Can You Use Your Phone During Rehab?

Can You Use a Mobile Phone In Rehab?

In short, it will depend on the rehab clinic you are receiving treatment from.

If you are about to start your drug or alcohol rehab treatment, you might be feeling quite anxious about the thought of having to give up your mobile phone while you go through your treatment plan. Please be aware that this is normal, as many of our patients have similar worries.

We understand that many people use their smartphones as a means of distraction from cravings and other things that may occur as a result of their addiction.

Please note that the rules around smartphone use in rehab are not the same in every clinic. However, most facilities will limit the use of phones and other electronic devices. Some rehab centres may not allow the use of electronic devices altogether. Others may allow you to use your phone and other devices during certain hours.

How Do Regulations on Electronic Device Usage Vary Depending on Different Stages of Recovery?

Again, this will vary depending on the rehab clinic you have chosen to receive addiction treatment from. However, typically speaking, the regulations around using electronic devices can often be based on your level of recovery and where you are in terms of progression with your treatment plan.

When you are in the earlier stages of recovery, you will most likely have to stick to stricter rules surrounding your electronic devices. However, people who are further along in their addiction may have some leniency around the use of their smartphones and other electronic devices.

Is It Still Possible to Maintain Communication With Your Loved Ones?

Not knowing whether you will be able to contact friends or family during rehabilitation treatment is a huge worry many people will have before entering a rehab clinic for treatment.

Please be aware that, for the vast majority of rehabilitation clinics, maintaining communication with your loved ones is not only possible but also encouraged. This helps preserve essential emotional support and connection, facilitating recovery. However, the methods and timings of communication may vary depending on the clinic’s policies to ensure that patients can focus on their recovery.

Most rehabilitation facilities provide communal phones for patients to use, allowing them to keep in touch with their loved ones. It is advisable to bring important contact numbers with you. While the use of personal mobile devices may be limited to prevent distractions, the provided communication means ensures your continuous connection with your support system. So, if there are regulations in place regarding mobile phone use, rest assured you can maintain contact with those who matter most.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Taking Your Phone Into Rehab?

There are several reasons for and against taking your phone into rehab with you. Below, we will go over these reasons:

Reasons Against Taking Your Phone Into Rehab

When in drug and alcohol rehab, it’s important that you are completely focused and that you concentrate on your treatments and recovery goals. Your phone might distract you from the important goals that you set in rehab.

It’s also important to remember that your phone provides you with a connection to the outside world. One of the main benefits of rehab is that it removes you from all of the temptations and bad influences from the outside world.

Bringing your phone into rehab may hinder your recovery as you can contact the bad influences while you’re going through your treatments.

Even if the rehab you attend does allow you to use phones, they won’t allow you to abuse the use of your phone.

This means that you won’t be able to use your phone all the time, and you certainly won’t be allowed to use your phone to contact drug dealers or buy alcohol from your phone. If you do this, you will be removed from the rehab centre, and you won’t be entitled to a refund for your treatment.

With this in mind, it’s much better to fill your time in rehab with other things instead of using your phone or other electronic devices. Instead, you may want to choose to bring some magazines, journals, or books to make use of during your downtime.

Reasons For Taking Your Phone Into Rehab

Some people may argue that it is a good idea to allow patients to bring their phones and other devices into a rehab centre. This may be because it will allow the rehab clinic to emulate the conditions that exist in the outside world.

These are the conditions that the client will face when they finish their treatment and return home.

If you ask an addict to stop using their phone when in rehab, this may only add to the anxiety that they are already feeling about the whole process. It may make them so anxious that they feel like attending rehab isn’t worth the bother.

Younger people who are under 30 are the most likely people to experience severe anxiety when separated from their electronic devices.

Rehab clinics have tried to compromise on this by allowing smartphones and other electronic devices to be used depending on the nature of the clients that enter the rehab centre. Many people who are suffering from addictions are otherwise highly functioning human beings. Some addicts may run businesses or have senior positions with a lot of responsibility.

These people simply would not be able to attend rehab without being able to use their phones or laptop.

Another benefit of allowing the use of mobile phones in rehab is that the addict will be able to keep in touch with their friends and family members. This can provide a lot of comfort, support, and encouragement as they are going through their recovery programme.

Going to rehab is mostly an experience that people want to avoid. If you demand that an addict has no contact with their loved ones, this may increase the discomfort that they are feeling and may make them want to avoid going into rehab altogether.

Issues With Confidentiality and Electronic Devices

Rehabilitation facilities offer a guarantee to individuals seeking addiction treatment that all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

The use of smartphones and other electronic devices can threaten some people’s confidentiality as these devices are capable of taking pictures or videos. These pictures or videos may then be uploaded online without the rehab clinic even knowing and without the consent of the people involved.

With this in mind, it’s important that the rehab centres that do allow the use of electronic devices also make it very clear that the devices should never be used to take pictures, videos, or otherwise record at all while they’re in the clinic.

More Information About Rehab

If you want to find out some more information about rehab and the rules, or if you’re looking into finding help with your addiction, give us a call today at 01908 489 421 or e-mail enquiries@asanalodge.co.uk, and we’ll be happy to provide answers to any questions or concerns you may have.

Our team of friendly, knowledgeable staff are on hand to help answer any questions that you may have, provide you with the support you need whenever you need it, and give you advice whenever needed. Everything that you tell us will be kept confidential – contact us today.