In drug and alcohol rehab one of the most difficult things to do is predict outcome. Being able to objectively say after completing a drug addiction program who is going to stay sober and who is going to slip. The data seems to suggest that even the most skilled of counselors have a poor ability to guess who is going to move past their addiction. That is why leangth of stay is so critical to success. It is one of the few controlables we have on outcome. The longer you stay at a rehab towards the three month target, the better chances of sobriety.

There are things we can see however, in clients that do make the change to a better life. Someone who during their stay at a alcohol or drug rehab center finds something bigger in their life, than their own problems, seems to more often find the key to staying clean. Having a larger purpose in their life makes the difference. During rehab if someone can truly connect with something, they want far more than their drug of choice is the key. Building something of value or leaving a legacy in your life is what it is all about.

Again it boils down to spending enough time in the safety of a rehab center to start to believe you can make a difference. You can’t get through the mental cloudiness of withdrawl, learn new skills in managing cues, commmunication, relationships, goal setting, and suddenly find your purpose in life, in 30 days. Even for the most motivated of clients that seems a rather tall order. When you are going to rehab, a foundation is being built to become a person of high character, a person of high standards. Take the time to build it well. Then take the time to find the purpose that will allow you to make a difference in life, and keep you sober.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 29th, 2006 at 8:37 am and is filed under Drug Rehab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.