If you are taking the step of going for treatment for a problem with substance abuse, you are taking an important step towards reclaiming your life. Drug abuse rehab centers help millions of people every year when they are dealing with substance abuse. This can be a scary and trying experience but you can get the most of it from doing a few things to make it matter.

1. Keep your end game in mind. When you are in one of the drug abuse rehab centers, it can be easy to lose sight of what you are trying to accomplish. In the beginning stages of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, you may not feel great. In particular the alcohol withdrawal symptoms are terrible. Focusing on your goals for your recovery may make this time better for you.
2. Be proactive. You may have a lot of questions about what you can expect and what will happen next. You should not keep quiet with those but should speak out and ask. No one expects you to be an expert on the recovery process. This is the time to voice your concerns and have your questions answered.
3. Do not break the rules. All alcohol and drug abuse rehab centers have their own rules and regulations. Some of them may not seem to make sense and others may be annoying. This does not mean you should break them. You may not see it but there are valid reasons for the rules and you will have a much better experience in the residential drug treatment center if you follow their rules.
4. Commit yourself to the program and the process. How often do you get a chance to take time out from your work and your obligations to your family to really focus on you and the problems in your life and experience? Few people get the chance to really delve into what drove them to abuse drugs and alcohol. By being totally present in your sessions and in dealing with your counselors, you can take advantage of this time. if you view your time in one of the drug abuse rehab centers as an opportunity and not a burden, you will get a lot more out of the experience.
5. Be as honest as you can be. You will get no where with your experience at one of the drug abuse rehab centers if you are not honest with yourself and with everyone else. Addiction thrives when honesty is absent. When you are honest with yourself and your counselors, you can really make progress in your recovery from your addiction.
6. Do not expect to recover overnight. You did not become addicted to alcohol or drugs overnight and you will not recover from that in such a short period of time. This is a process that you are just starting. You will have a lot of work to do but with patience, you can do it. You also have more people than you realize who want you to succeed. Do not give up.
7. Expect some bad days. This process is not linear. You may be going along and feel great and then one day, you feel like you are back at the beginning of the process. This is normal. If you know that going in, you will have a better way to deal with the bad days. This is not a reason to give up or start using drugs or alcohol. Reach out for help when you need it. You will feel better.
8. Set aside some time for you. When you are in a residential treatment center, you may feel like you never have time for yourself. One thing you may want to do is take five minutes or more to write about your feelings in a journal. This is one way to process all of your feelings. You may not have had to deal with a number of feelings because of you drug and alcohol use.

Starting treatment for substance abuse is the first step in the long journey of recovery. Do the work and get the help and recovery is possible.