What’s it Like Day-to-Day in Addiction Treatment Rehab?

At Clear Behavioral Health, our addiction treatment rehab uses a multi-faceted approach, tailored to everyone’s needs. Every day is scheduled so you can learn how to maintain a daily routine in recovery.

Knowing what to expect in substance abuse treatment can alleviate the overwhelm of decision fatigue. The structure also helps with consistency and provides stability, which can alleviate a lot of daily anxiety. 

The Admission Process: Your First Day 

Upon arrival, you’ll have your initial assessment where you are asked varying questions about your background, history of substance abuse, and mental health. Once your evaluation is complete, you’ll fill out some paperwork and then head on over to orientation.

During orientation, you’ll learn an overview of the program you’re beginning and then you’ll be able to meet your treatment team. This includes medical professionals, therapists, and case managers.

After a brief introduction to your team, you’ll be able to get acclimated in your living space. This looks different for everyone, so it might be unpacking your things, or sitting down to decompress. The best way to ease anxiety during this transition is to be sure you ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable and try your best to get settled in.

A Typical Weekday at Clear Behavioral Health 

Morning Routine: Starting Your Day Right 

Typically, your morning routine would be waking up, and then taking any medications if you need them for your health, mental health, or medication-assisted treatment. Then you’ll move on to your morning reflection by journaling and participating in mindfulness practices.

Once this is completed, having breakfast is next, which is an important part not just for routine, but so everyone can receive proper nutrition to get through the day. Once breakfast is done, there are morning check-in groups to see how everyone is feeling for the day ahead and making sure to set intentions. Then you are off to engage in various treatment methods scheduled throughout the day.  

Core Therapeutic Programming 

Group Therapy Sessions 

Group therapy provides the opportunity for you to connect with other people over shared experiences in a non-judgmental space. This is normally a small group of 6- 10 with one or two mental health professionals guiding the sessions. These sessions can include skill building, relapse prevention information, vocalizing drug cravings, and the opportunity to be vulnerable while sharing your journey. These are daily sessions that provide ongoing peer support.

Individual Therapy Sessions 

The individual therapy sessions are normally once a week. These are highly personalized to your struggles with substance use disorder and tailored to fit your needs and goals. It’s also collaborative, so you can tell your therapist what you want to work towards, and they will be able to offer guidance. This is normally the place where sessions are completely about you and your treatment plan.  

Specialized Therapeutic Approaches 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 

CBT is a therapeutic approach that can help you address deeply negative thoughts and learn how to reframe them for more positive thinking patterns [2]. This can help reframe your negative mindset which can bring up feelings of worthlessness and shame related to drug and alcohol addiction. When you work to reframe this, you can lead a mentally healthier life and cope with your mental health issues without drug and alcohol abuse.

Related: Unlocking the Benefits of CBT for Substance Abuse Recovery  

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) 

DBT is a therapeutic approach that can help you manage difficult emotions while working on changing behaviors [3]. Big emotions are definitely challenging to navigate when recovering from drug addiction but when you learn how to manage them, it’s easier to deal with any stressors that arise in life.  

Trauma-Informed Care 

This therapeutic approach helps professionals understand that trauma from experiences and communities can harm you. Creating a supportive environment where your experiences are acknowledged and the trauma unpacked is helpful for recovery [1].  

Case Management 

Normally, when meeting with your case manager, they are able to offer life skills, relapse prevention tips, and coping skills for your sobriety journey. These are tools that can be utilized during and after drug treatment and will be helpful if you recognize the feelings of a possible relapse.  

Creative and Experiential Therapies 

Clear Behavioral Health prides itself on offering experiential therapies to our drug and alcohol treatment programs.  

Art Therapy 

This is a great way to encourage expression through various art mediums. You may have a hard time verbally explaining your emotions and this gives you a different route of emotional expression. Making art is also a great way to relax and use any excess energy in a creative outlet. 

Drama Therapy 

When participating in drama therapy it’s a great opportunity to role-play and learn storytelling. This can help build confidence and communication skills for when you’d like to confront difficulties down the line. During role-play, it can even be difficult situations you might face, or simply a completely fictional situation so you can encompass another persona for the time being. 

Music Therapy 

Using music as a way to regulate emotions can be beneficial. It’s a great form of self-expression based on the genres you like or the reasoning behind why you like certain songs. Music can also be used as a relaxation technique depending on the type of music that is listened to, which can help regulate your nervous system.  

Physical Wellness Activities 

Moving your body is important for physical and mental wellness. When you exercise not only are you getting physical health benefits by getting your heart rate up, but you also get some dopamine released when you exercise. This chemical helps elevate your mood, which is important, especially during recovery. You can take part in different exercises like long walks, therapeutic boxing, and other outdoor activities.

Holistic Modalities 

When targeting different therapeutic modalities, it’s important to include holistic ones as well. Anything holistic can normally be used on and off as needed during your recovery. Different things like breathwork sessions, meditation, sound baths, yoga, and mindfulness exercises help reconnect the body and mind after it’s been disconnected for a long time due to drug and alcohol addiction.  

Meals and Nutrition 

At Clear Behavioral Health nutrition is taken seriously since it’s one of the best supports during recovery. Having proper nutritious meals helps give the body the energy it needs to heal and function.  

Downtime and Personal Space 

When going through our inpatient addiction treatment program you still get to have time to yourself when you aren’t in a therapeutic environment. During this time, it’s still a type of structured free time where you have the opportunity to journal, self-reflect, and learn how to have healthy leisure activities. Even though it’s not a space where you can do absolutely anything, it’s still a time to learn how to constructively use your time and healthily rest.   

Evening Programming 

Once the day comes to a close it’s time to have dinner and socialize a bit. There are available support meetings like 12-step panel discussions and alumni meetings you can sit in on. You will also have the ability to attend offsite meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and so on. This is a great opportunity to socialize or even share your story meetings. Once the groups are done, you can take your evening medication if needed and prepare to wind down your night so you can soon sleep.  

Weekend Experience: Balance and Connection 

Family Involvement 

During the weekends we want to be sure that you have a good balance. This means offering time for family visits, family therapy sessions, and educating family members on how to support you. This helps build a supportive home environment so that once you leave the treatment center, your chance for long-term sobriety is successful. Working on familial bonds while in treatment is important for the entire family.

Related: The Role of Family in Addiction Recovery

Community Outings 

We also want to integrate fun outings so you can bond with everyone in residential treatment over things other than recovery. This can be anything from beach trips to movie outings. These are important because they paint a picture of how these activities prepare you for going out after treatment. It can help remind you how to have fun while sober and with others.  

Community Building Activities 

Community-building activities tend to be group games and activities that will help you build meaningful connections. When playing these games not only will you create fun memories, but you are also able to see how you connect with each person. This leads to building your sober community and developing better social skills.

Begin Your Journey with Clear Behavioral Health 

Our addiction treatment rehab is effective since we establish proper structure, incorporate different therapeutic modalities, and work to reconnect the body and mind. If you are considering treatment, call Clear Behavioral Health today to learn more about our substance abuse treatment programs in the Los Angeles, CA area.  

We offer a full continuum of care for addiction treatment including medical detox, drug detox, and alcohol detox in Redondo Beach, drug and alcohol rehab in Gardena, and substance abuse outpatient treatment programs. When you call Clear Behavioral Health, you’re able to talk to our compassionate and informative admissions team who will guide you through your health insurance benefits and the entire onboarding process. When you’re ready, we are here to help guide you on your sobriety venture.

References 

1. What is Trauma-Informed Care? – Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center. (2022, July 7). Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center. https://www.traumainformedcare.chcs.org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/ 
2. Professional, C. C. M. (2025, January 24). Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21208-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt 
3. Professional, C. C. M. (2025b, March 3). Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22838-dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt