28 Day Residential Treatment
Why Choose a Residential Retreat?
Several rehabilitation programs can treat alcohol and drug addiction, from group and individual counselling to short-and long-term residential and outpatient programs. Out of all these programs, residential treatment programs have the highest success rates, thanks to the intense care and support, focused attention on patients and minimal distractions – which would otherwise hurt the treatment and recovery progress.
We support people who know they have an addiction by providing focused time-out from daily distractions and practical solutions for long-lasting sobriety.
Acknowledging the need for drug or alcohol treatment is one major step to starting and succeeding in a drug rehabilitation program. For many patients, the challenge is getting started with the treatment. And once in the treatment, a new challenge begins, i.e., staying in the treatment program long enough to break free of alcohol or drugs before getting their lives back on track.
At the Sydney Retreat, we understand that recovery from alcohol or drug addiction doesn’t end at a rehabilitation centre. This way, we pay attention to the aftercare program just as we do to our in-house residential sessions to ensure patients continue with the chain of support physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
Our Approach to Care
At the Sydney Retreat, we’ve modelled our 28-day residency program based on three cornerstones of alcohol and drug treatment. These three key aspects are:
Immersion
Here, we help our patients focus on recovery while setting life goals that sync with who they are, their capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. They learn how to live a purposeful life while taking part in things that satisfy them internally. By living a life of immersion, they can master everything about drug addiction and control their lives better.
Education
Through the help and guidance of our professional counsellors, patients are equipped with the knowledge, resources, practices, and skills they need to succeed during the recovery process and lead a satisfying and fulfilling life afterwards.
Ongoing care
Treatment and recovery don’t end at residential rehab centres; instead, it’s a continuous process that takes effort and consistency to call a success. Through our recovery community, we help patients understand this to embrace the value of continued self-education and self-realization in living a purposeful life post-recovery.
Here is how we help our patients achieve this milestone
Building new habits
Good habits are difficult to create but simple to break, while bad habits are simple to develop but hard to break. At the heart of our residential program, we help patients understand this reality — so they can avoid quick fixes that will only work against them in the long run. By understanding the nature of drug and alcohol addiction and setting goals to build new habits – one step at a time – it’s possible to replace bad habits with new habits.
Establishing healthy boundaries
Balancing work life, personal life, and family and friends’ time is a significant challenge for everyone. Most people, especially addicts, often take shortcuts to avoid these realities. To help patients better care for themselves and their loved ones, we help them understand the importance of building and integrating meaningful relationships into their lives. That way, they can better manage their time and pay attention to other things, such as family and self-care, instead of obsessing about one thing and risking losing the balance of the critical aspects of life.
ADDICTION AND THE BRAIN
Every week at The Sydney Retreat, guests attend a discussion with addiction medicine specialist, Dr Stephen Jurd. In his Addiction and the Brain lecture series, Dr Jurd hears one question over and over again – Why can’t I moderate my drinking and drug use like everyone else? The answer pertains to a small and ancient part of our brains known as the reward pathway. And this part of the brain reacts differently among addicts and alcoholics.
