Before you think about quitting the addiction treatment program you are in, think about this for second: Is it really worth it? There are so many recovering addicts that choose to leave rehab early and more often than not, they return to their addictive behaviours a few weeks later. It’s important to understand that no rehab centre can lawfully keep someone in addiction treatment against their own will, so before you blame the clinic for not doing enough, keep that in mind. What is key is to know what will happen when a recovering addict leaves addiction treatment sooner than expected, that’s why in this article, we’re going to tell you why you shouldn’t leave rehab early.
Detox is No Cure for Addiction
A detox is by no means a cure for an addiction; in fact, the reality is that there is simply no cure for this brain disease. It simply removes the harmful chemicals of the narcotic substance out of the body and minimises the effects of cravings or withdrawal symptoms that may be experienced. While it plays a major part in helping addicts recover from addiction, counselling and therapy are just as important in treating drug or alcohol dependency. Having this attitude and choosing to leave rehab early only increases the chances of you suffering a relapse once you are discharged from the rehab centre.
Career Problems
Addicts who complete an entire addiction treatment program usually go on to have successful careers long after rehab. In fact, some employers often choose to help an addicted worker recover from their addiction these days instead of firing them. However, if you leave rehab early and show no signs of an attempted recovery, you’ll give your boss no option but to dismiss you from your job. Those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol often lack productiveness in the workplace and are often seen as a liability to employers rather than an asset.
It Damages Self-Confidence and Self-Respect
Leaving rehab early might seem like a confident thing to do but what happens when you relapse? A relapse often makes addicts feel like they are pathetic, helpless and even worthless. Staying in rehab prevents this from happening. The longer a patient is inside the rehab centre, the better are their chances of recovery as it gives the medical & counselling team inside the clinic more time to get to the reason to why and how the addict became addicted in the first place and will also give them the opportunity to learn how to avoid making the same mistake in future.
It Damages Relationships
Your family and friends might have been the ones that persuaded you to get into rehab because despite of the damage your addiction is causing to them and to yourself, they still love you and want to see you healthy again. However, leaving rehab early will only damage these relationships further, as nobody wants to be associated with someone who is throwing their life away something as pathetic and useless as drugs or alcohol. If you want to rekindle their relationships you have with your loved ones, do the right thing and stay in rehab.
Wasted Money
Getting into rehab is not cheap and many families may have sacrificed important money just to see you get clean and sober once again. However, leaving rehab almost makes this money seem worthless. Chances are that you may suffer a relapse again, which would mean that you would need addiction treatment again, which could even leave a family financially shattered.
So, before you think about leaving rehab earlier than expected, think about these consequences. It will only be to your detriment.