What to Expect While You’re in Rehab

A Typical Day in Rehab: What to Expect

Entering an inpatient or residential treatment program for substance misuse or addiction can be stressful, especially when you don’t know what to expect in rehab. While treatment programs differ, many are similar in structure and types of offerings. This page will help you learn more about what happens in rehab, so you can feel confident and prepared to start your recovery journey.

What Is Rehab?

Rehab is a treatment program to help people overcome substance misuse and addiction. In general, there are 2 types of rehab: inpatient and outpatient.

Inpatient rehab involves living at a facility while you receive 24/7 intensive care and support, while outpatient rehab allows people to receive treatment while living at home.(1) Not everyone needs to enter an inpatient program. Ultimately, your rehab environment should be the least restrictive setting for your needs. Inpatient treatment is the most intensive type of rehab, followed by residential treatment, intensive outpatient, and outpatient programs.(1)

Outpatient programs vary in the hours of treatment provided but are generally less than 9 hours per week and you live at home. Sober living homes are another residential setting for people in recovery. Sober living homes typically do not provide treatment but have a community where residents hold each other accountable, share the responsibilities of running the home, and encourage or mandate attendance at self-help programs.(2)

How Does Drug or Alcohol Rehab Work?

Most rehab programs follow similar steps when you enter treatment. These steps include:(3)

• Intake: This is a process of undergoing a thorough assessment of your medical, behavioral, and social background to help determine the best course of treatment.
• Detoxification: While not always necessary, this is often the first phase of rehab, especially if you have been using alcohol, benzodiazepines, or opioids. This is the process of ridding your body of certain harmful substances. Detox involves having medical oversight while withdrawing from substances to prevent complications and achieve stabilization.
• Entry into rehab: This involves entering treatment in an inpatient or outpatient program. (Learn more about inpatient vs. outpatient treatment).

What to Expect During Rehab Check-In

While every rehab is different, people can expect a similar intake or rehab check-in process. Intake typically involves an initial assessment by the care team to understand a person’s needs. This assessment may include various evaluations that consider a person’s substance use, medical history, and personal factors like mental health and social support. Following the assessment, the care team will often create an individualized treatment plan that may include a combination of behavioral therapy, individual and group therapy, medication, and support groups.(4)

A Day in Inpatient Rehab

If you’re thinking about seeking rehab for yourself or a loved one, you are likely wondering, ‘What is rehab like?’ and ‘What do you do in rehab?’ While what happens in rehab varies, drug and alcohol addiction programs are typically highly structured and follow a set schedule. Most programs incorporate individual and group therapy, specialized activities, support groups, and time for reflection. A typical day in rehab may look like:

• 7:⁰⁰ am: Wake up, breakfast, and medications.
• 9:⁰⁰ am: Treatment group.
• 10:³⁰ am: Personal time.
• 11:⁰⁰ am: One-on-one counseling.
• 12:³⁰ pm: Lunch.
• 1:³⁰ pm: Activities, such as exercise, yoga, or meditation.
• 3:⁰⁰ pm: Afternoon group treatment, such as art, equine, or music therapy.
• 4:³⁰ pm: Personal time.
• 5:³⁰ pm: Dinner.
• 6:³⁰ pm: 12-step meeting.
• 8:⁰⁰ pm: Evening group session.
• 9:⁰⁰ pm: Personal time.
• 11:⁰⁰ pm: Bedtime.

Only staff members at the specific program you are interested in can tell you exactly what a day in rehab will be like. Programs will vary from this exact schedule. Still, the sample schedule above gives you a good idea of what you may do in rehab.

Types of Therapy Commonly Available During Rehab

While there can be many differences between types of drug rehab programs and their approaches to treatment, most programs incorporate a few common methods, such as:(5)

• Individualized behavioral therapy teaches coping skills to reduce your chances of relapse. This approach also addresses multiple areas of your life, such as employment, legal issues or family conflict to solve problems that can impair recovery.
• Group therapy incorporates peer support as part of the process of recovery. Group therapy can be used along with individualized therapy.
• Family therapy is an important component of drug rehab programs. Families can be helpful in the role of providing accountability and ongoing support while you are in treatment and recovery. In addition, family members can learn to avoid behaviors that help maintain substance use disorders within the family.(1)

During drug and alcohol rehab, whether in an individual or group setting, treatment will typically take one of several approaches that include:(6)

• Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a commonly used treatment technique that works to help you change the way you think about drugs or alcohol and find other ways to cope with stress.
• Motivational interviewing, which seeks to help you overcome resistance to change. It is intended to motivate you to participate in drug treatment.
• Contingency management, which involves incentives for staying in recovery. Treatment programs may offer prizes or vouchers for items as rewards for completing treatment goals. For example, a program may give you movie tickets for submitting 3 consecutive negative urine drug screens.

How Should I Prepare for Rehab?

There are several ways you can prepare for rehab. One thing to consider is what to bring. It is a good idea to call ahead and ask the facility for a packing list and what items are considered contraband, such as cell phones. You can also ask about dress codes, as some programs have rules about certain types of clothing. In general, you will need clothing and an official form of identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. If necessary, you should also bring your insurance information and verify your insurance before going.

How Long Is Rehab?

Program lengths vary based on several factors, such as the severity of a person’s substance misuse. Some stays in rehab can be shorter, lasting around 28 to 30 days. Some programs are designed to last 60 days or 90 days, while some last 6-12 months or longer.(5)

What to Expect After Rehab

What happens after rehab varies depending on your situation. However, your treatment plan should include aftercare services that can help you maintain your recovery. Aftercare has been shown to help prevent relapse in high-risk people, as well as increase the chances of long-term recovery overall.⁶ Some of these services include:(5, 6, 7)

• Outpatient treatment, which can help reinforce coping skills to avoid relapse. This may include participation in different levels of outpatient care, such as a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program.
• Individual counseling, where you can receive ongoing help for sustaining your recovery process after rehab.
• Sober living homes, which can provide a drug- and alcohol-free, structured environment to help facilitate your recovery.
• Medication management, which can help to address psychiatric needs, such as medication for depression or anxiety, to help prevent relapse. In addition, medications for substance use disorders can help people maintain recovery.
• Self-help groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, which are based on the 12-step model.

Frequently Asked Questions on Drugs or Alcohol in Rehab Centers

What happens if you use drugs or alcohol in rehab?

The consequences of using drugs or alcohol in rehab depend on the program. Some drug rehab programs may dismiss you, but others may work to get you back into recovery as soon as possible.

Can you bring your computer to rehab?

Whether you can bring your phone or computer to rehab also depends on the drug rehab program. Typically, a program will ask you to leave computers at home, but phones may be allowed in limited circumstances. Some programs allow you to access your phone for short periods. The idea in rehab is to concentrate on recovery and not focus on outside work or relationships.

Can you leave rehab early?

The ability to leave rehab early depends on the rules of the program, or if you are there voluntarily. For example, if you are committed to treatment through something like the Marchman Act (a Florida statute that allows family members to petition the courts for mandatory assessment and treatment of a substance use disorder), you may be allowed to leave rehab without a doctor’s approval.

Can you make someone go to rehab?

Many people wonder if you can make someone go to rehab. While in some cases, you may seek involuntary treatment under something like the Marchman Act for a family member, there are other approaches to getting someone into treatment who does not want to go. For example, CRAFT, which stands for Community Reinforcement and Family Training, is an evidence-based approach that family members can use when they want to get someone into treatment who is refusing to do so. CRAFT teaches family members skills, such as communication, positive reinforcement, and implementing negative consequences for the family member’s ongoing substance use. This approach is reported to be successful in 7 of 10 cases to get someone to go to rehab.⁸

Sources

1. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. A Guide to Substance Abuse Services for Primary Care Clinicians. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 1997. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 24.) Chapter 5—Specialized Substance Abuse Treatment Programs.
2. Mericle, A. A., Mahoney, E., Korcha, R., Delucchi, K., & Polcin, D. L. (2019). Sober living house characteristics: A multilevel analyses of factors associated with improved outcomes. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 98, 28–38.
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2015). Treatment Improvement Protocol—TIP 45: Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014, January). Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition).
5. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, June 3). Types of treatment programs.
6. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2017, January 19). Treatment approaches for drug addiction drugfacts.
7. McKay J. R. (2021). Impact of continuing care on recovery from substance use disorder. Alcohol research: current reviews, 41(1), 01.
8. Meyers, R. J., Smith, J. E., & Lash, D. N. (2005). A program for engaging treatment-refusing substance abusers into treatment: CRAFT. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 1(2), 90-100.