How Do I Know if Residential Treatment Is Right for Me?

Residential treatment can be intimidating. However, it is also an effective, crucial step of the recovery process. Understanding the benefits and advantages of residential treatment for coping with an addiction to drugs or alcohol can help each individual determine if residential treatment is right for them. While each recovery journey will be different, residential treatment is an effective way to understand and tackle the difficulties of sobriety while constructing a healthy daily life in one’s newfound sobriety. 

Residential treatment is a form of treatment where an individual lives full-time at a dedicated treatment facility. However, even while providing medical care, residential treatment is not like staying in a hospital. Rather, it is based on creating a newfound sense of comfort and support as one begins to challenge their daily routines and embrace new coping strategies and social groups. How long each person remains in residential treatment will be different, with some programs lasting about a month and others going up to 90 days. How long one stays depends on how one is feeling, progress made, and other personal factors. 

During inpatient drug and alcohol treatment, an individual will have access to constant care and supervision intended to help the individual combat persistent urges and cravings while practicing new coping strategies and participating in group activities and experiential therapies to develop a newfound sober structure and spiritual center. While living on-site at a treatment facility can be difficult, it comes with many advantages that are proven and effective for continued sobriety. 

One major barrier to residential treatment can be the worry that an individual will be cut off from those they love while the individual is living at a dedicated treatment facility. However, it is not necessarily the case that contact will be cut off. An individual will have ample opportunity to discuss one’s needs, relationships, and more while in residential care. Not only is communication with close family and friends accepted, but it is championed. Communication with family and friends helps to establish key supportive relationships and educate family members through family programs. While family and friends may be restricted in when they can visit or for how long, phone calls, emails, and more are all common practices for those living in residential treatment. One’s relationships with these important supports never need to be severed or abandoned while pursuing this level of care. 

Having support available around the clock is crucial when managing newfound sobriety. It can be impossible to predict how one will react to stresses or the physical and emotional challenges that one may face on their sober journey. This supervision ensures that there is always a qualified staff member to help an individual cope with whatever they may be facing. Staff can provide emotional support using trauma-informed approaches, as well as grounding strategies to help process urges. This additional safety net is intended to help an individual navigate even the most tumultuous of times in their recovery while developing personalized, impactful strategies for each individual that can be applied inside and outside of the treatment facility.

Environment plays a large role in the use of drugs or alcohol. At-home reminders of one’s use or physical spaces where one would engage with drugs or alcohol can create intensely difficult urges. Environmental stresses can be prevalent and daily routines may have been constructed around one’s opportunities to use addictive substances, and a change in environment is necessary to break from these routines. 

Residential treatment doesn’t take a sterile, medical approach to living in addiction treatment. Rather, residential treatment creates a comfortable space for an individual complete with amenities and relaxing imagery. Natural iconography and living alongside the beautiful topography of Hawaii are all integral to the residential program. Regular trips, hikes, and cultural experiences are a common part of the program. Coupled with individual and group therapy sessions, an individual is never left to feel isolated throughout their stay and can use this change in environment to facilitate the development of new routines and ideas. 

With the cessation of addictive substances, boredom and a lack of direction can be incredibly dangerous. Boredom can prompt urges and increase the chances of relapse. Residential treatment takes a highly structured approach to each day, filling one’s time fully with new activities, experiences, therapeutic outlets, and more. This ensures that one is always taking action to further their own sober goals and strengthen their coping strategies. However, this doesn’t mean that one won’t have time to themselves. Time for self-care, rest, and more are worked into the schedule. This structured approach can be a major change in lifestyle, but this change can help an individual begin building their own sober routines outside the use of addictive substances. 

Residential treatment is an effective and powerful tool throughout your journey to sobriety. While it can be difficult to break through the initial barrier, its importance in ongoing sobriety is profound. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we understand the important role residential treatment can play in creating a new lifestyle based on abstinence and a fulfilling cultural, spiritual, and personal daily life. At our center, we are prepared to create a plan that is right for you. We will help you find your own best coping strategies and sober goals while building a supportive community of peers and professionals alike. Your time with us is curated to help you build upon your strengths and efforts while providing a supportive atmosphere to confront your vulnerabilities in order to embrace a truly transformative experience. For more information on how we can personalize your stay, call us today at (866) 390-5070.