Why Roommates in Inpatient Alcohol Treatment are Often Required

zhen25

I think having a roommate is a good choice too. Recovering addicts shouldn't be allowed to be alone for too long even if they want to. By having people around it helps them to see a positive side to the recovery.

dominica

i would totally be the type to want my own room....as social anxiety can be an issue for me...but i see the reasoning behind having a roommate! thanks for sharing!

jerika

True.  When alone, staying sane every day is a big question.  But with a roommate, there's a big chance you'll stay grounded and live a balance life because your roommate can somehow help breathe in some inspiration.

pwarbi

When I went through recovery I know for a fact that's exactly what people want to do. To hide away and try and avoid social situations as since you've been an addiction, you'll unite have been in them situations for a long time without relying on the substance to carry you through.

Having a roommate can at least give you that one person to talk to and they'll also understand your situation because they're more than likely either going, or have been through the same thing.

fixeseverything

It can be a good or a bad thing. If the roommate is serious about their recovery and yours, then it's a good arrangement. But if they are holding you back or keeping you from reaching your goal of a positive lifestyle change, then it could be better to where you have your space on a case by case basis.

survived

I was never a fan of having a roommate and sometimes you need your own space to be able to move forward and stand on your own two feet. I think often that the person next to you might not be the best influence in your life and only you can change you. it is nice to have someone there that experiences the sme thing that you do but we all have demons from somewhere else and it is up to us to face it and work through it in recovery so that we can acknowledge what went wrong and be stronger on our own

Freedomforall

I think that there should be time for someone to be by themselves and only when you are ready move to a room with a roommate. After all this is supposed to be a time to find oneself.

clara

I always though that the choice to put two people in one room was to make more money. I never really gave it much thought. However, you are right! I know that I tried to isolate myself as much as I could. I did not end up in an inpatient treatment program, although I wish that I had. I think I might have entered recovery much faster if I had. 

zozzie

That's fair enough for the people that will benefit from it, but for certain people, the idea of having a roommate might be the factor deterring them from rehab. It might be one of the reasons they leave early, it might be the reason they are resisting the therapy and treatments. It might not help at all for many.
Having the option there for those that need it is a great idea, but some places have twin rooms ONLY, and that means that for many reasons, one might have less of a chance of getting better, or even going there in the first place.
With me, it's snoring. I cannot handle other peoples' "noise" when I want to sleep. Not on a ski holiday, not sharing my home with people, not even when I was young and backpacking and sleeping in dorms. The idea of getting up angry with that person and tired, and worked up. It HAS put me off entering in-patient care on more than one occasion. Privacy is also an issue for me. If I feel like doing breathing excercises, painting, crying, whatever, I just want to be able to do that without the feeling that someone is "there", or bothering me.
Other people might have issues with trust. I know a lady that was scared to death of her roommate from rehab. She left after two weeks because, although her roommate was not abusive, she was nervy, agressive with her tone, nosy, inrtusive and not making any allowances for her. 

For some, it might be the answer, but for others, if not given an alternative, they can be faced with a very difficult situation.