How to Prepare For Your First Online Rehab Session

Online drug rehab is an excellent tool for anyone who leads a busy life. Whether travel is an essential part of your work or you’re facing logistical problems like childcare or pet care, online rehab is non-intrusive and adaptable to your needs. With online treatment, you can complete your sessions at home, at work, or on the go. It’s up to you.

Understandably, if you choose to enroll in an online rehab program, you might feel anxious about participating in online treatment for the first time. That’s okay. The important thing is that you don’t let your anxiety or fear keep you from getting the help you deserve. To manage fear and uncertainty about online rehab, here are a few tips to help you prepare for your first online addiction counseling session.

Tips to Prepare for Online Rehab

Get settled in a comfortable space that’s conducive to treatment.

Just like you would normally meet with a counselor in a quiet, distraction-free environment, your space at home where you plan to attend online IOP sessions will also be an instrumental part of your treatment. You don’t have to completely redesign a room or anything, but there are a few simple ways you can make sure you have a comfortable and relaxed space that’s best for online addiction treatment:

• Find a private space. If you share a home with roommates, your spouse, kids, or other individuals, you’ll want to find a private and quiet space where you can focus on your treatment and feel comfortable sharing freely during sessions.
• Get a comfortable chair to sit in. During online rehab sessions, you’ll be sitting down in your chair the entire time. So you’ll want to make sure it’s comfortable enough for long periods of sitting. Make sure you have good lighting. You’ll also want to make sure you have adequate lighting for video calls so your counselor and peers can see you well. It’s a good idea to remove any background distractions as well, so all participants can focus on the treatment session.
• Get used to seeing yourself on camera. If you’re not accustomed to video conferences or online counseling sessions, you may want to turn on your camera to make sure it works and also to get used to seeing yourself on camera. That way, you’ll be less distracted by seeing yourself while you’re attending online IOP.

Get familiar with the online platform.

The online platform you’ll use for your rehab sessions will vary depending on the treatment provider. However, the treatment facility should give you detailed instructions and credentials so you can access the system before your first online rehab session.

It’s best not to wait until the last second before your session begins to get familiar with the platform. Instead, give yourself plenty of time to log in to the platform, click around, and make sure you know how to use the essential functions, like video and audio communication functions. Doing so will reduce a lot of stress so you can start the session off calm and ready to learn.

Take time to reflect before and after your session.

Just like when you attend in-person counseling, it’s ideal to give yourself a little bit of time before and after your session to process. Addiction treatment can be challenging and may sometimes leave you feeling tired and drained. It can be hard to jump right back into everyday tasks like caring for children or going to work without giving your brain and body some time to adjust. Before you begin your first session, set aside 10 or 15 minutes to sit, meditate, and relax. Try to prepare your mind and heart to be open to what you are going to hear and discuss. Remind yourself of why you’re attending these sessions in the first place.

Similarly, after your online rehab session is over, take a few minutes to stop, breathe, and just be. You’ll likely have a lot on your mind and you might even feel overwhelmed by it all. Try to remember that making big life changes will take time. It’s okay to take baby steps and do it at your own pace.

Remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Going to drug rehab isn’t always easy. Even when you attend online, there will be days when you don’t feel like doing it or you dread the challenging conversation. There may even be times when you feel like you’re not making progress or you just want to go back to your addiction.

It’s normal to get discouraged, especially when the changes you’re making aren’t always visible to others or even yourself. However, it’s always worth the effort to keep going. You may want to start keeping a journal to jot down your thoughts and feelings during treatment. Then, by looking back through the pages later, you can see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve changed in the process.

Want More Details About Online Rehab at Nova?

Nova offers a convenient online intensive outpatient program (IOP) for clients who cannot attend treatment in-person or prefer to do so remotely. Our online rehab program provides fully interactive group sessions through a convenient video platform. Online group sessions are facilitated by licensed addiction treatment professionals so you can establish a sober support system with treatment experts who care.

Online IOP is often recommended in conjunction with another treatment program or recovery support service, but the situation varies depending on the individual, their treatment history, and their needs. Consulting with our treatment team of caring and compassionate providers can help you determine whether online rehab is right for you.

To start, we’ll provide a comprehensive assessment that will help us determine your treatment needs. If together, we determine that online IOP is a good fit for you, we’ll assess your health insurance provider’s coverage or help you explore alternative payment options. Once you’re enrolling in online drug rehab, we’ll guide you through the necessary steps to access your online drug rehab group via your phone, computer, or tablet.

Our online IOP is an eight-week program. Virtual sessions are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon or 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST. These virtual sessions are fully interactive. They are not pre-recorded videos.

If you’re interested in learning more about our online IOP treatment for addiction, please contact Nova Recovery Center today. Our treatment experts are available now to help you establish a solid recovery support system. Please call (512) 605-2955 to learn more.