What’s a Typical Day Like at a Rehab Clinic?

If you have decided to go to rehab, then you may logically wonder what you should expect during a ‘typical’ day inside a rehab clinic. The vast majority of rehabs we recommend offer a wide variety of treatments, meaning there is no ‘typical’ day. This is particularly the case for rehabs that have adopted the almost never-ending variety of ‘holistic’ therapies.

If you opt to undergo treatment at a residential rehab clinic, then you should expect to receive treatment in a highly organised and structured environment. This helps you to fully concentrate on your recovery goals in a safe and controlled environment where you will receive the maximum amount of care and support.

Below, we attempt to outline a ‘typical’ day inside a UK-based drug and alcohol rehab clinic:

#1. Morning – breakfast and morning therapy sessions

Most rehabs will serve breakfast between 7 am and 8.30 am. This allows you plenty of time to get up, take a shower, get dressed and enjoy a healthy and satisfying breakfast. Once you have eaten your breakfast, you will have plenty of time to prepare for the day ahead. Many rehabs will give you a journal to fill in each morning before therapy sessions begin.

Formal therapy sessions will typically begin between 9 am – 9.30 am. Morning therapy sessions tend to be holistic in nature. You will take part in yoga or meditation classes to help relax your mind for the day ahead. The aim is to encourage you to continue this practice even once your rehab treatment has concluded and you have returned home.

Once you have completed your morning holistic therapy sessions, you will then begin group therapy sessions. Group therapy sessions are counsellor-led, but you will be given a platform to discuss your issues both with the counsellor and with your peers. During group therapy sessions, you will discuss issues related to your addiction and to your recovery. You will also identify and then learn to cope with your addiction triggers. This knowledge will help you identify patterns of behaviour that fuel your addiction to drugs or alcohol.

One of the key benefits of group therapy is the sense of camaraderie that exists. The idea of ‘one addict helping another’ is the basis for support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and so this is a proven formula that’s highly effective for helping people overcome addiction.

During group therapy sessions, group members will be encouraged to share their personal experiences with addiction and how this impacts their lives. A strong sense of fellowship is built up in group therapy sessions during the course of your rehab programme. Many of the people you meet during your rehab programme will become friends for life.

#2. Afternoon – Intensive therapy

During the afternoon, you will tackle heavier issues during therapy sessions. During the afternoon, you are at your strongest. You will require this strength in order to discuss the more potent addiction triggers such as traumatic experiences that occurred in your childhood. Typically, you will discuss these issues during individual therapy sessions.

During afternoon sessions, you will begin to experience powerful and evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, rational emotive behaviour therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy.

These therapies are highly effective in helping you overcome substance misuse. You will begin to understand that behavioural responses are caused by specific triggers. Once these addiction triggers are identified, you will be assisted by the counselors in developing healthier alternative responses to these triggers.

During the afternoon, many rehab clinics also offer family therapy sessions. Family therapy sessions may take place later in the evening when family members have finished work for the day. Addiction is considered to be a family disease. It’s likely your family members have been considerably impacted by your addiction, and so it’s beneficial for these people to also engage in the therapy process.

It’s also likely that some family members may help to enable your addiction. This is known as co-dependency, and family therapy sessions seek to treat co-dependency because this is considered to be a major addiction trigger.

#3. Afternoon downtime

It’s likely that you will have had a busy day and so you will appreciate some downtime during mid-afternoon. This will give you enough time to reflect on what you have learned during the day. A mid-afternoon break will also help to prevent overwhelm.

During downtime, you will be allowed to spend your time as you wish. You may watch TV, relax in your bedroom, play cards with your peers or workout in the onsite gym. Another popular activity is journaling because journaling allows you to document your thoughts and this record will be immensely valuable to you once you have left the rehab clinic’s care.

#4. Evening sessions

Once afternoon sessions have completed, you will enjoy a healthy and fulfilling dinner. After dinner, you will complete the day by taking part in a group therapy session. This session is typically focused on the 12-step programme. The 12-steps is followed by popular fellowship groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. This evening session is run over a 90-minute period.

Once your evening group therapy session has completed, you will then be able to relax and enjoy more downtime. You will probably be tired after an action-packed day and the rehab’s staff members will encourage you to go to bed at a reasonable hour so that you are fully recharged for tomorrow’s sessions.

Taking the necessary steps to getting into rehab

If you have decided that the time is right to go into rehab for either drug or alcohol addiction, then contact Rehab 4 Alcoholism today on 0800 111 4108. When you contact us, we shall assist you in selecting suitable rehab facilities in your local area.