Four Things to Know About Drug and Alcohol Treatment
There are many things you should know about drug and alcohol treatment, but today, I’m going to share four very important ones with you. Before I do, let me start by saying that there are many misconceptions about chemical dependency treatment. Let’s quickly dispel a few:
It is not brainwashing, indoctrination or religious conversion. No one will be strapping electrodes to your head. You will not have to submit to a lie detector test. It is not a mental institution. It is not a place to hide. It is completely voluntary and you will grow tremendously, but it certainly is not the easiest thing you’ll ever do.
Rocky Mountain Treatment Center in Great Falls, Montana utilizes the best treatment modalities in the chemical dependency industry. The program being used today is the result of more than 30 years of operation, refining what works and abandoning what doesn’t. So, what are the four things to know?
1. Treatment is not a vacation. I have a friend who has been sober for 30 years. She started this journey in inpatient treatment. When she packed for treatment, she packed like she was going on vacation: swimsuit, suntan lotion, stamps for postcards and her camera. She quickly came to realize that inpatient treatment was not a vacation, not a picnic in anyway. If you are considering entering treatment, know you are going into a difficult process. It is hard work. You are there to learn.
2. Treatment can be fun! I can still remember the first time that I laughed out loud during the first time I went to inpatient treatment. We were playing a board game one evening and someone said something hilarious. I laughed hard. It was the first time that I had laughed about something with a sober mind for many years. It taught me I could have fun regardless how hard my circumstances were. I could have fun sober. Treatment is most fun when it is seen as an adventure with a yet unknown destination.
3. Treatment addresses the roots of addiction, not just the symptoms. It has been accurately said a million times that alcohol is but a symptom of alcoholism. Drinking alcohol doesn’t cause alcoholism; alcoholism causes drinking. Until we learn why we drink and use, we can do nothing about our drinking and using.
4. Treatment is but the beginning of recovery; it is not a cure. I know that there are many chemical dependency centers that are advertising on the television right now and many of them reference the word “cure” often. In fact, there is one that has “cure” in its telephone number. I would encourage you to be wary of such programs. Treatment is simply discovery. The recovery starts when you walk out of the building. You need to ensure that you walk out of the building with the tools that will help you. There is not a cure, but there is a recovery plan that will keep it in remission. You learn how to live a joyful and purposeful life, and that’s what you’re going to a chemical dependency treatment center to get in the first place, isn’t it?
Good luck on your journey.
Thank you
Jim
James A. Francetich is a freelance writer and author. The opinions expressed are solely of the author and do not represent any community based recovery programs, private or public entities or any governmental agencies.
