Rehabilitation or “rehab” programs traditionally consist of following basic treatment elements: abstinence, your initial evaluation, learning about your addiction, group counseling, AA or another 12 step program, individual counseling and family counseling.
As addictions progress, addict’s relationships deteriorate in quality. However, the bonds between addicts in a recovery setting are widely recognized as one of the few forces powerful enough to keep recovery on track. The rehab experience, whether it is inpatient or outpatient involves in-depth sharing and bonding in a group setting. This kind of sharing creates strong interpersonal bonds among group members. These bonds will help to form a support system that will be powerful enough to sustain the individual during the first months of abstinence.