Rehab is a way to recover from your alcohol or other substance abuse addiction. But going into rehab can be emotionally and mentally taxing for many people.
Many factors come into play in unsettling people when they go to rehab — for one, it is a facility away from your hour and familiar surroundings.
Secondly, you will stay there for a minimum of a few months to take therapies every day.
Therefore, you must be ready emotionally and mentally to change your perception and open yourself to getting new treatments and ideas during the whole process.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse approximates 2.5 million people visit rehab every year for treatment and recovery.
Once you finally decide about going to rehab, one thing that can unsettle you at the onset is thinking about what to take in the rehab.
Since you will stay there for a while, you must have everything with you to feel comfortable and at home.
This is important because when you see familiar things around you, even new surroundings start making sense, and your gelling-in process can be pretty easy.
Some rehabilitation centers have issued a list of the things allowed inside the premises to make it easy for the patients.
They often have private residential addiction rehab programs where rehabilitation procedures happen in a residential setting. In this way, you can walk around and be comfortable with your belongings near you.
How does the check-in process work in a rehab center?
Once you reach a facility, going through the check-in and admission process is the first step.
While you are busy in the process, the staff will check your luggage to ensure that you have nothing impermissible inside the facility.
Some of these centers even list down all your belongings when you check in to ensure you don’t forget anything when leaving.
They will remove everything that you can not take inside the rehabilitation center during this time.
Therefore, before you enter a facility, it is better to get information about the stuff you can bring to avoid any hassle at the last minute.
Ask for the list of permissible items and stick to that list.
For most rehabilitation centers, the comfort of their attendees is paramount; therefore, they allow the new entrant to bring the below-mentioned items with them.
Things recommended stuff by rehab
Most rehabs recommend their attendees bring the contact details of their loved ones, those who are admitting them to the recovery, and their doctors.
You can also get the jewelry you usually wear, such as a ring or a watch. But, it is better to leave the more valuable items at home.
Moreover, you can also have a small amount of cash (only 50 to 100 dollars, in smaller bills) for emergency use, store runs, vending machines.
Treatment centers also allow you to bring the books you enjoy reading, primarily on spirituality, a journal or notebook, stamps and envelopes if you want to write letters, pictures of your loved ones, or a form of identification or insurance cards.
Medication
Some rehabs do not have a pharmacy at the facility and order all the medications from outside, taking a few days.
Therefore, you should bring the prescription medicine you are using currently, but it should be in its original packing with the information label undamaged.
All the liquid medications should be new and properly sealed.
The rehab centers also recommend bringing patients their original prescription and dosage requirements.
Clothes of personal use
You will go for therapy sessions every day during your rehab; therefore, your clothes should be comfortable and suitable for the season’s requirements.
It is better to bring clothes without any writing or pictures, especially related to drug addiction.
This can potentially interfere with your rehab process, producing strange thoughts in your mind when it is not yet strong enough to ponder these issues.
Additionally, make sure the clothes are simple, loose fit, and not too revealing or uncomfortable. Some rehab centers do not give much choice for clothing due to their strict dress code.
Therefore, you must know about these restrictions when you pack your clothes. If you are not sure about the weather change, pack clothes to layer yourself, for instance, T-shirts, inners, sweaters, cardigans, etc.
Also, keep in mind that you won’t have much space in the room to keep a lot of stuff.
As most rehabs have laundry options or machines available for use, it is better to keep clothing for a week only.
Remember that you might need to wash your clothes yourself, so they should be easy to clean and require no special care.
Personal hygiene products
Before bringing any personal hygiene products, check with rehab about any specific details.
Most rehabs do not allow the attendees to use alcohol-containing products. Also, don’t overstock beauty and personal hygiene products.
It is better to have a stock for thirty days only.
You can bring the following products: Toothbrush and toothpaste, necessary makeup products, hair styling products, shampoo and conditioner, feminine hygiene products, comb/brush, lotion, sunscreen, shaving creams, etc.
Things that you cannot bring to the rehab
It is essential to know what you can bring in the rehab; equally important is to see what you cannot bring along.
Bringing prohibited items can be troublesome for you during check or found during your later stay.
Therefore, know the policy of your chosen rehab about prohibited items. All these items are not permitted for your own safety and create an ideal living environment for others.
You cannot bring drugs and alcohol inside the facility; while this might seem a matter of common sense, you must understand that people are still trying to get rid of drugs and are still at early stages, so cravings are still present.
Other items you cannot bring include narcotics and prohibited prescription medications, Pornographic content, electronic cigarettes, video games and DVDs, sporting equipment, Aerosols, Cleaning supplies, Electronics (televisions, gaming consoles, etc.), Candles, and incense, to name a few.
Conclusion
All the facilities have their own rules and policies on what the attendees can bring inside them.
While the prohibition of many items such as drugs and the likes seems justified, you might be skeptical about things like DVDs and gaming consoles.
The often-cited reason is that the rehab center wants you to focus on your treatment and not get distracted by other things.
Video games also have violent content that can impact the rehabilitation process.
On the contrary, the availability of necessary items makes your stay in the rehab easy.
It allows you to become accustomed to the surroundings quickly. Once your mind is at ease, the rehab therapies can show their true effects on your health.