It cannot be understated that rehab and recovery from substance addiction is a difficult process, one that tests the participant in numerous ways, yet all too often some look at rehab as a sign of failure, a symbol of the former addict’s greatest failings. This, while unfortunately common, is far from the case. Rehab is a symbol of a person’s greatest trial, but one that they have overcome.
We must mark this by honoring the journey, recognizing the strength and resilience of those in recovery.
Addiction can be a grueling, searing burden, but shedding it can be even harder. Even admitting you have a problem and need treatment can be a difficult thing to achieve, let alone actually entering rehab and shedding the addiction itself.
Yet some have a tendency to see a rehab stint as a moral failing, as an admission of guilt, rather than treatment for an illness. One can argue the morality of using an addictive substance, but there should only be positive recognition for getting the necessary medical treatment for a recognized medical condition.
After all, by the time a recovering addict is out of rehab, they will have had to experience a long, taxing process likely involving detox and therapy to literally not only wean them off drugs but reestablish habits and patterns that are mentally and chemically reinforced by a long experience with addiction. This is not a walk in the park.
Yes, pop culture and the tabloid racks have created this mental concept of the revolving door of rehab, in which rich celebrities use rehab as essentially a vacation, taking drugs freely and then going to rehab in a relaxing location, only to do it all over again, and again, in an endless cycle of hedonism.
This is not the rehab experience for most people. Rehab is a medical process that requires the patient to undergo isolation from loved ones, removal from familiar surroundings, and treatment that can be unpleasant or draining. It’s far from a vacation, especially as most rehab patients aren’t Hollywood celebrities being treated with kid gloves in a beachfront resort masquerading as a clinic.
We need to recalibrate how we look at rehab and those who come out of it drug-free and looking to stay that way. We need to recognize that those who successfully complete the rehab process have shown a level of strength and resilience we cannot always say we have ourselves. That completing rehab is a badge of honor, an achievement worth celebrating, not a scarlet letter of shame.
At Good Landing Recovery, the hard work and dedication of patients seeking to shed their substance abuse problems is definitely recognized and honored. Here, doctors and nurses respect the work each patient is doing to beat back their addiction and they themselves work to help them achieve their goal, using a Christian framework to offer a compassionate but effective plan to help each patient reach recovery.
Rehab is a difficult enough process without having to deal with the shallow judgment of others. By beating your addiction and finding a lasting recovery, you have earned respect from those who know enough to honor your journey through rehab and beyond. At Good Landing, you can get the recognition you deserve for your strength and resilience in finding release from addiction. Give them a call today.