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What Are Some Of The Root Causes For Why People Leave Rehab Early?
- Sadly, there can be many reasons why people feel compelled to end their rehabilitation early. For some individuals, they may have felt pressured into the decision by family members, friends, coworkers, and may resent their time there, unable to focus on the potential benefit further down the line, instead of remaining focussed on a feeling of being forced into rehab and thus feeling the need to “escape” so to speak.
There is also the feeling for some people battling alcoholism or drug abuse that they have overcome their addiction at too early a stage in their recovery. Once they have overcome the first few days, there may be a feeling that they no longer need the care or aid provided in rehab in order to remain healthy and sober in the outside world.
One of the more prevalent, and may seem obvious, reasons is that some people simply do not like being in rehab — and this is an understandable feeling for some. The process of getting clean can be difficult; and, while rehabs do their best to make people better in the most effective way possible, this can often mean forcing the addict to confront things in their life that they do not want to confront, but which are necessary for them to truly overcome their substance abuse.
Feelings of ambivalence towards the recovery process can also cause people to leave rehab. The feeling that nothing is being gained by their being there, which can ultimately stem from the simple fact of the person not having truly yet committed to their recovery. Thinking that they already know everything that the rehab is offering can breed a sense of disillusionment with the process of recovery, and push an individual to make a snap decision to leave in anger.
For some, the experience of going through detoxification can feel too much. Experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms can lead to some being overwhelmed. Withdrawal can bring with it a whole host of dangers and unpleasant symptoms, and leaving during. This period can bring with it an incredibly high risk of serious injury or even death, something which we’ll go into more detail of in the next section.
Overall, whatever the reason that people feel the need to leave their rehab treatment early, there is one thing that almost all of those who left treatment have in common, and that is regret. Whether it is for a quick hit, or simply to get away from the rehab environment, once most people leave early they will begin to see the positives of the experience that they have left behind.
Leaving During Detoxification Can Cost You More Than You May Think
When going through withdrawal, be it from alcohol addiction or drug addiction, the symptoms that an addict may face can be dangerous and life-threatening. While in rehab, medical professionals will be able to monitor you, offer medical assistance, and prescribe medication which will alleviate the symptoms.
Experiencing detoxification without medical support can, and does, cost people their lives, and is not something to be taken lightly.
Furthermore, leaving once you have experienced detox can be incredibly dangerous due to your tolerance having been lowered. Experiencing a relapse once you have gone through detoxification can lead to addicts inadvertently overdosing due to the fact that their bodies may no longer be able to cope with the high doses of a substance that they were previously consuming. There is also the added worry that relapsing and then detoxing again has been known to frequently make withdrawal symptoms even more severe the following time.
Those Who Leave Early Make Rash And Damaging Decisions
Leaving rehab before your treatment was completed and being suddenly placed back in your previous familiar surroundings can overwhelm someone in recovery. Without having been prepared for the transition back to your home life by the professionals in rehab, old triggers and temptations can overcome you and force you quickly back into old routines and bad habits.
Quitting rehab also leads a lot of people to experience feelings of failure and anger at both themselves and the process of recovery, which ultimately leads to relapse. An even more emboldened sense of disillusionment can ensue which, in turn, makes the prospect of starting recovery again even more daunting than it was the first time.
Support networks that would otherwise be in place to help people finishing rehab may seem unavailable as well, due to the worry that they may be angry or disappointed with you for not completing treatment. A good support network when you leave rehab can be a vitally important part of not relapsing and is something that your rehab can help you establish, something which you potentially deprive yourself of by leaving early.
It Can Be Natural To Feel Like You Want To Leave Early, But What Should You Do To Fight It?
As mentioned before, recovery is a long and hard road for some. And so, it can be natural to expect yourself to feel like you want to leave at times when things get tough — however, conquering these feelings is just another one of the things you have to fight in pursuit of a clean, sober life.
One of the best ways to handle such feelings can be to talk to the rehab staff about it. The professionals there will have dealt with people in a similar situation before and will be able to give you the best advice possible in overcoming it. In a similar vein, talking about these feelings at group sessions can be beneficial to see how other people have overcome such fleeting desires. Or, you could try writing a list of reasons why you are there, and why it is that you want to get clean — be it for the benefit of a loved one, family member, to improve work prospects, or simply to be a better you!
Taking rehab one day at a time can be a great way to handle the pressures that may make themselves apparent on the journey to recovery. And, with the aid of the dedicate and professional staff and therapists at Nova Recovery facilities, you will be able to conquer these fears and get the most out of your rehabilitation.
If you’re ready to make the best decision of your life and start living a truly healthy and complete life, then contact Nova Recovery on 01475 303998, info@novarecovery.co.uk, or contact us through our website.
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John Gillen
- Author
- Last updated: September 8, 2023
John has travelled extensively around the world, culminating in 19 years’ experience looking at different models. He is the European pioneer of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) treatment to Europe in 2010; and recently back from the USA bringing state of the art Virtual Reality Relapse Prevention and stress reduction therapy. His passion extends to other metabolic disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases. The journey continues. In recent times, John has travelled to Russia to study and research into a new therapy photobiomudulation or systemic laser therapy working with NAD+ scientists and the very best of the medical professionals in the UK and the USA, together with Nadcell, Bionad Hospitals own select Doctors, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Johns’ passion continues to endeavour to bring to the UK and Europe new developments with NAD+ Therapy in preventive and restorative medicine and Wellness. In 2017 John Gillen was made a visiting Professor at the John Naisbitt university in Belgrade Serbia.
