The first thing to do when rehab doesn’t work for you is to ask yourself why. What are the things making your treatment not work for helping you with alcoholism?

The reason why you go into rehab is to gain back your normal life. All the medications, counseling, and therapies are aimed to help you achieve a sober life once more. However, rehabilitation is a two-way process between the treatment and the patient and most often, any shortcoming from either end can cause it to fail.

Why Rehab Doesn’t Work

Rehab is designed in different ways to suit the needs of the patient. A treatment for one may greatly vary from the treatment for the other and this depends on several factors. The length and degree of substance abuse as well as the medical history of the person involved are greatly considered in the process of rehabilitation.

A person who suffered from addiction went through rehab, and experienced a relapse is not an uncommon situation. Anyone who went through addiction and overcame it cannot deny that a relapse is possible anytime in the future. It may occur after a year, after five years, or even up to ten – no one can ever be sure – that is why it is important to always be vigilant.

There are three factors to consider in determining the cause as to why rehab doesn’t work. Take a closer look at each factor and try to figure out which contributes the most to why rehab doesn’t work for you or for someone who matters to you.

Rehab treatment

Graduating from inpatient treatment is not a guarantee that addiction has been successfully treated. There is no guarantee at all when it comes to addiction. Addiction is like a chronic disease that needs a drastic shift to a healthier lifestyle to stay sober. Any of the following mishaps in treatment could lead to a high possibility of relapse to occur:

An unripe treatment

An unripe treatment refers to a treatment that was not fully accomplished for some reason. Some patients may find a 30-day treatment enough while others may need a little longer than 90 days. It all depends on how heavily the person was saturated with alcohol. The catch is that the longer the treatment, the longer is recovery possible.

For what reasons do patients prefer a shorter treatment? First, it could be the cost since longer treatment is more expensive. Second, it could be the inconvenience brought by suspending personal responsibilities to prioritize treatment. However, taking all these risks will give a huge advantage in the long run.

An incorrect diagnosis

There are multiple instances of people prescribed to take plenty of medications for disorders that could not exist at all. On the other hand, there are also patients whose conditions are taken lightly and whose underlying mental disorders are missed out and left unmedicated. These situations define an incorrect diagnosis and it is a cause for concern.

What causes a misdiagnosis? The thing about alcohol addiction is that it could co-exist with a certain mental health issue, and sometimes the symptoms of alcohol addiction alone could be mistaken as a co-existing serious mental health disorder. This is when extra medications happen.

However, there is a greater danger posed by situations when a mental disorder that triggers addiction is unidentified by the physician. One of the possible reasons could be the patient’s lack of disclosure about medical history and even substance abuse experiences, and another cause could also be fragmented care.

Failure to follow through with post-rehab care

Post-rehab care is essential and not optional. Keeping in touch with your healthcare providers, continuing your therapies, and living a healthier lifestyle by taking your medications and keeping up with the newly-formed habits gained inside the rehab center are all necessary to keep you on track and prevent relapse from occurring.

Never underestimate the power of post-rehab care. Recovery from addiction is a long process and it does not mean that getting out of the rehab center makes you completely healed. The world outside is filled with temptations and falling in again to minor attempts of using the substance could lead to a series of subtle repetitions that trigger addiction to recur.

The best option is to always stay on track to your post-rehab plan, commit to living a sober life, and never hesitate to call for help when the need arises.

Personal barrier

Personal barriers include the lack of integrity in the process of treatment. It could be limiting one’s self in disclosing personal histories and experiences. It could also be the lack of commitment that manifests through the inability to accept new ideas as well as self-denial in terms of owning feelings of guilt, resentment, and the likes.

Rehab does not work for people who are not willing to work for themselves. If a person in the first place does not believe that recovery is possible after rehabilitation, they will live that truth throughout their lifetime. At the end of the day, the personal desire and commitment to get through addiction is what would lead them to where they desire the most.

Support group

The support of the family plays an important role in the recovery of a person under alcohol addiction. Being vulnerable to addiction requires protection from a world that entices addiction, and the family can serve as that protection. It is important to shed love, understanding, and kindness at all times as these strengthen the will to battle addiction.

However, when family members fail to reconcile past issues, this could ignite negative feelings that will weaken a person and again, fall out. Even members whose addiction remains unresolved may likely be complacent about addiction as a problem. These occurrences at home are not helpful for anyone in a state of recovery.

These instances could be inevitable yet another option could be to surround oneself with a fellowship that aims to be helpful and supportive to your goals.

Getting a Treatment Provider

The role of professional help in your recovery is great. Addiction is not a solo battle after all. Get professional medical assistance to recover from your alcohol use disorder.