Making The Most Of Your Time In Treatment

Making The Most Of Your Time In Treatment

In Recovery, Treatment by Tree House Recovery

Kendrick Lamar broke the charts yet again in “Sit Down” when he tells his listeners to “sit down” and “be humble”. Being humble means having humility. Having humility means being teachable. It is easy for men to come into treatment and think they have it figured out. Many men cop the attitude that treatment isn’t worth their time, therapy isn’t important, and they need to complete the program for other reasons. Ego has no place in the early months of recovery. Surrender and humility are essential for men to make it through. Here are some of the do’s and don’ts for making the most of your time in treatment.

Don’t be a know it all

Being a know it all is more than ego. As a coping mechanism, being a know it all in treatment is a form of denial. Accepting the truth of addiction, the truth of a man’s life spinning out of his control, is difficult to do. In order to learn from the experience of addiction, in order to learn from the experience of treatment, men have to be in a place of learning. Being a know it all doesn’t allow that.

Do follow the rules

Treatment comes with rules for good reason. Structure is set up so that men can develop a healthy routine which helps reprogram neural pathways in their brain away from the habits of addiction. Remember, your time in treatment is short. The rest of your life in recovery has the potential to be long. Following rules now can help ensure your sustainable recovery.

Don’t be a rule breaker

There’s a time and place for breaking or bending the rules. Treatment centers have different policies on strikes and tolerance. For many men, treatment is a one shot opportunity. Don’t be a rule breaker. Be a changemaker instead.

Do the assignments you’re given

Treatment comes with homework, in group assignments, and more. All of these approaches have been researched, tried, and tested, to help you recover from addiction. Rarely are these assignments given arbitrarily. If you’re in treatment to save your life, consider homework a life saver.

Don’t blow your homework off

Homework assignments in group offer reflection, insight, learning, growth, healing, and understanding. You could make it through treatment blowing off your homework, or you could make it through treatment doing your assignments and learning something life changing from them.

Do take time for rest when needed

The early phases of recovery can be exhausting as your body recovers from detox. Treatment providers understand the reality of needing to take a rest, get extra sleep, or heal when your immune system is weak.

Don’t make excuses to skip out on everything

However, treatment providers are also keenly aware of the tendency to ‘fake’ being sick and tired in order to skip out on rigorous or seemingly boring activities. The more you miss out on, the more you miss out on. Treatment is a short and precious time- as is life. Addiction once threatened that time. Don’t lose out on it again.

Find freedom from addiction today by calling Tree House Recovery for information on our men’s addiction treatment programs. By creating sustainable change, men in our programs create a sustainable recovery. (503) 850-2474