Getting Addiction Treatment for the First Time? Here’s What to Expect

If you’re just starting your recovery journey and are about to experience addiction treatment for the first time, you might be feeling anxious or nervous. These are normal feelings, especially when there is so much uncertainty about what lies ahead and you don’t know what to expect. 

Addiction treatment is a multi-step process that will take time and patience. Recovery won’t be easy and will feature its fair share of setbacks and moments of success. With the right mindset and expectations, you’ll be able to thrive and make meaningful progress with your addiction recovery. 

Intake Assessment

Substance abuse is a unique experience that requires a flexible addiction treatment approach. Patients are most helped by having a personalized addiction treatment plan that caters to their needs and circumstances. 

Before treatment, a rehab center will usually conduct an over-the-phone or in-person intake assessment, where they converse with a patient and administer a physical and psychological screening. 

An intake assessment gives the staff at an addiction treatment facility vital background information regarding a patient’s situation and history of use to create an effective, personalized treatment plan.

Detoxification

Detoxification is often cited as one of the more difficult stages of the recovery process. Detox entails getting rid of the harmful substances that a patient has depended on from their body. 

Detoxing without professional care and guidance can be dangerous because certain withdrawal symptoms are severe. Treatment facilities help make the detoxification safer by supervising the process and offering licensed medical care. Patients can expect to feel welcomed and supported from start to finish as they go through this challenging phase. 

Addiction Treatment

Addiction treatment is where much of the progress and work of recovery is made. Both inpatient and intensive outpatient treatment centers will support patients with therapeutic resources and treatment services like:

  • Stress Management and Relief Methods
  • Family Education and Counseling
  • Relapse Prevention 
  • Professional therapy that directly addresses underlying causes of substance use

Ongoing Care

Addiction recovery is a lifelong battle that continues even after finishing a treatment program. Most treatment centers offer aftercare services for patients who have completed their rehabilitation programming.

At Twin Town Treatment Centers, clients who successfully graduate from our intensive outpatient treatment are enrolled in four subsequent months of professionally conducted, twice weekly, and then weekly aftercare sessions. 


It’s perfectly normal to feel apprehensive and nervous heading into your first addiction treatment session. At Twin Town Treatment Centers, our staff will do their best to ensure that you feel safe and comfortable. We welcome all those looking to recover from addiction to any of our five drug addiction treatment centers throughout Orange County and the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Our drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers offer personalized support to our patients through resources like individualized intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) programs and drug addiction treatments. Get in touch today by calling us at (866) 594-8844 or filling out our online form to get started. Our team of drug addiction treatment professionals will provide you with a no-cost interview and assessment for alcohol and drug issues.