What to Do Before Going into Rehab: A Pre-Rehab Checklist
There’s a lot to consider when you realize you need professional help with a drug or alcohol problem, and if you’re wondering what to do before going into rehab or how to start the process of getting help, you’re not alone. Accepting that help is necessary is a significant step toward a better, brighter future. Before you start a program, you’ll want to weigh your personal treatment needs and your many treatment options. Here are some of the many things you’ll want to think through:
- Treatment Options: Help with overcoming drug or alcohol addiction comes in many forms. Some people benefit from the flexibility of an outpatient treatment program, while others need more supervision and intensive treatment available in an inpatient or residential rehab. Medical detox is a necessary first step for many people.
- Cost: Learn about your insurance’s treatment for drug or alcohol rehab and how to maximize your coverage for this medical and mental healthcare.
- Location: Consider if you should travel for addiction treatment to get away from temptations back home or if you want to stay close by.
- Personal Needs: If you need specialized treatment or have unique needs for the kind of help you receive, you should check with treatment centers to ensure they’re a good fit for your recovery journey.
- Goals: What are your goals for treatment? What do you want to accomplish during this critical time? Think of your main motivation for getting the help you need, and keep this in mind as you work through treatment. Goal setting and goal monitoring can help people remain motivated and on track.
What Are the Requirements for Rehab?
The requirements for rehab will depend on the local rules for each addiction treatment facility and the type of program you’re beginning. One early step to complete in the process of working through what to do before going into rehab is to talk with the treatment center’s team about what you should do to start on the right foot, ready to get the help you need.
For example, someone who is starting with a brief period of medically supervised detox will likely be told to pack less and have more restrictions on what they can bring during this part of treatment. A patient traveling to Florida for outpatient drug rehab, on the other hand, will likely have more flexibility in the rules.
Generally, someone about to start a rehab program must be stable and ready for their treatment plan. If they are in need of more intensive, 24-7 support and monitoring, they would be directed to an inpatient treatment program, while someone who needs occasional support but is safe to live at home can benefit from a more flexible and infrequent outpatient treatment plan.
However, help is available for everyone who seeks it, and facilities like WhiteSands Treatment know what it takes to assist people with breaking the chains of drug or alcohol addiction.
Do You Have to Be Clean Before Going to Rehab?
A new patient entering addiction rehab must follow the facility’s rules, including what they can bring. Drugs and alcohol aren’t allowed, and their possessions will be searched to ensure they don’t have restricted items. However, quitting drugs and alcohol can be difficult, and rehab staff members know that new patients might not be arriving sober or in the best state of mind. They need help breaking their addictions, and help is available.
Most patients in an inpatient treatment program will first start with a short period of medical detox that lasts for days or weeks. During this time, patients get medical support and monitoring while they detox from substances and get through withdrawal symptoms with help from medication. After this period, patients will be sober – and ready to start working in therapy and addiction programs to address the mental aspects of their drug or alcohol abuse.
What to Know About Going to Rehab?
If you’re still wondering what to do before going into rehab, it helps to understand what you can expect during this life-changing treatment. Generally, patients will either start an inpatient or outpatient addiction treatment program, depending on their personal needs, past history of addiction and use, other co-occurring mental health disorders, and other personal factors.
The length of treatment can vary considerably. Someone in an intensive outpatient program (IOP), for example, might come to a facility for three hours of treatment at a time, three days each week, for several months, while another person will complete a 30-day inpatient program before stepping down to outpatient treatment.
It’s important to see rehab as just one part of the lifelong recovery journey. Whether that journey begins with medical detox and a residential addiction treatment program or with a more flexible outpatient plan and ongoing support after rehab, recovery is an active process that will continue long after treatment concludes. However, it can provide the foundation and knowledge you need to quit drugs and alcohol once and for all.
What to Pack When Going to Detox?
What to pack before going to detox or rehab will depend on where you’re going. If you’re traveling for rehab in Florida, for example, you’ll likely want to pack differently than if you’re getting help from a facility near your house.
However, some general guidance can help you prioritize what to pack:
- Comfortable clothing and shoes
- New, unopened, and alcohol-free personal hygiene basics
- Unopened prescription medications
- Personal items to help pass the time, like a journal, books, photos from home, knitting or drawing supplies, or other items to feel at ease
- Identification, insurance, and debit and credit cards
Call WhiteSands and Learn What to Do Before Going into Rehab
If you’re thinking about what to do before going into rehab, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. The experts at top addiction treatment facilities like WhiteSands Treatment can help you verify your insurance coverage, consider treatment options, and prepare for the right rehab program for you. We also allow patients to bring personal electronic devices and phones, while others restrict these devices. Please get started today and call us at 877-855-3470.
External Sources
- National Library of Medicine – Goal Setting and Monitoring with Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders: Principles and Practices
- National Library of Medicine – Specialized Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
- WebMD – Alcohol Detox and Rehab Programs: What to Know
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
