If you have admitted that you have a problem with drugs or alcohol and are thinking of entering a treatment program, you may be wondering what your days will look like while in treatment. Once you have selected a treatment program and been admitted, you will undergo an intake process. During this process, your medical and substance abuse history will be assessed to develop an individualized treatment plan for you.
If needed, the next step is medically supervised detox, designed to rid your body of drugs or alcohol. Some treatment programs offer detox at their facility; others have arrangements with outside detox centers. At this point, your treatment begins.
Schedules and Routines
Although treatment programs differ, and each individual’s treatment plan will differ, most rehab environments are very structured. You will follow a schedule that has been determined for you — you may even feel like you are back in school again. A day in a residential treatment program could look like the following:
- 7:00 a.m. – breakfast, begin the day
- 9:00 a.m. – group treatment session
- 10:30 a.m. – personal time
- 11:00 a.m. – individual counseling
- 12:30 p.m. – lunch
- 1:30 p.m. – activities (yoga, exercise class, meditation, etc.)
- 3:00 p.m. – group treatment (art therapy, psychodrama, connected conscious breathwork, etc.)
- 4:30 p.m. – personal time
- 5:30 p.m. – dinner
- 6:30 p.m. – 12-Step meeting
- 8:00 p.m. group session
- 9:00 p.m. – personal time
- 11:00 p.m. – bedtime
Positive Outcomes
Part of the reason for the structured routine in treatment is that a schedule is necessary when working with a group of people. Another, more philosophical reason is that routines are essential in treatment and recovery and can lead to positive outcomes.
Finding Healthy Habits Outside of Substance Abuse
When you struggled with active addiction, your life probably revolved around finding and using your substance of choice. You may have spent a lot of time with other people abusing drugs or alcohol. That probably didn’t leave much time for preparing and eating nutritious meals, working out, attending therapy, pursuing hobbies, or self-care.
In short, your lifestyle had become unhealthy. Part of treatment is relearning what a healthy lifestyle is by incorporating healthy elements – like exercise and good nutrition – into your daily life. The highly structured treatment environment ensures that you will have time for the features that make up a healthy lifestyle.
Preparing for Success
The structured schedule of treatment can also prepare you for success in recovery. After you leave treatment, you will be responsible for creating your own schedule. You will want to include many of the activities that were your life during treatment.
While you won’t be in therapy four times a day, you will probably want to see a therapist regularly, participate in a support group, exercise several times a week, eat healthy meals, get enough sleep, and include self-care in your daily routine. A schedule that includes these elements can help you to be successful in recovery and build a life free from drugs and alcohol.
At The Guest House, we understand that substance abuse can burden your life, and we want to help prepare you with a schedule and routine that will help you begin healing today and set you up for success in recovery. Treatment in our program includes individual and group therapy, holistic treatment options, and help with practical matters, like establishing a routine that will serve you well in recovery. For more information about our individualized treatment options, talk to us today at (855) 483-7800.