Rehab

Rehab -- short for rehabilitation center -- also goes by different names/aliases: treatment center, detox, psych ward, and retreat. Retreats are more for those fancy dancy celebrity rehabs, what with their trails, lakes, yoga and spas. Most alcoholics and addicts rarely see this kind of rehab unless they have lots of money or really nice parents.*

Before an addict gets sober, many of them spend a lot of time in rehab. Addicts and alcoholics claim to hate it, but they find themselves there time and time again for a variety of reasons; to appease loved ones or the courts, avoid the police, or sometimes just for a bed and a decent meal. Some now-sober people went to rehab once, twice or even 11 times before they finally got the message!*

In rehab, there are a variety of activities that people participate in. They vary from treatment center to treatment center, but most of the time there are some common similiarities. Eating three meals a day (not very common when addicts are out there), group therapy, classes/lectures on what it is to be addicted, art and/or music therapy, one-on-one counseling and 12-step meetings brought inside the center by people who are active members in the program.

When addicts are sober for awhile they really LOVE rehab. They talk about where they went, like regular people talk about where they went to college. They reminisce with fellow alumni. Many of them go back to rehab as often as possible, to speak to the patients, see old counselors, chair meetings, or be of service in a variety of ways. Some addicts listen to songs about rehab, or wear shirts that say shit like "rehab is the new black", or proudly display the name of our "alma-mater."

Alcoholics have been known to sit around for hours talking about what celebrities are in rehab, need to be, or just got out. They wish that their alcoholic or drug-addicted friends would go to rehab, so they can share in the love of rehab, or just so they can visit them!

There are, of course, those sober people that never went to rehab, and therefore are not so fond of it. They may tell you that rehab is unnecessary, that they got sober without it. Some alcoholics do not like the "treatment center mentality," which involves exploring more of the causes of addiction. The truth is, they are just jealous that they never experienced the thrill of being in rehab!




*Most often, rehab has diminishing returns, as the loved ones of the person trying to get sober either run out of money, patience and tolerance for a repeat relapser. Someone who might have started off in rehab out in sunny California, might find themselves in a public-aid detox program by the time they're ready to give up the ghost. Best to get it right the first time.
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