Deciding to seek help for your addiction is a difficult step to take. For many recovering addicts, it takes several attempts to get clean on their own to realize that they do need professional help. Even after they accept that they can’t do it alone, registering with a South Florida drug rehab center is another big step that’s difficult to take. Fortunately, you may have family and friends to help you with that step. The support they offer helps you feel more confident in your decision to get help. While you should rely on your family to help you make this important decision, it’s also important to know the recovery process may limit the time you can spend with them after you go through the intake process. Much like making the decision to seek help, benefiting from rehab treatment requires doing some of the recovery steps without your family. You’ll have to go through the beginning stages without outside support, but treatment is set up this way to benefit you.
When you first enter a South Florida drug rehab center, you’ll likely find that there are rules that keep your family from visiting you at all. The rules will also prevent you from communicating with them in any way. While that can seem harsh, these rules are in place for a few very good reasons. First, it’s important to take a break from the negative criticisms your family may offer. Depending on the family dynamic, interactions with loved ones can serve as a trigger for a relapse. It’s important to learn how to cope with those situations in healthy ways before resuming relations with loved ones. Secondly, a successful rehab program relies on encouraging recovering addicts to bond with one another. They’re less likely to form healthy friendships with other recovering addicts when family visitations allow them to share their thoughts solely with family members. Once a resident starts forming other relationships and has settled into their role in rehab, limited family visitations will be permitted. This is usually a very short period, so you will be able to receive visits from close family members within a few days up to a week.
What to Expect From Family Visitations
Before your family members can visit you, they will meet with your counselor to discuss the visits. This is necessary to ensure every visit will be a positive experience for you, which will help to support your recovery process. For that reason, family members will be advised to avoid controversial topics that may raise negative thoughts and feelings. Instead, they will be asked to approach you in a more positive manner. While there may be underlying relationship issues that need to be addressed, unstructured visits aren’t the time or place to address those problems. Instead, the focus is on providing you with the support you need to recover. The visits also provide opportunities for your family members to become more familiar with your new environment. This means learning their way around the facility and learning about the rules in the rehab treatment center. Visits also help family members get to know the treatment center’s staff a little better.
Later in the recovery process, your family will take a more active role in your recovery by engaging in family therapy. There are different types of family therapy and several types may be used simultaneously. For example, if there are problems between you and a specific family member, therapy sessions between you and that loved one can help iron out those issues. Additionally, your family will also meet as a group and participate in meetings that resemble the support group meetings you have been participating in with the other recovering addicts. In this situation, however, the focus of family group meetings is to discuss your past substance abuse problems and how they affected other family members. You may also discuss how your relationships affected or contributed to your substance abuse. When you near the completion of the rehab treatment program, these group meetings will focus more on your future. Your family will have to know what they can do to help you, such as keeping alcoholic beverages out of the home, so these meetings will be vital to your continued recovery.
If you are interested in getting help for a substance abuse problem, call one of our counselors at 833-846-5669. We’re available anytime of the day or night to answer your questions and to ensure you get the help you need. Together, we can help you live a sober and healthy new life.