Why there are 31 flavors in an ice cream shop is also why a variety of rehabs exist – different people like different things. But why would someone choose an online rehab?
Rehab is an experience — a series of holistic and interactive activities within a treatment plan — that teaches skills to individuals looking to live a drug-free lifestyle. The more intense the addiction, the more intense treatment needs to be.
Detoxing with medical professionals on hand is the only safe method to withdrawal from alcohol and drugs – the Internet cannot check your vital signs. Other levels of care range from inpatient to outpatient or AA. Online treatment falls outside of this spectrum — it’s not a method meant to be used in place of intensive care, only in addition.
Here are 6 common reasons why people think online rehabs are better when they’re actually not.
1. The Shame Factor
The almighty stigma attached to addiction leeches onto the suffering and causes shame, which ultimately leads to social anxiety. Hiding away worsens this dilemma. The more you fear people, the more you should surround yourself with them. The more shame you have for your illness, the more you should share it. People react warmly to openness, and the acception of others will lead you to your own truth. Group therapy is a great way to overcome social anxiety, which online rehabs cannot provide.
2. Saving Money
Online rehabs are cheaper, but if they’re ineffective, you flush your money away. Also, insurance doesn’t cover online rehab costs as a valid method of treatment. The cost of fueling your addiction is always more.
3. Convenience
You can do online rehab on your own time in the comfort of your own home, but in order to change you have to step outside your comfort zone. Putting 30 days aside to get healthy should be a full-time job. It’s perfectly valid to put all other aspects of your life on hold to get better, because those other aspects are moot if you aren’t functioning fully. Rehab is not meant to intermesh with your everyday life — it’s time set aside to reset, away from your home, in a place that’s completely built for recovery only.
4. More Freedom
One difference you’ll find among rehab centers is level of surveillance. Some people need to have their phones taken away and be drug tested, and some need to be conditioned to learn how to deal with triggers in an everyday setting. In recovery, being open is the only way to heal. The best treatment centers are not punitive, but structured.
5. Confidence
In recovery, it’s emphasized to seek out a higher power to turn over the responsibility of what you can’t control, which are parts of the world that are bigger than you. Recovery is bigger than yourself. You may think that reaching out for help is a sign of weakness, but it’ll be the bravest thing you are ever called to do. Hard decisions require work and strong belief in yourself, for the more work you put into recovery, the more you’ll get back. Don’t overburden yourself with opportunities and never doubt your ability to overcome.
6. Privacy
Achieving sobriety is a long, uphill battle. You may be afraid you will fail, but even more so, you may be afraid that everyone will see you fail. The universe will always be there, whether you hide, live, or die. Learn to exist in it in order to truly exist.
The Internet and Addiction
The Internet in itself hinders addiction by being a selling market and a portal for unedited content warranting vast discussion forums on drugs. It’s also an easy excuse to not leave home. Businesses pay to be advertised on your Facebook and e-mail accounts, and pay people to write reviews on Yelp, creating a faux 5-star business you believe in.
If it feels oversold, don’t buy into it. When I researched online rehabs, the first one to appear had large fonts, bright colors, and money-back guarantees. Online rehabs are corrupt in the sense that they are banking on people being ashamed of their problem, and they aren’t backing up a business that actually works — because it doesn’t.
A great way to utilize modern day technology to aid recovery is with phone applications. This eliminates all the hullabaloo of poisonous forums and ads, and allows you to organize meeting schedules, get in touch with sober people, find local gatherings, and get honest reviews of facilities from people who want to help because they understand the struggle. Help yourself by seeking recovery that surrounds you with real people — not the Internet.
*Our content is not intended to provide medical advice or diagnosis of individual problems or circumstances, nor should it be implied that we are a substitute for professional medical advice. Users / readers are always advised to consult their Healthcare Professional prior to starting any new remedy, therapy or treatment. Your Wellness Group accepts no liability in the event you, a user of n-gage and a reader of this article, suffers a loss as a result of reliance upon or inappropriate application of the information.
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