After detox, the current continuum of care in treating addiction often means immersion in a residential rehab program. While certainly not a prerequisite for lasting and successful recovery, this 24/7 environment means more accountability and better care in addiction treatment if done properly.
And, if you’ve found our resource, you are likely wondering if choosing a rehab off the beaten path is the best way of achieving your goals in getting treatment.
You are not alone in looking for something different. Rather than sticking to rehab that is as close to home as possible, many seekers choose to thrive in treatment off the beaten path. Leaving a familiar environment might be the key to successful addiction recovery for you or your loved one.
Our latest resource from the team at SOBRLIFE will help you determine if a more remote, exclusive rehab setting will be the best for your specific needs.
Fewer Temptations in Substance Abuse Treatment is Always a Good Thing
Being off the beaten path typically means a rehab location that is a reasonable distance from any big cities or towns. Often, it means being located in a rural area. This makes for fantastic scenery, which is a bonus. More importantly, it means fewer temptations.
In a rehab facility located in a big city, there is almost a guarantee that drugs and alcohol will be just a short walk away, which can be particularly challenging for those struggling with alcohol abuse.
Most of us who have walked the walk in terms of drug or alcohol addiction know that we can quickly and easily access any number of addictive substances in a matter of minutes, exacerbating issues related to drug abuse, cravings, and the temptation for relapse.
Of course, many remain committed to their program and their recovery. But why create more temptation when it doesn’t need to exist?
In a treatment facility that is off the beaten path, even transport is not a guarantee. The location might be miles from the nearest car rental office, taxi stand, or even grocery store. This is a good thing for clients because they know that the best choice is simply to stay put.
Cutting down on opportunities to leave makes it easier to stay and complete the entire rehab program, particularly for those who have AMA’ed (left rehab against medical advice) from one or more treatment centers in the past.
Opportunities for Outdoor Exploration
All great treatment facilities make an effort to offer outdoor recreation for their clientele. Of course, smaller facilities in urban areas simply won’t be able to offer as much. Attending alcohol and drug rehab programs in a remote and exclusive environment might mean more chances to explore and enjoy the great outdoors.
This can do a lot for mood, physical health, and even mental health. This serene environment allows those choosing a rehab ranch or similarly remote facility to experience recovery in a peaceful and supportive setting.
Fitness, in any form, is a valuable tool in recovery from addiction. That’s because addiction often changes the reward center in the brain. It can limit the manufacture and register of substances like serotonin or dopamine in the brain. Making more endorphins is no easy feat, but fitness therapy can help.
Getting the Endorphins Pumping Through Exercise (and Fun!)
Regular exercise creates more endorphins in the brain. Over time, this can be one way that the brain chemically recovers from addiction. Physical activity, whether hiking outside or lifting weights, can boost mood and bring back happiness for those whose moods have not been stable for some time.
Offering outdoor ‘adventures,’ facilities can make it easier and more appealing to stay active and committed to substance abuse treatment.
While indoor fitness classes and activities certainly offer a wide range of benefits, they don’t offer sunshine. Sunlight can be a proven mood booster, particularly because it provides Vitamin D.
Many people, in early recovery especially, grapple with conditions like depression. One of the ways to combat depression is with sufficient Vitamin D. Even spending 20 or 30 minutes outside each day can make a huge difference in mood and mental health.
That’s one reason that having space to explore outdoors is such a smart choice if you may be susceptible to depression when pursuing a life lived sober.
Escaping the Familiar and Carving Out a New Routine
Routine is an often undervalued tool in the fight against relapse. For many, routine means having fewer choices to make each day. If rehab is too similar to ordinary life, it can be hard to craft a brand new schedule of sobriety. In a new and remote location, it might be easier. This fresh start can be the beginning of a new life, free from the constraints of addiction.
In a new environment, there is a clean slate. Each person’s schedule will be blank. From there, therapies and treatments can be added to maximize the healing process.
Many of us find it easier to turn over a new leaf in a completely different environment. Our schedules might change due to sobriety, but other things can change as well.
No nightlife opportunities might mean waking up early each day and greeting the sunrise with morning yoga or a short walk. We may find that they start creating new, healthier schedules as we become accustomed to a new and substance-independent style of living.
These schedules can potentially last for a lifetime of recovery, especially when supported by comprehensive residential treatment that ‘locks in’ lessons we can savor for a lifetime.
Treatment Off the Beaten Path Often Means Longer Residential Treatment
Choosing a more remote rehab center might mean a bigger upfront commitment. This commitment can involve more resources as well as time. Once those costs are invested, it is more likely that clients will stay to complete the entire program. Logistically, it also makes it harder to walk away from recovery.
Many who attend rehab away from home will arrive by plane before being transported to the facility. Often, there will already be a return flight booked in advance. Trying to leave treatment before it is complete might mean spending more money or losing that ticket entirely. Though a small deterrent, these obstacles do make it more likely that treatment will be completed.
Attending a treatment program close to home means that every hour of every day is a new chance to leave. All people go through highs and lows of treatment and that is normal. On the lows, however, they might decide to leave.
Further away from home, some clients can better ride out those low points and ultimately make the decision to stay once they are feeling more comfortable.
Residential care, with its 24/7 support, is the most effective way to recover from addiction. Patients who leave home for treatment are far more likely to opt for residential care, a definite advantage on the road to sobriety.
This structured environment helps many people seeking recovery to better put down their substance use as a form of self-soothing and really focus on long-term recovery.
The Mental Health Benefits of a Fresh Start
One of the benefits of attending a recovery center in a far-flung location is harder to quantify. However, there is no doubt that many people benefit from a psychological fresh start. In a new place, the slate is wiped clean. They can reinvent themselves into the people they truly want to be.
While our mission at SOBRLIFE is to encourage ‘recovery for all,’ having a range of choices and treatment styles, including facilities in remote locations, can mean a better chance at success.
As you are likely already familiar with, addiction impacts more than just health. It can change how people think, act and socialize. Many individuals don’t like what they have become, and treatment is a chance to turn over a new leaf. That is easier to do in a new environment surrounded by new people.
This fresh start can also positively impact their relationships with family members who often (though not always) play a crucial role in the recovery process.
After Your Remote Rehab Experience: Welcome to the SOBRLIFE
While a remote setting or rehab retreat offers a lot of compelling merits, the choice is in your hands. Whether you decide to attend treatment off the beaten path or go with a more localized approach, we welcome you with open arms.
The ‘recover out loud‘ movement believes recovery for all is the goal, and at SOBRLIFE we are proud to embrace this notion and encourage you to do the same. Join us today in sporting fresh and clean sober clothing styles, and help us soak the stigma with new SOBR Water.
Consider this resource your invitation to stay connected, link up with us on social, and check back in for our latest blogs and more!
