Why You Shouldn’t Be Ashamed about Going to Rehab

Admitting yourself that you might need addiction recovery is challenging. Some try to discipline themselves into believing they can achieve a full recovery, but for others external emotional support is necessary. Doing it alone often has a low success rate and takes longer. The better alternative is going to a rehabilitation centre that provides multiple emotional and mental health options alongside addiction therapies. Research shows that residential rehab treatment is still the best for addiction recovery.

The Primary Reasons People Are Ashamed of Going to Rehab

Going to rehab is the best solution for addiction recovery. However, you might be against this primarily due to the shame and stigma associated with going to rehab. This situation is understandable but not infallible. Let us look at the primary reasons people are ashamed of going to rehab, how they came to be, why they are no longer essential and how you can believe in the positive results of going to rehab:

Negative Judgement from Others

This is the most critical reason why some people are ashamed of going to rehab. You hear them making statements like “My colleagues will likely avoid me”, “My family won’t come to visit”, “No one will come to family therapy” and more that show that fear of other people’s judgments and opinions. Studies show that shame and stigma from others are the main reasons people refuse addiction treatment. But healing from an addiction is not that shameful act of self-centred recovery, which many thought to be in the 80s and 90s. Addiction treatment is a therapeutic treatment for the entire family. If you have a problem, chances are it is affecting everyone around you, and they can all heal through this residential option.

The Fear of the Unknown in Rehab Centers

You might worry that rehab centres are also filled with strange new people, incoherent practices and new ways. You need not worry about that. At rehab centres, most of the staff are people who know your struggles and difficulties and will do their best to make you become the best of yourself; for the most part, they have been through some rehab themselves. Talking about your issues and struggles is more accessible with them, as they are in recovery and can understand your situation better.

How to Overcome the Shame Feelings That Arise from Going to Rehab

Feeling embarrassed about going to rehab is common, especially if you are already battling low self-esteem due to consequences related to social struggles or well-being, of your addiction. However, when you equip yourself with the tools, residential rehabs offer you for overcoming such challenges and take the proper steps toward helping yourself, the feeling of embarrassment will disappear.
Some helpful ways you can overcome the shame include:

Understanding the Root of the Problem

Usually, when you are feeling shame about going to rehab, you might think you are the cause of the problem. You might think something is wrong with you, making others criticise your decisions. However, it is best to take your mind off such thoughts. The problem is not because of you but because of those people who project their fears and feelings of insecurity onto others. The problem is not how you look, act or what you eat. The problem is usually deep within your social interactions with these people and a global lack of awareness about addiction and how those who suffer from it need assistance.

Surrounding Yourself with Positive People Who Value You

It is best to avoid people who are against your recovery. Especially people that want you to pay for your ‘misdeeds’. These toxic people are bent on imposing shame and guilt upon you, and will seize every chance to make their actions get to you. Avoid them and get around people who understand you, want the best for you, and want your progress. Recovery support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other chapter-type meetings nearby are a great start.

Understanding How Thoughts Impact Your Recovery

Negative emotions and feelings are destructive to your goal of achieving a positive, healthy, substance-free life. Phrases like “This is a waste of money and time” or “I’ll relapse later” are one of the most prevalent. Eliminate them and arm yourself with positive thoughts that will aid your recovery.

The Benefits of Going to Rehab

Rehab offers several treatments and therapies that help with the various stages of addiction recovery. Addiction is an emotional, physical, and psychological disease, and you should treat it as such. Therapy will help you discover the factors that trigger your desire to use substances. The following are essential benefits that rehab centres offer:

A Sense of Community

It is vital to have a support system for all addiction treatments. Rehabilitation provides a community of counsellors, staff and access to other recovering addicts. This sense of community of people who understand your struggles is vital for your recovery, especially if you struggle to stay determined. Various studies confirm that most patients are comfortable speaking to addiction professionals and doctors alone. Thus, their progress in these facilities is immense. For some people, it is entirely impossible to recover from addiction without the sense of community that is born within the residential facilities alongside those currently in treatment and former alumni of the treatment centres.

Enhanced Accountability

In addition to a community that understands your struggles, rehab provides people that will help hold you accountable. Attending daily therapy sessions gives you that feeling of having daily check-ups with people that will not judge you but rather give you the needed help and hope to overcome your addiction. There are fewer chances of a relapse if your recovery process includes a support system like this that holds you accountable.

Well-defined Structure

Drug rehabilitation provides a well-defined structure. Usually, the first step in addiction recovery is to create a routine, and the structure of rehab centres encourages this. They emphasise daily routines that develop productive habits and activities while patients attend treatments and therapies. This structure helps you dissolve those negative addictive habits and build positive habits for your recovery and better health.

Better Overall Health

Rehab doesn’t focus on recovery from addiction alone. It also focuses on the overall health of your mind and body. Substance abuse makes your body lose essential nutrients, causing you to feel weak and resulting in headaches and loss of sleep. When rehabilitation has helped you fix your addiction, and you still see these symptoms, you will likely return to your addiction lifestyle. However, rehab provides adequate meals that help recover the lost nutrients in your body, increasing your overall health.

Addiction is not the end of the road for you, as there are several ways to recover from it. Going to rehab is the most advisable way to achieve long-term sobriety. However, you might feel worried and ashamed due to several factors that might try to push you away from residential rehabilitation. You should know that going to rehab is your best bet for overcoming addiction, and most ‘shameful’ sides of this are either outdated or entirely false. Thus, you should cast aside your shame and look at the scores of benefits to gain by going to rehab.