Seeking treatment for addiction is likely to bring up a number of questions. For example, if you’re planning to enroll in inpatient treatment, you may wonder whether or not going out of state is necessary. The short answer is that you are not required to go out of state for treatment, but doing so is an option. Learning more about the reasons to go out of state and to stay in your own state can help in making the decision.
Why Stay in Your Own State
Consider both perspectives to reach a conclusion about which option is right for you. Here are some reasons why you might choose to stay in your own state for inpatient treatment:
- being in a familiar environment
- continuing work or schooling
- staying connected with relatives and friends
- building relationships with people from the area
A Familiar Environment
For some individuals, staying in their home state is helpful because they enjoy being in a familiar environment. For example, if you’ve never traveled outside of the state before, doing so for the first time in this situation might feel overwhelming. In other words, since you’re already going through a difficult experience, you may not want to add on another layer of stress.
Continuing Work or Schooling
If you’re going to an inpatient program, you’re likely going to have to take a break from work and school. However, in the event that you’re seeking outpatient treatment, you may want to continue with many of your regular daily activities, which would mean that you need to stay in the state.
Staying Connected with Relatives and Friends
While virtual tools allow you to stay connected with relatives and friends regardless of where you are, you may thrive off of in-person connections. Remember that while in treatment, your main focus has to be on yourself though.
Building Relationships
During treatment, you’re likely going to form supportive and motivating relationships with both staff members and clients. Choosing an in-state center can help you to maintain those bonds after the treatment program ends. Do keep in mind that some of the other clients may be from out of state.
Why Go to Another State
There are also good reasons to go to another state for rehab. Some of those reasons include the following:
- the space to focus on yourself
- the rejuvenation that a new environment provides
- learning about different strategies
The Space to Focus on Yourself
Focusing on yourself and your own needs is a critical part of successful treatment. Having too many distractions can interfere. If you go to another state, you will have that distance from your home that can be necessary to achieve a high level of focus. Physical distance from relatives and friends can also encourage them to give you the needed space. In other words, instead of calling you for help, your loved ones can learn how to navigate certain issues independently.
Rejuvenation
Think about how you feel when you travel to a new place. Simply being in an unfamiliar area can feel rejuvenating. Be careful about comparing going to rehab in another state to going on vacation though. You might think about a time when you went on a retreat in another state and how good it felt to be away from your home environment. Even when your loved ones are supportive of your treatment and personal goals, living in another area for a period of time can be refreshing.
Different Strategies
You might have tried going to rehab in your own state in the past. While some strategies for treating addiction are fairly universal, you may simply find that approaches in other states work better for your needs. Ultimately, you do not need to travel out of state to go to treatment. However, you also don’t need to stay in your own state. The best approach is to speak with a counselor about what option makes the most sense for you. Call 833-846-5669 to speak with a caring representative today.