Are you worried about your drug use and that you’re looking into rehabilitation options? Rehab can help people who have reached their lowest point and provide a safe space to detox and heal. But many addicts fear seeking treatment, even if they know they need it, because of several pervasive myths about drug rehab.
Myth#1: Rehab is Only For Rich Celebrities
Fact: Anyone can get help in rehab
Rehab can get expensive, especially for inpatient facilities that provide living arrangements for 30, 60, or 90 days. The cost alone may keep many people from even considering rehab, but it shouldn’t. Your health and sobriety are priceless. Your insurance may cover rehab as a necessary treatment or even preventative medical care. Some facilities also offer sliding fee scales or payment plans based on your income. You may even qualify for a scholarship or financial assistance for rehab.
Myth#2: Rehab is Only For People Who Hit Rock Bottom
Fact: Rehab can help people no matter how severe their addiction
Some people go to rehab because they have been unable to quit on their own or through traditional sobriety programs, like 12-Step meetings. But, many people may recognize that their drug use is negatively affecting their life and decide to make a change before they lose their job, drain their bank accounts, and alienate their families. Research suggests that early intervention in drug addiction leads to more successful, lasting outcomes.
Myth #3: Rehab is Only For People Who Can’t Quit Any Other Way
Fact: Anyone who is addicted to drugs can benefit from going to rehab
The idea that drug addicts are somehow flawed people or weak and lacking willpower is a pervasive myth, and a part of that misconception concerns rehab centers, too. The idea that rehab is the last consideration for long-term sobriety, instead of one of the first choices people make, is common. Prolonged drug use – even just a few years – alters brain chemistry and structure. Dedicated treatment can stop the changes in your neural pathways, and hormone production that drugs cause and help reverse and heal the damage.
Myth #4: Rehab Prevents Relapse
Fact: Relapse is common, but many rehabilitation centers provide relapse prevention therapy
We wish that simply going to rehab would prevent relapse, but sadly, about 40-60% of drug users will relapse. Don’t beat yourself up – relapse is a learning opportunity for you to realize how to better handle the cravings and emotional triggers in your life.
What rehab can give addicts is teaching them the skills they need to help overcome cravings and deal with triggers or emotionally charged situations in a healthy way instead of using drugs. Many people in rehab programs work with a counselor to identify triggers that could cause a relapse and plan strategies to deal with the triggers.
Myth #5: Rehab Doesn’t Work if Someone is Forced to go
Fact: Rehab can work even for people unwilling to initially enter treatment
Some people choose rehab on their own, while others may be in rehab through a court order or after an intervention from their family and friends. People who have been “forced” into rehab may indeed be resistant to treatment at first or deny that they have a problem. However, once they begin treatment, they may find that it’s helpful and that the life changes are worth the therapy.
Don’t Let Myths About Rehab Keep You From Treatment
We can help. Hickory Treatment Centers offers evidence-based drug rehab therapy in several tiers of treatment intensity. Contact our counselors today for a confidential assessment of your needs and to learn more about our programs.
