What Questions Will You Be Asked During Intake at Drug Rehab Centers?

Going into a drug rehab treatment facility can be an unnerving experience. You are entering a strange environment with people you have never met who ask you tons of questions, which, added on top of a substance abuse disorder, is overwhelming. It’s important to remember that the questions that the healthcare providers ask are designed to help you achieve a full and complete recovery. Paying attention and taking the care to answer them completely and honestly might be annoying, but the insights that you provide – which only you can access – will help you in the long run. The goal of the patient interview is to go over your medical history, any medications you take, your current symptoms, and other information vital to your treatment. Here are the most common questions that drug rehab centers ask of incoming patients so you can know what to expect if you or a loved one need to access this type of healthcare.

What Drugs Do You Currently Use?

Addictions to different drugs require unique approaches to treatment. Not all drug rehabilitation is the same. Heroin users, for example, face a different set of physical and mental challenges than people recovering from alcohol addictions – although there is significant overlap. Knowing what drugs you currently take is a baseline assessment for determining the course of therapy.

What Medications Do You Currently Take?

In addition to asking you about substance abuse, the interviewer at your intake will also ask about any prescription or over-the-counter drugs that you take, either as intended or not. You might also be asked about any supplements that you take such as creatine, fish oil, etc. These questions are important to answer correctly. Some medications may interact negatively with others, so telling your interviewer a full accounting of the medicine that you take can prevent these types of reactions that can derail recovery.

Have You Been to Rehab Before?

The unfortunate truth is that many people go to rehab 2,3, or more times before they succeed in achieving long-lasting sobriety. There are many reasons for this, including a return to the environment where the addiction initially occurred, renewed social pressure to participate in taking drugs or alcohol, intense longings for the substance in question, or simply boredom. Knowing if you attended rehab previously and what, if anything, could have been done differently to help you succeed is a great tool for therapists working on your individual treatment plan.

Why Are You Seeking Treatment Now?

Pinpointing your motivations for seeking treatment provides a valuable piece of the information puzzle to a therapist. For example, through the initial line of question, the therapy can often ascertain if you are here voluntarily or involuntarily. The honest truth is that recovery takes at least some “buy-in” from the person experiencing addiction; if you are not committed to the process, addressing that is where the therapist must start before moving onto the healing process itself.

When Did You First Take Drugs or Alcohol?

Much like other questions about your drug use, this might seem like an accusatory question that suggests you are in trouble or did something wrong. The real reason that the drug rehab facility wants this information, though, is to help in your treatment plan. Drug dependency and addiction is a journey, not a single event in time. Therapy must meet the patient where he or she is on that journey for it to be truly effective.

How has drug or alcohol addiction affected you?

Patients with drug and alcohol addictions often have varying levels of self-awareness regarding their problem and how it has impacted their life. Ideally, the patient is fully cognizant of how an addiction may have harmed some aspect of his or her life, but that is based on a level of self-awareness that not everybody has from the start. Furthermore, a comprehensive treatment strategy must focus on the problems that are associated with the addiction – not just the addiction itself.

What is your employment history?

Drug and alcohol addiction is frequently intertwined with work life. Many Americans work in high-stress environments that are an enormous mental and physical burden. For some people, the stresses of work are overwhelming, often contributing to substance abuse. When you help your rehab professionals help you with accurate answers to these questions, the information that you provide can target the focus exactly where it needs to be to gain long-term sobriety and recover your wellness. Call us at 844-639-8371.

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