Can You Leave Drug Rehab Anytime You Want?

Just as you decide to enrol in a drug rehab program, leaving is up to you. Leaving drug rehab before completing the program is very common, especially during the first few days or weeks after enrolment. Most patients become overwhelmed with the side effects and opt to leave the program. Even though the drug rehab facility will not stop you from going, you need to realize that leaving the program can have long-term effects on your fight against substance addiction.

Why Do People Opt To Leave Drug Rehab Early?

1. Overconfidence – Rehab is time-consuming because the program seeks to re-wire your brain and habits to help you fight against your addiction in the long run. It equips the patient with skills to help them resist the temptation and learn how to cope with their triggers. After completing a few weeks in rehab and the detox program, some patients feel like they are ready to face their motivations and that they have learned enough. Leaving drug rehab before the program is complete might leave you vulnerable to some extent. You will leave the facility with underdeveloped skills and will likely relapse into substance abuse soon after.
2. Denial – After enrolling and interacting with some of the patients, a patient might feel like they are better than the rest. This creates a sense of overconfidence and pride that affects their mindset during the program. The patient’s mindset is a crucial factor in the healing process. Pride hinders a patient from listening and processing the information that is taught. It also blocks them from addressing their issues and triggers during the program. A patient who falls in this category might feel like drug rehab is wasting their time and does not need help. This is a common cause of relapse.
3. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)– The withdrawal stage is a crucial part of the detoxification process. The severity of withdrawal symptoms depends on the time that the patient abused the drug and the substance. This means that some patients tend to have more extended withdrawal periods that have severe symptoms. The common withdrawal symptoms experienced during the detox stage include violence, loss of focus, mood swings, fatigue, hallucinations, anxiety, irritability, and tremors. Additionally, please note that the brain’s functionality is affected in that it stops releasing serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. This makes it difficult for the patient to experience joy or happiness. This constant mental and physical strain causes some patients to give up on the treatment and opt to leave to access a drug substance or alcohol.
4. Personal issues with the facility – After spending some time at a drug rehab facility, some patients feel like they selected the wrong treatment facility. Some patients leave drug rehab facilities because the promised amenities are not up to their preferred standard. The quality of the services and amenities offered at the facility could make a patient pack and leave.
5. Frustration – The comfort of staying with your loved ones and having access to them is stopped once a person enrols in an inpatient program. The person has restricted access to the public, making them feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or frustrated. The first few days or weeks are painful for the patient since they most likely miss their loved ones.
6. Use of drugs to deal with personal issues – Most persons with substance abuse problems use drugs to escape their issues. They want to leave the facility so that they can access drugs to avoid problems and negative thoughts. During the detoxification stage, they may not be able to handle their negative intrusive thoughts. The drug rehab program includes therapy, which will help the patient cope with negative intrusive thoughts. Therefore, if a patient leaves the facility, they will not face the mental issues that are triggering substance abuse.

Can I Leave Court-Ordered Drug Rehab Treatment?

Court-ordered rehab is common for persons convicted of crimes that happened due to alcohol or substance abuse. This includes drunk driving, selling, and manufacturing a controlled substance, fraud, or theft. The court typically offers drug rehab as a substitute for jail time. If the court gives you this form of rehabilitation for your crime, it is probably because the judge thinks you are a societal threat if you do not get help.

Court-ordered treatment has proved to be successful over the years. According to a study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it has higher success rates and more minor repeat offenders. If you decide to leave court-ordered rehab early, the drug rehab facility will not stop you. However, it will be obligated to inform the authorities. If this happens, your conduct will be evaluated, which will determine if you will be directed to pay a fine or serve a jail term.

What Are the Effects of Leaving Early?

Leaving drug rehab without completing your recovery treatment means that you are reversing all the progress that you have made. You will expose yourself to your triggers, having not learned how to cope or manage your cravings. The effects of leaving the program depend on the stage of the treatment that the patient has reached. If you leave the facility during the detoxification stage, then you are going to relapse.

Additionally, since withdrawal symptoms are sometimes life-threatening, you will be exposing yourself to an environment where you are not being monitored or getting health care. This will increase the chance of experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, heart attacks, or strokes.

Inpatient drug rehab is a program that guarantees a successful recovery process. Making sure you learn and benefit from the program will build your resilience and help you manage your cravings when exposed to a substance abuse environment. Leaving the facility before the treatment is complete will only reduce your chances of beating your addiction and may even introduce other drug substances. The road to recovery is not easy. It will require you to get uncomfortable and deal with very disturbing and triggering issues.