Drug rehab is the process of starting and staying on the road to recovery from addiction. It is hard work – a daily battle, often filled with temptation and self-doubt. However, through the good days and bad days, a recovering addict must stay focused on their goal. Drug rehab involves a conscious decision day after day to create and maintain a better, healthier, more productive and positive lifestyle.

Drug rehab is structure. Often for the first time in a long time, a recovering addict will experience the structure of a daily schedule that does not involve and revolve around drugs. In fact, the daily schedule will be structured around getting the person to think about anything but drugs. Through activities like social outings, therapy and counseling, a person can keep their mind focused on recovery and away from the temptations of drug abuse. Most drug rehab facilities offer these activities. Maintaining a busy schedule is an excellent way to maintain sobriety, as boredom is one of the leading causes of relapse.

Drug rehab is not just about drugs. It also requires a person to face issues in their life that may have contributed to the drug use in the first place. These may be emotional, physical, mental or psychological disorders – they could stem to issues from the distant or recent past. It may be something as simple as numbing the pain and regret from past life choices and actions. It may be a low-self image and the need to feel accepted in a crowd. For instance, a person may have started smoking crack because they were overweight and the drug caused the weight loss they so desperately wanted in order to feel better about themselves. Drug rehab is the process of admitting those feelings of inferiority, pain, regret, depression, guilt – whatever the issue may be. It is the process of learning to accept and love oneself as is, for better or worse.

Sometimes there are disorders that arise during the course of the addiction as a direct result of the drug abuse. These must also be treated, simultaneously yet separately from the drug addiction itself. Most drug rehab facilities offer treatment for this, which is known as “co-occurring disorders.”

Drug rehab can be in an overnight or outpatient facility, for a period of a couple days up to a year or more. The type of facility and length of treatment depends largely on the type, intensity and duration of the drug addiction. There are also self-help groups, also known as 12-step programs. The term “self-help” is a bit misleading, because it is a group environment and “sponsors” are often provided to mentor participants in their recovery journey. However, the participants in this program can change from week to week and it will not always provide the stability and breadth of services that an inpatient or outpatient drug rehab facility would.

Drug rehab is essentially a complete life overhaul. During the actual drug rehab treatment, it is often a good idea to be treated at a facility some distance from the town where the drug abuse took place. This puts distance between the old hangouts and drug-using friends that can lead to relapse. After treatment is over, drug rehab continues as a continual process of self-discovery about one’s abilities, personality, gifts and talents and weaknesses. This self-awareness is critical to maintaining lifelong health and sobriety.