Rehab Timeline: When Will You Know If You’re On The Road To Recovery?

Dara Laine Murray
3 min readMar 20

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovery, and even if you are able to pinpoint when you first began using drugs or alcohol, it can still be difficult to know if you’re on the right track after you stop.

The following answers to frequently asked questions about rehab and the timeline of recovery will help you on your way to healing:

Rehab Timeline: When Will You Know If You’re On The Road To Recovery?
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

How fast will I recover?

There is no set time frame for recovery. Everyone’s experience with sobriety is different, and it’s important to remember that recovery is not linear. It’s a process, not an event.

If you find yourself struggling with addiction or substance abuse, the best thing you can do is seek help as soon as possible so that you can begin moving toward long-term recovery and true wellness in your life.

What are the first signs of recovery?

As you progress through recovery, you will notice a number of changes in your life. You may feel more energetic and have an improved mood, as well as get better sleep. Your thoughts will be clearer and less chaotic; it’s common for people to experience this as “a lightness.”

When someone is first sober, it can be difficult for them to imagine how things could ever change for the better — but they do! If you are working hard at staying sober and taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually, then all these improvements will come with time.

Read more: How Alcohol Affects Your Body Timeline: The Health Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

Rehab Timeline: When Will You Know If You’re On The Road To Recovery?
Photo by Nacho Rochon on Unsplash

Should I go back to work or school right after rehab?

You may not be ready to go back to work right after rehab. If you’re still struggling with the effects of your drug or alcohol use, it’s important that you take some time off and give yourself the opportunity to get better before diving into your usual routine. You may need to take a lighter workload or even some time off completely.

Dara Laine Murray

Multi-passionate sobriety writer on Medium. Day job: Director of Research at a nonprofit. Stories = sober + stats. Editor: https://medium.com/modern-sobriety

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