Many people make the mistake of assuming that their life is ruined if they are arrested for being intoxicated in public or for having possession of drugs. This isn’t always the case, though. There are many times when going to jail for drug use or possession can help to improve someone’s life exponentially. The following guide walks you through a few of the benefits that can come from being incarcerated for a short period of time.
Avoid Being a Spectacle
When people want to get clean after they are on the streets it can be very hard to do. They are often watched closely by other people in the neighborhood and this can make them seem like a spectacle if they try to get clean. Being incarcerated allows you to get away from those people and simply focus on bettering yourself and creating the best future that you possibly can. Being away from bad influences will better your chances of being able to overcome your addiction.
Stop Having Access to Drugs
If you are truly addicted to drugs and can’t stop using them on your own, going to jail can be a great way to be able to finally overcome your addiction. You won’t have access to the drugs that you would have if you were out on the streets. Not being able to easily gain access to the drugs betters your chances of success from your addiction. While there are drugs that get into prisons from time to time, getting your hands on them may be harder than you think.
Get the Drug Treatment that You Need
When you are in society, getting help for a drug addiction can be expensive. If you don’t have insurance that covers drug treatment, you must pay for it out of pocket. It can be difficult to find drug treatment programs for methadone near me that are affordably priced and that have openings available. Many correctional facilities are now offering methadone treatment to their inmates to try to get them clean from drugs.
Detoxing from drugs can be very hard to do and can cause a lot of emotional and physical stress on the body. Being able to have treatment during the process can lessen the withdrawal symptoms you have to experience and make the likelihood of an incident between inmates from taking place. You will not have to pay for the treatment while you’re incarcerated, so getting help can be easy and overall very beneficial for you.
Get Psychological Help to Battle Your Addiction
Many people don’t realize that their draw to drugs is their need to numb personal hurts they have in their life. When you are in the correctional facility, you can meet with a therapist to help you learn why you started using drugs to begin with so that you can avoid using them again in the future.
You need to learn different ways to handle your emotions as and the hurt that you have experienced throughout your life. The counselor can talk to you about the way that you are feeling and help you to develop coping skills that make it easier for you to have long term sobriety. You need to be open and honest with the counselor. Being in prison can harden you and cause you to not be as trusting as you were before you got incarcerated. It’s important to know that anything you say to the counselor is kept between the two of you so that you don’t have to fear the information you tell them will be spread throughout the facility.
Get into a Sobriety Program
Many people don’t realize that there are 12-step programs available in many correctional institutes to help recovering addicts learn how to function when they get back into society. Starting a 12-step program while you are incarcerated can help you to learn what steps you need to take to recover from your addiction and maintain your recovery when you get out. Going to regular meetings with a recovery group can help you to have accountability and people to rely on as you try to stay clean and sober. It provides you with people to bounce ideas off and to turn to when times get tough and you consider relapsing. Having a strong support system can make it easier to stay clean.
Get an Education
When you are in prison, you can get an education or learn a skill that you can use when you get out. Being trained in a craft or getting a degree will make you more desirable to potential employers in the future and help you to have something to do to keep yourself out of trouble while you are in prison. There are many programs that are available to help you better yourself, but they often have a long waiting list. It’s best to add yourself to any lists that have availability as soon as you can. This will better your chances of getting into a program quickly.
Don’t be afraid to sign up for something that you have never tried before or that you don’t even know if you will enjoy doing. People often find out that they are good at things by simply trying them. You will get extensive training that you can use when you are released so there is no need not to try to better yourself.
Only you can get clean. When you are incarcerated, it’s often easier to stay clean because you don’t have as much temptation available to you as you will when you are released. Building a foundation for your sobriety while you are incarcerated betters your chances of being able to stick with your sobriety when you are released. Avoid past triggers and associates that you mingled with before to decrease the chances of you relapsing upon your release. Get into a local 12-step program as quickly as you can so that you can stick with your sobriety and have the best future you possibly can.
Helpful Resource
Northern Illinois Rehab Center
Kingsway Recovery Center
New Directions for Women Resources
Drug Rehab Resources in New Hampshire
Casco Bay Recovery
Owl’s Nest Drug Recovery Center
Free By The Sea Recovery Center
