…And How To Prevent It
Leaving Rehab Early Increases Relapse Risk And Recovery Loss
Leaving rehab early raises relapse risk and undermines long term recovery as many addicts who leave rehab early struggle to maintain sobriety and risk death.. Changes team counsellors are here to help you.
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The toughest part of recovery is getting the addict to remain in rehabilitation.
Studies have proven that addicts who left treatment before the minimum of 28 days in rehabilitation were more susceptible to a relapse than those who completed the full term of treatment.
What is it that makes addicted individuals drop out of treatment?
The most commonly used excuse is that detoxification is painful. Detox is used to remove any physical and mental withdrawal symptoms and cravings that occur due to abstinence from the addictive substance.
Many addicts revert back to drugs due to the pleasurable feelings they create. There are medications available to make detoxification more manageable, while therapies such as acupuncture and massage are also used to ease the pain.
Another assumption that is commonly made is the denial that they are unlike anyone else in rehabilitation. A typical example would be an addict attending group therapy and believing that they are superior to everyone else. This assumption causes people to shut themselves out of treatment emotionally and eventually leads to absenteeism from rehabilitation.
The importance of finding a suitable rehabilitation programme can help avoid this situation as if the individual is surrounded by people in a similar position and with similar symptoms, it could help the addict go into treatment with an open mind and new perspective.
Another common reason for dropping out of treatment is because the addict doesn’t like being at rehabilitation. Because the urge will be to want to go back to using drugs or alcohol, the addict will look for any reason to justify it, and will blame the facilities as well as its rules and regulations to get out of treatment. In some cases, the addict might have a point because it’s the job of the treatment centre to make the individual feel as comfortable as possible.
This can also be due to the form of treatment being unsuitable for the patient and can be easily picked up if the individual’s mental illnesses are still prevalent and not being addressed. Therefore, it is important for the people working at rehabilitation centres to stay in tune and closely involved with their patient’s needs and concerns so that they have no reason to leave treatment.
Family members should also encourage the addict to remain in treatment and can do so by reminding the individual about why they need to complete it. Repetition of treatments can also cause an addict to fall out of rehabilitation.
Medical aid usually covers more than families expect.
We work with South African medical schemes daily and know how to handle pre-authorisations, ICD-10 coding and motivation letters so that cost is clear from the start.
In treatment, various methods are often repeated. This because we learn through repetition. Addicts can sometimes conclude that because it never worked the first time, it will never work.
There is always room to learn more, no matter how much the addict thinks they know. Treatment facilities can avoid this by integrating fresh ideas into the same treatment, such as getting guest speakers who can share their success stories and offering alternative therapies.
Patients can also develop a sense of self-confidence, which is beneficial in the healing process but can also be damaging.
This usually occurs when the addict has been sober for some time, and the individual now believes that they are cured and can return to normal life again.
When the patient shows these signs, it is clear that more treatment and education should be administered.
It is important that recovering addicts are gradually put back into society, as anything can trigger a relapse, bringing the patient back to square one.
To end, it is important for every patient to believe and trust in the therapy and treatment they will receive. When this is achieved, the addict will be able to stay longer in treatment.