While You Wait: Preparing Yourself Mentally for Alcohol Rehab
During the month of July, we will be providing a six-post look at what you should do to prepare for alcohol rehab during the days before you start treatment. Whether you are on a waiting list and must wait for your room to become available or you have chosen a start date that is a few days or weeks off, it’s important that you take the time to slowly and safely begin the healing process and take advantage of the opportunity to prepare yourself and others for what is it come.
Today, the focus is getting your head in the game and preparing yourself for alcohol rehab mentally.
Getting Your Head in the Right Place to Get the Most Out of Alcohol Rehab
It’s a huge change you’re about to go through. Don’t minimize it, but don’t let it freak you out, either. You’re going to go from focusing on getting drunk and all the drama that goes along with it to focusing on feeling good naturally and learning how to keep the drama of everyday life from affecting your recovery. It’s a whole new way to live your life and, while exciting, it can create a little anxiety in the beginning. Here are a few tips to keep from psyching yourself out before you can even get through the door:
- Focus on relaxation. Living with alcohol addiction can be extremely stressful on your body, and the process of taking alcohol out of your system is no easy experience, either. Take these few days before you leave to cut back a little bit on alcohol if you can, without invoking withdrawal symptoms. Get some rest. Take some walks. Drink lots of water. And try to avoid any stressful activities or interactions that will only increase what you have to deal with mentally and physically.
- Read the literature. Your alcohol rehab likely sent you a packet of information about what to expect when you get to treatment. You’ll find out what to bring, what kind of schedule you can expect, the types of treatments and therapies they offer. Familiarize yourself with this information so that you can put your mind at ease and, if you find anything that brings up questions or concerns, call them and get it straight.
- Spend time with friends, kids, pets, and people who make you happy. Now is not the time to start a fight with loved ones or even to feed into old dramas. Instead, put some distance between yourself and those with whom you often fight and instead spend this time with calm, happy, fun people who are supportive of your recovery and put you in a good mood.
Stay tuned for the next installment in the “While You Wait” series: Talking to Your Boss Before Alcohol Rehab.
