5 Ways Traveling to Massachusetts For Addiction Treatment Can Actually Help

It’s natural to start your addiction treatment search close to home. But have you considered opening up your search to other states?

Addiction treatment is all about starting over. You can’t start over when you’re in your hometown. The location actually matters more than you think!

Of course, that doesn’t mean that treatment in your hometown is always bad. But you should seriously consider the benefits of getting treatment out-of-state.

Here’s why traveling for addiction treatment is the best choice for many:

What Are the Benefits of Traveling to Massachusetts for Addiction Treatment?

For starters, when you travel for treatment, you put yourself in a brand-new place: away from home, away from familiar distractions and triggers.

This helps you immerse yourself in treatment fully. It’s too easy to sneak out or end treatment early if you’re right in your hometown. When you’re not at home, it’s harder to bail. 

That’s not even considering the ways you open up your options when you choose to travel. If you’re looking for treatment close to home, maybe you’ll have one option or three. If you open up your search, you have hundreds of options.

These are the five biggest benefits of traveling for addiction treatment: 

#1: You Get a Brand-New Environment

There’s nothing more symbolic of change than a new place to recover. Recovering close to familiar sights can make change feel harder to achieve.

That’s normal—we’re all more comfortable in familiar places, but sometimes growth requires moving outside of your comfort zone.

A brand-new place mirrors your brand-new mindset. There are no familiar places or things to remind you of old behavior patterns.

#2: You Avoid the Distractions of Home

Attending rehab close to home gives you access to all kinds of distractions. You may want visitors every day if you have friends close by or you might be tempted to sneak out.

You could feel pressured to keep working just because you’re physically capable of it. It’s easy to keep thinking about home, which can lead you to start thinking about drugs.

None of these are helpful to your recovery. A brand-new location removes you from the distractions of your old life. The stronger your focus, the easier your recovery can be.

#3: You Stay Away From Triggers

One of the worst consequences of staying near home for treatment is that you stay near old triggers.

Those can be:

  • Conflict with family members
  • Drug dealers and connections 
  • Friends who used to use drugs with you

Your first thought might be that staying close to home gives you access to support. It’s nice to be near friends and family, but remember that rehab is only temporary.

Putting distance between yourself and old memories is the best action you can take right now. 

#4: You Open Up Your Options

There might be a great treatment center in your hometown but chances are that it’s the only one. For a decision as important as rehab, you need more options than that.

Simply opening up your treatment search to other states can expand your options by hundreds!

That can be the difference between treatment success and relapse. Rehab treatment for addiction should be customized to your needs. Many treatment centers use cookie-cutter plans with the same strategies for every patient. That’s not the right approach for anyone!

When you start looking for treatment out-of-state, you can be more picky about choosing a center with customized treatment plans. 

#5: You Follow Through on Treatment

How easy is it to quit treatment when your family is 15 minutes away? Too easy!

When home and your support system is right there, it’s so tempting to end treatment early. But treatment is the single most important part of your recovery.

Quitting treatment for drug abuse heightens your risk of relapse. 

In fact, the minimum treatment length for success is 90 days but it’s recommended that you stay in treatment as long as you can. 

If you leave treatment sooner than that, you could be sabotaging your recovery. If you’re recovering from opioid use, then a year of treatment is the recommended minimum! 

When you’re away from your home, there are logistics standing between you and quitting.

It’s not easy to sign yourself out of rehab and travel across the country, but it’s simple to sign out and drive 15 minutes back home.

These Aren’t Good Reasons to Go to Rehab Near Home

Maybe going to rehab near home would be:

  • Easier
  • Less stressful
  • More convenient
  • More comfortable 

It sounds appealing to stay near friends and family in case you get lonely. But every single link to the outside world is a risk during treatment. 

Come to treatment ready to let go of your past, your triggers, and your mindset. The easiest way to do that is to choose a rehab that’s not near home.

Get Treatment for Drug Abuse

Now’s the best time to get treatment for drug abuse. The sooner you get help, the better your outcome. 

Inpatient drug treatment in Massachusetts can include:

  • Daily check-ins to give you time to ask questions.
  • Group discussions such as support groups or 12-Step groups.
  • Medication to control symptoms and prevent cravings.
  • Therapy to help you learn and control your behaviors.

Drug abuse gets harder to treat the longer you let it go unchecked, just like any other health problem.

So why wait? Our treatment specialists are standing by to take your call 24/7. We’ll answer your questions about what to expect in addiction treatment. And we’ll build you a plan that works for you!

Whether you’re in Massachusetts or across the country, we’re here for you at  Northeast Addictions Treatment Center, so give us a call today!

Sources

  1. Jane E. Brody. (2013, February 4). Effective Addiction Treatment
  2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). 7: Duration of treatment
  3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Types of Treatment Programs

Written by
Northeast Addition Editorial Team

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This page does not provide medical advice.