness session if your rehab center has a gym.Physical exercisecan help manage mood swings during withdrawal.

Or, you might attend an educational course. Many rehab centers educate participants on mental health, addiction, and/or nutrition. Balanced nutrition can help you manage the stress of recovery and evencurb withdrawal cravings.

Evenings

You’ll have dinner, and perhaps end the day with another group session to reflect on your progress so far and how you feel about all you experienced throughout the day. You’ll be given time to get ready for bed. Many rehab centers typically have a set time for “lights out,” when free time is done for the day and you’re encouraged to get to sleep.

During an intake interview, you will answer questions related to your substance use and your lifestyle. These questions may include:

Be prepared to answer the questions honestly. While discussing your life, your choices, and your substance use can be difficult, remember that accurate information will help the staff develop a program best suited for you and your needs.

The common length of stay in drug and alcohol rehab is 28 to 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days. While treatment for any period of time is helpful, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recommends people spend at least 90 days in treatment.

After the initial assessment, you’ll go through the detoxification process. Detox is the process of removing drugs or alcohol from your body after prolonged use. Though this can be a difficult process for some, it’s important to cleanse your body of these substances so that you’re ready both physically and mentally for the work that lies ahead in rehab.

If you suddenly stop using a substance that has a high potential for dependency (such asheroin, morphine,benzodiazepines, oralcohol), you may experience some uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. In many instances, medication may be given to ease the withdrawal symptoms associated with these drugs.

Various types of therapies will be used throughout the recovery process, depending on your needs and the rehab program you are attending.

Individual Therapy

You’ll work with a mental health professional in one-on-one sessions. During these sessions, you’ll take an honest look at yourself, your addiction, and the effect your addiction has had on your life. This personal education can be a powerful way to help you heal. Your therapist will also help you identify youraddicition triggers. Once you’ve identified them, the therapist will teach you how to cope with them in a constructive way.

An addiction specialist will customize the right types of therapy for your unique needs. Therapy can come in many forms, but research suggests that behavioral therapies are most effective in treating addictions.Two of the most common behavioral therapies used in this setting arecognitive behavioral therapyandmotivational interviewing.

Family Counseling

Research has shown that including family and friends in the recovery process significantly improves rehab outcomes.Because of this, many addiction rehab facilities offer family therapy as part of their program.

During family counseling, your family members will also learn about the dynamics of addiction and how to best support you once you leave the rehab facility.

Many programs include family members and friends throughout the entire rehab process, from the initial assessment through aftercare. Others require family members to attendAl-Anonmeetings if they want to visit you while you are in treatment.

Group Therapy

There are often recovery groups that offer safe spaces for people of certain genders, ages, and cultural backgrounds. Some rehab centers offerLGBTQ+groups or groups for those who have been previouslyincarcerated.

Many of the same techniques used in individual therapy are used in group therapy, such as psychoeducation, motivational interviewing, and skill development.

Group therapy is linked with positive outcomes for addiction recovery because of the social support it offers. Members benefit from sharing their experiences, hearing other people’s stories, forming bonds, and supporting each other.

Toward the end of your time in a rehab center, you and your counselor will come up with a continuing care plan (also known asaftercare) based on your progress up to that point. Aftercare can significantly reduce drug and alcohol relapse rates.This makes it an incredibly important component of your treatment.

Your plan will likely include social and medical support services. It may include transitional housing (like asober living home), follow-up therapy and counseling, medical evaluations, alumni support groups, and other lifestyle changes to help you proactively cope with real-life triggers that may otherwise lead torelapse.

Press Play for Advice On Recovery

The American healthcare system provides patients in rehabilitation centers with rights that are important to be familiar with if you or a loved one enters an addiction recovery program. These rights include:

Under these rights, a patient is also protected from cruel treatment such as unnecessary restraint or seclusion.

Though you have the right to make informed decisions about your own care, you may also designate someone else to make decisions about your care if you choose.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

A Word From Verywell

Find the Right Addiction Recovery Program for You

22 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Treatment for alcohol problems: Finding and getting help.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.

National Institute of Drug Abuse.Types of treatment programs.

McCarty D, Braude L, Lyman DR, et al.Substance abuse intensive outpatient programs: assessing the evidence.Psychiatr Serv. 2014;65(6):718-726. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201300249

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Addiction medications.

Wendt DC, Gone JP.Group therapy for substance use disorders: A survey of clinician practices.J Groups Addict Recover. 2017;12(4):243-259. doi:10.1080/1556035X.2017.1348280

Linke SE, Ussher M.Exercise-based treatments for substance use disorders: evidence, theory, and practicality.Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2015;41(1):7-15. doi:10.3109/00952990.2014.976708

Jeynes KD, Gibson EL.The importance of nutrition in aiding recovery from substance use disorders: A review.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017;179:229-239. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.07.006

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide (third edition).

Timko C, Schultz NR, Britt J, Cucciare MA.Transitioning from detoxification to substance use disorder treatment: Facilitators and barriers.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016;70:64-72. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2016.07.010

Carroll KM, Kiluk BD.Cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders: Through the stage model and back again.Psychol Addict Behav. 2017;31(8):847-861. doi:10.1037/adb0000311

Barnett E, Sussman S, Smith C, Rohrbach L, Spruijt-Metz D.Motivational interviewing for adolescent substance use: A review of the literature.Addict Behav. 2012;37(12):1325-1334. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.07.001

Kourgiantakis T, Ashcroft R.Family-focused practices in addictions: A scoping review protocol.BMJ Open. 2018;8(1):e019433. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019433

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Substance use disorder treatment and family therapy: Treatment improvement protocol (TIP) series, no. 39.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Group therapy in substance use treatment.

Melemis SM.Relapse prevention and the five rules of recovery.Yale J Biol Med. 2015;88(3):325-332.

D’Costa SN, Kuhn IL, Fritz Z.A systematic review of patient access to medical records in the acute setting: practicalities, perspectives and ethical consequences.BMC Med Ethics. 2020;21(1):18. doi:10.1186/s12910-020-0459-6

Vahdat S, Hamzehgardeshi L, Hessam S, Hamzehgardeshi Z.Patient involvement in health care decision making: A review.Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014;16(1):e12454. doi:10.5812/ircmj.12454

Hall DE, Prochazka AV, Fink AS.Informed consent for clinical treatment.CMAJ. 2012;184(5):533-540. doi:10.1503/cmaj.112120

Chaet DH.AMA Code of Medical Ethics' opinions related to discrimination and disparities in healthcare.AMA J Ethics.2016;18(11):1095-1097. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.11.coet1-1611

Buddy T

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?