Veterans are used to moving forward with courage in times of uncertainty. When it comes to residential addiction treatment, however, there’s no need to go in blind. Knowledge is power and educating yourself about what to expect from drug and alcohol rehab for veterans will allow you to make the right decision for yourself and for your family with confidence.
The Decision: Do I Need Rehab?
Every journey to recovery begins with two realizations: First, I have a problem. Second, I need help to solve it. It can take decades to come to a sense of certainty about that first piece, and even longer to admit the second to yourself as well. The reality is that the decision to go to rehab is one that only you can make for yourself. There isn’t a black and white test or an equation to tell you when it’s time to seek treatment.
Ultimately, it’s really just this simple: If you want a better life, and you think quitting drugs or alcohol could get you there, treatment can help.
Rehab For Veterans
Veterans have special needs that professional addiction treatment can address. Some reputable treatment centers offer trauma-informed dual-diagnosis care that allows you to treat your substance use disorder and any co-occurring issues like PTSD or depression all at the same time. Such residential addiction treatment facilities have Masters-level staff that create customized treatment plans with your unique experiences and goals in mind.
What Happens in Rehab: The Intake
Every client at a residential addiction treatment facility begins their journey with “intake.” This is the process by which we learn about your life, struggles, and goals. That conversation does involve discussion about which substances you are consuming and in which quantities. However, we also want to know about your lifestyle and how addiction is holding you back. You are more than your struggle with addiction, and the process of treatment will help you rediscover and renew the parts of your life that may have fallen apart.
What Happens in Rehab: Addiction Treatment
From intake, your addiction treatment team will work together to develop a customized treatment plan for you. That plan will shape your daily schedule, and will evolve throughout your treatment as your team works to fine-tune your care. A typical treatment plan involves therapeutic addiction treatment modalities such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprogramming, which is helpful for treating PTSD), CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) for learning healthy coping skills, and group therapy to give you a sense of belonging and community that you may have lost in your addiction.
Addiction treatment also involves many other activities that may not seem like traditional medical care, but are just as worthwhile and impactful. Experiential activities like yoga, equine therapy, fishing, hiking, and more all help you heal your body, mind, and spirit, while learning how to have fun in life without drugs or alcohol.
What Happens in Rehab: Aftercare
Building a successful life after residential addiction treatment is an important part of any treatment plan. That’s why your aftercare planning begins the first day you arrive. Aftercare is your plan for what comes next after rehab. Just like your treatment plan itself, your aftercare plan will be unique to you. Depending on your goals and needs, aftercare could include additional treatment at an intensive outpatient program (IOP), sober living, 12 Step fellowships, an alumni program, and more. The goal of aftercare planning is to help you continue your healing and growth, while putting what you’ve learned in treatment into practice.
How to Start Rehab
If you have additional questions about what to expect from rehab, give us a call or send a chat. Our admissions team members have been through the Acqua program themselves, so they can tell you firsthand what it is like to renew, rediscover, refresh and recover at our sanctuary for healing outside of Park City, Utah. They also can help you explore how to pay for rehab, whether it’s through VA benefits or military healthcare like TRICARE, TRIWEST, or TriCare East. Acqua Recovery is in-network with all three, making paying for rehab seamless and simple. Just call us or send a chat to get started.
MATT BIEKERT
Matt was born and raised in North Stonington, Connecticut. He has always been a close-knit family guy. When he is not working you can find him outside, playing sports, being a prankster and enjoying a great laugh. His favorite hobbies are playing golf, photography and travel. Matt had his own struggles with addiction and is very proud to share his story of recovery and his passion for the mission of Acqua. He found his way to Acqua in search of treatment – he was actually our second patient!! He was very excited to join our team on his 1 year sobriety anniversary. He likes to say that he helped open the center (as a patient) and we have never been able to get rid of him! [Editor’s note: we hope we keep him forever.] He began at Acqua by helping create a small, Alumni program, and then transitioned to Outreach and marketing, which is a natural for him because he loves to connect with people from all walks of life who are seeking help. In February 2018, Matt was promoted to Admissions Director; because he is so passionate about his work he never feels like it is a job to help guide people on the path to recovery.
