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Will I Be Pressured into Uncomfortable Situations in Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment?

When you participate in an inpatient substance abuse treatment program, it is likely that you’ll find yourself in uncomfortable situations. It largely depends on your personality and how you feel in social situations. For example, extroverted people may feel only slightly uncomfortable because they typically enjoy exploring new situations and meeting new people. However, introverted people may feel more uncomfortable as a result of being thrown into a new and unfamiliar situation. If you don’t often go outside your comfort zone, or like to spend most of your time alone, entering an inpatient rehab setting can be unnerving.

The good news is that everyone else is in exactly the same situation, and it won’t take you long to meet friends who feel similarly. This type of bonding is actually beneficial to your recovery because it provides social support from those who are also trying to recover from an addiction. Once you realize that everyone is in the same situation, you’ll find it’s a little easier to let your guard down. Another situation that may make you feel uncomfortable is in sharing your sleeping quarters with another addict.

It’s rare that each addict will have their own bedroom, so you will have to adjust to having at least one roommate during your stay in an inpatient substance abuse treatment center. Even if you’re unaccustomed to sharing a room with another person, this is also a situation you can get used to in time. You will have to put in the effort yourself by following some rules of etiquette that the facility may or may not have in writing.

Many of those rules are basic common courtesy, such as respecting your roommate’s privacy. Just as you wouldn’t want them to search through your belongings, you must also keep your hands off of their things. This extends to respecting each other as individuals and recovering addicts. If your roommate seems to be going through a hard time, or if their withdrawal symptoms are affecting them more severely, respect their privacy. Expressing your concern for them to a caregiver is one thing, but don’t tell the other addicts in the facility. In general, show the same respect that you would want your roommate to grant you.

Expect to Participate in Group Activities

Much of your time in an inpatient substance abuse treatment center will be spent in one on one counseling situations, but you’ll also be participating in group support meetings. This involves coming together with the other recovering addicts in the facility to discuss your recovery process. If you’re not used to speaking publicly or maintain a small network of friends, this can be an uncomfortable situation. Even though you feel uncomfortable, you may be pressured to participate in your first few meetings. This is designed to help you break the ice and talk more openly in a group setting.

Once you begin speaking and participating in the sessions, you’ll lose that self-consciousness and feel more comfortable. This will help you get more out of the sessions, and you’ll find that sharing your thoughts in a group setting will help you resolve your own recovery issues. It will also give you the opportunity to help others. You’ll also have an opportunity to socialize with the other addicts in the facility throughout each day. While this can feel intimidating at first, you’ll look forward to these situations as you develop friendships with the other addicts in treatment.

Developing friendships is encouraged because it helps you develop a support structure that’s made of other people who are also pursuing sober and healthier lifestyles. This gives you common interests and an understanding of the struggles you’ll face. As time goes on, you’ll look forward to participating in optional activities with the other addicts, such as practicing yoga, meditating, or exercising together. This type of camaraderie will help every other addict just as it helps you by showing that their people you can trust to help you through rough patches. While you may have felt unnerved or uncertain as you were introduced into the social structure of the treatment center, you’ll soon develop friendships that will last long after you leave the facility.

You can take the first step in your recovery by calling our counselors at 833-364-0736. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer your questions and help you choose the recovery program that’s best for you. With the help of our compassionate and skilled staff of caregivers, you’ll soon be living a clean and healthy lifestyle.