Can I Bring My Mobile, Tablet or Laptop into Rehab?

If you are about to go to rehab, you may be slightly anxious about the thought of giving up your smartphone whilst you undergo treatment. After all, many of us suffer from smartphone addiction.

Many rehab clinics now allow clients to bring in their smartphones into rehab. This means this question of ‘can I bring my mobile into rehab’ may be better re-phrased as ‘should I bring my mobile into rehab?’

The case against bringing your mobile, laptop or tablet into rehab

When you undergo treatment, it’s vitally important that you are fully concentrated on your recovery goals. Your mobile, tablet or laptop may serve to distract you from these important goals

It’s also important to remember that your mobile, tablet and laptop also provide a connection to the outside world. One major benefit of attending rehab is that you are removed from outside temptations and bad influences. Bringing in a communication device may serve to remove this benefit that’s offered by residential rehab because bad influences will be able to contact you during your treatment and vice versa.

Even if rehabs allow the use of mobiles, tablets and laptops in their clinic, they will not allow the abuse of these devices. This means you will not be allowed to use these devices to contact drug dealers or to purchase alcohol online. Doing so will almost certainly mean you are removed from the rehab if you are caught, and you will probably not be entitled to a refund for the treatment you will no longer be entitled to receive.

It’s thus easier to rely on other ways to fill your downtime. Instead of relying on electronic devices to entertain you during downtime, why not bring along books, magazines and journals instead?

The case for bringing your mobile, laptop or tablet into rehab

Some argue that it makes sense to allow clients to bring in their mobile, tablet and laptop into rehab. This may be because doing so will help rehab clinics to emulate conditions that exist in real life, and it’s under these conditions that clients will ultimately face when they return home.

Also, asking clients to stop using their mobile, laptop and tablet will add another layer of anxiety to the whole experience of attending rehab that’s just not worth the bother. It’s thought that younger people under the age of 30 are thought to be most likely to experience anxiety when their uses of these devices are restricted.

Rehab clinics have also compromised in this area by allowing the use of these devices due to the nature of clients who enter their clinic. Many people who suffer from addiction are otherwise highly functioning individuals who often run businesses or occupy senior positions within large organisations. Many of these people would simply not be able to attend rehab without having a line to the outside world via their smartphone or laptop.

Another benefit of allowing the use of mobiles, laptops and tablets is that clients will be able to stay in contact with their family members.

Going to rehab is largely an experience that most would prefer to avoid. Demanding that clients have zero or restricted communication with their loved ones may increase discomfort to an avoidable and unnecessary level.

The confidentiality issues associated with mobiles, laptops and tablets

Rehabs all promise to protect their clients’ confidentiality. The use of mobiles, desktops and laptops may threaten the confidentiality of clients because these devices are capable of shooting videos or taking pictures. These pictures or videos could then be posted on social media channels, even without the awareness of the rehab clinic or without the express consent of those who may be included in these pictures or videos.

It’s thus essential that rehabs who do permit the use of these devices to also make it perfectly clear that they are not to be used to take pictures or shoot videos during rehab.

Find rehabs that fit your preference on this point

Since there exist rehabs that will and will not allow the use of mobiles, laptops and tablets, you clearly have the power to decide for yourself which option you will select by merely attending a rehab that fits your preference in this area.

Many of you may automatically dismiss clinics that do not permit the use of these devices. However, we urge you to resist this temptation, and for you to properly assess the benefit of not using these devices whilst you undergo treatment. Once you have assessed these benefits, there is a good chance that you may select a rehab precisely because it does not permit the use of mobiles, laptops and tablets.

To discover more information about which rehabs do and do not allow the use of these devices in your area, get in touch with Rehab 4 Alcoholism today on 0800 111 4108.