Problems You Might Encounter in a Rehabilitation Center

Addiction is one of society’s greatest enemies. In fact, a majority of the prison inmates in the Philippines are here because of drug-related crimes, ranging from being influenced by dangerous substances to actually trafficking prohibited drugs. The effect of drug addiction in destructive, not just in a societal sense but also personally, and the victim, while knowing this, is unable to turn away from whatever he/she is addicted to.

Because of this, drug rehabilitation centers were established to not only help the victim gets free of addiction but also to help him/her recover from its effects and start over in life. From the time rehab centers were established in the country, they have been significant in the reintroduction of former victims of addiction to their communities, through the institutions’ programs and methods of treatment.

However, as effective as rehabilitation centers are in treating addiction, there are still some cases where things do not go as expected. And with any form of government or private institution, rehabilitation centers have their limits in dealing with victims, creating complications in the treatment which sometimes yields unfavorable results.

It is important to know what problems may come up during the rehabilitation process to help the addiction victim address these issues much easier, as the individual is already going through a lot with the addiction problem alone.

Here are some problems you might encounter in a rehabilitation center:

Lack of Finances to Continuously Pay for Treatment

A large portion of our countrymen live below the poverty line. In fact, in Quezon City alone, a significant percentage of the population cannot even sustain eating three meals a day, much less pay for addiction treatment fees when one of their family members fall victim to addiction. And while government-run rehabilitation facilities drastically cut down the costs of addiction treatment, the level of poverty experienced by the families of addiction victims often causes them to stop paying for the rehabilitation of their family members.

Inhospitable or Unfamiliar Rehabilitation Center Environments

While not common, there have been some cases of mistreatment of patients in rehabilitation centers, which is one of the reasons why many addiction victims opt not to undergo addiction treatment. For most victims of addiction, rehab centers present an uncomfortable environment for two reasons: they are not familiar, and for those who are hiding their addiction problem, rehab centers would expose what they are going through. This can be easily addressed by a constant follow-up of the relatives of the patient, who would provide a familiar face and ease the experience in the rehab center.

The Fear of Social Reintegration

People who fall victim to addiction are often looked down upon by society, resulting in their social fears. In a rehabilitation center, the victim is gradually trained to become ready to face society with a new start, but the patient’s fears of being discriminated for something that he/she did before sometimes cause complications in the rehabilitation, which tends to lengthen it. Interacting with other patients tend to ease this transition, helping the victim to build up confidence.

Withdrawals and Relapses

Withdrawal and relapse are the two most common issues faced by the patients in an addiction treatment center. Withdrawal is the body’s negative reaction when it is deprived of the substance that the victim is addicted in, while relapse is the victim’s return to addiction after a period of going without the substance. While not necessarily the easiest issues to deal with, withdrawals and relapses can be handled through a modification of the treatment program to prevent any uncomfortable experiences for the patient.

Addiction treatment centers aren't perfect, but they play a very significant role in helping the addiction victims turn away from addiction and start fresh. Understanding the problems that might be encountered in drug rehabilitation centers would not only help the patient get a clearer perspective of what to expect in his/her addiction treatment, but also give the relatives information of how they can make the rehabilitation process easier and the experience more comfortable for their loved one.