Admitting that you have an addiction to drugs can be difficult and embarrassing. There are many people who are struggling with a drug addiction who want to get help them but don’t want anyone to know about their addiction. They are fearful that they will be judged, will look down upon and no longer respected. Due to the stigma that comes along with addiction, these are very healthy fears to have. If you are battling addiction and want to overcome it discreetly on your own, use the following guide for tips on how to make the process easier.
Find a Recovery Facility Near You
In order to start your recovery, you need to enlist the help of professionals. Overcoming addiction on your own can be nearly impossible to do. This is because the withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that you often cannot endure them on your own. When you go to a professional rehab facility, you’ll be able to use medication to make the withdrawal process more bearable. You’ll also be able to work with trained professionals to help you learn how to overcome your addiction mentally, physically and emotionally.
When searching for a recovery facility, it’s important to know that your insurance may cover the costs. Call your insurance provider and request the names of recovery centers in your area that are covered by your policy. If your insurance does not cover rehab costs, there are facilities that have scholarship programs available. It’s best to look for those facilities first.
File for FMLA
FMLA, or the Family and Medical Leave Act, is designed to help people in active addiction to be able to get to the help they need to overcome their addiction without the risk of losing their job. Once you have lined up your recovery you can file for FMLA.
Your employer will not be able to fire you for missing work if you’re protected by the act. It allows you to be gone for an extended period of time in return to your job once you have completed a program and are on your way to recovery. Your employer can hire someone to work your position while you were gone, but they must return the position back to you upon completion of the program. If they do not, you can file a lawsuit against them.
Prepay Any Bills That You Can
When you go into rehab, you will be secluded from the outside world. This means that you will not have access to the Internet, your phone or mail until you reach a certain place within the program. It’s important to prepay any bills that you can before you go into rehab. This allows you to be sure that when you get out you do not have extra stress is to worry about and you’ll be able to keep anonymity when going to rehab.
If you do not have the money to prevent your bills, contact your debtors and let them know what is going on. Many bill collectors are willing to work with someone who is honest with them. They may be able to defer your bills and tell you get out of rehab.
Put a Hold on Your Mail
Many people do not realize that you can put a temporary hold on your mail. This keeps it from being delivered to your home while you are away. If people see mail collecting in your mailbox, they will know that you’re not home and this could raise a red flag to them. All you have to do is go online and fill out a form to let the post office node to temporarily want to stop having mail delivered to your home. You do not have to give a reason for the hold or pay any fees. Don’t forget to stop newspaper and magazine deliveries too.
Go to See Your Doctor
Before you go into a treatment facility, you want to make sure that you’re as healthy as you can be. If you have medications that you are prescribed to take on a daily basis, you need to make sure that you have enough of them to get you through the treatment program. If you do not, talk to your doctor about the fact that you are going to be away for an extended period of time in need to have refills readily available to you.
While you’re in the treatment facility if there are any prescriptions that need to be refilled the staff will make sure that you get them. Let your doctor know you are going into the treatment program in case anything happens during your treatment. The facility needs to be able to contact your doctor if you have an allergic reaction or if anything else goes wrong.
Talk to Your Loved Ones
Will you do not need to tell your loved ones that you are going to a treatment facility to seek help for drug addiction. It is important to let them know that you are going to be out of town for an extended period of time. Since they will not be able to readily get a hold of you, it’s important for them to at least know why. This will reduce the chances of them being scared that something has happened to you. You could tell them that are going on a work trip or vacation.
Addiction recovery is never easy. Properly preparing before you go into a rehab facility can make it easier to keep anonymity during the process. It is ultimately up to you who you choose to tell about your recovery. It is something that you can keep to yourself forever or something that you can share with the people you love after you are in recovery. Knowing what you have gone through can make it easier for them to provide you with the support you need in the years to come.