Drug Rehab Not Easy To Change And Let Go

Drug rehab can give you a chance to really turn your life around.  But it is hard work.  It’s not easy for many reasons, and one of the toughest is letting go of old habits.  If you are considering drug rehab, are you ready to let go of your addiction identity and lifestyle?

Drug Rehab Brings Change In Many Ways

Change is difficult for every human being.  Some people like or tolerate change better than others.  But most people enjoy having some familiarity in their life – their home environment, their favorite food and drink, their friends, their personal habits.  Many of those things need some change when someone goes through drug treatment.

Their favorite foods might be burritos, beer, whiskey, and pizza.  But at drug rehab, they are likely to be offered healthier foods and certainly no alcohol.  Even though a person may understand the health benefits of certain foods, it may feel like they are giving up a lot.

Even an addicted person’s friends can come under scrutiny.  During drug treatment, it’s likely that some personal relationships will be evaluated.  And if any of them are still drinking or using drugs, these friends may be on the “No” list.  The addicted person may argue to keep them.  However, the risk of relapse can be very high when a sober person interacts with old friends who still use.  The temptation to relapse and to fall
back into addiction thinking is very strong.  This is a great time to find safe friends and
family, and also to introduce them to appropriate support organizations.

Desire For Familiar Things Can Be Strong Before And After Drug Rehab

Sometimes, just the adjustment alone can feel worse than the addiction.  Kind of like the hell you know is better than the hell you don’t know.  People often choose familiarity over adjusting to something new.  This is frequently true even when the obviously better choice is the new choice.  To a drug addict, staying in their addictive patterns can seem more comfortable than forging ahead into drug treatment.  This is very important to consider for newly sober people.  The temptations for relapse can be strong when the change feels overwhelming.  It’s so important to have good aftercare plans and support people in place after drug rehab.

Adjustment During Drug Rehab Worth It

Even though it may seem clear that someone needs drug rehab, don’t underestimate the power of comfort and familiarity.  It can make the decision to start drug rehab difficult, and it can make the transition to sobriety a challenge.  Even for someone with no addiction, change can be difficult to absorb.  Just know that resistance to change is a very normal part of human life.  Adjustment can feel uncomfortable, but positive
change from drug rehab is well worth the struggle.