What does it mean when someone is going to rehab?

Rehab is the process of helping a person lead a normal life again after they have been sick or when they have had a problem with drugs or alcohol. Let's be honest for a moment. No one really wants to go to rehab, at least not at first. For many addicts and families, “rehabilitation is a frightening idea.

The word itself carries an overwhelming stigma, and the idea of actually going to rehab can be just as (if not more) overwhelming. For those struggling with substance abuse, going to rehab means leaving the comforts of home and giving up the comforts of drugs and alcohol to be sober. Above all, it means a change: changing habits, behaviors, maybe even your hobbies and groups of friends. But as we all know, change can be good.

Rehabilitation is a course of treatment that helps people overcome dependence on alcohol or drugs. In short, that is the definition of rehabilitation. If that's what people go around telling others, they're not wrong. However, there is much more to the treatment process and the environment.