Can You Have Your Phone in Rehab?

Using Your Smart Phone While in Our Treatment Program

Staying connected to friends and family is important for everyone, but especially for those who are trying to improve their lives in substance abuse recovery.

For many people considering attending addiction treatment, it is crucial and pressing question: Can you have your phone in rehab?

In many cases, the answer is yes, though with certain limitations. Cell phone use may be permitted at some treatment centers outside of therapy sessions and program recommendations. It can aid in maintaining beneficial interpersonal connections, but it might also increase negative influences that trigger cravings and anxiety. Patient privacy concerns also have to be taken into consideration.

At our treatment center, Ingrained Recovery does permit cell phones outside of regularly scheduled programming and following detox (where traditional phone access is permitted). Keep reading to learn more about cell phone use during rehab so that you can make an informed choice.

Are Cell Phones Allowed in Addiction Treatment?

In the modern world, having your cell phone feels more important than ever. You might depend on your smartphone to help you navigate the world around you and maintain connections to your social circle.

When you enter through the doors of drug and alcohol rehabs, will that disappear?

In general, inpatient rehab has stricter policies than an outpatient setting, where you are free to do what you want outside of the therapy sessions.

Each rehab program will establish its own policies regarding whether you are allowed to have personal phones during your stay. However, here are some central considerations to keep in mind regarding cell phone use.

Maintaining Connections with Loved Ones and Personal Phone Use

One of the largest arguments for retaining a phone in rehab is your social connections. Studies have shown that people who have a wide support network and loved ones who encourage their sobriety are much more likely to abstain from substance abuse long-term.

While you’ll be busy during the day with individual and group therapy sessions, holistic treatments like equine therapy, and more, talking with your support system can make a difference.

Having limited access to the outside world is great for establishing recovery goals, but eliminating all of your support can be detrimental.

Avoiding Negative Influences on the Recovery Journey

Of course, there is an argument for limiting personal phone use while in a rehab setting. Smartphones can be just as addictive as drugs and alcohol. Your treatment providers don’t want to trade one serious addiction for another, which could be an argument for limiting phone use.

Not to mention, you might still retain access to the people you used to drink and do drugs with through your personal electronic devices. This can trigger cravings, and it may not give you the distance from those negative influences that you need to recover.

If a program permits your phone in rehab, you might work with your therapist on breaking up with your old friends. They can help you develop stronger relationships with healthier people.

Maintaining Patient Confidentiality and Patient Privacy

Another important consideration for the restricted use of cell phones in recovery is the ability to retain some sense of privacy for others. They might not want you sharing their stories with your loved ones or taking photos of them.

In other words, you must be very mindful of what you share. This is why many rehab centers do not permit cell phones out of a desire to protect patient privacy concerns. Confidentiality concerns need serious consideration when an admissions team decides on a cell phone policy.

Distractions from Treatment: An Argument for No Cell Phones

Of course, there are other reasons to consider abandoning cell phones while in treatment. They can serve as huge distractions with lots of apps, texting, social media, and more. If you find that you have problems reflecting on what you’re learning in therapy, it might be time to give up the phone.

Rehab is meant to be a space for reflection and planning how you will do life differently upon graduation from the program. Cell phones can trap you in the same cycles, not providing space for you to reflect or process the difficult aspects of your sobriety.

Even if they are permitted, you may want to consider taking a break from them for a few weeks or a couple of months while in treatment.

What If You Can’t Have Your Phone in Rehab?

While there are certainly advantages to having a phone in rehab, not all centers will allow it. If they do, it’s possible that they won’t allow it all the time. It’s important to remember that you don’t necessarily need a smartphone to communicate with your support system.

To aid in a patient’s progress, you may have access to a bank of telephones during certain hours. You might be able to communicate with loved ones during your therapy sessions.

Rehab centers don’t aim to cut you off from the people you know and love. Personal circumstances surrounding your recovery might necessitate contact and can improve well-being in some instances.

Ingrained’s Policy on Cell Phone Use and Electronic Devices

While there are certainly benefits to mitigating the negative influences of smartphones on the forward progress of your treatment plan, Ingrained recognizes that connection is beneficial. Staying in touch with the people who encourage your sobriety is key to long-term recovery after you transition out of care.

This is why we permit cell phone use outside of regularly scheduled programming in our long-term treatment program.

We do not allow cell phones during the detox process. You can still make phone calls and will have access to a phone to communicate with your support system, but no personal electronic devices are permitted during our detox program.

Get Treatment Support at Ingrained Recovery Today

When you’re ready to enroll in a treatment facility that meets all of your needs, Ingrained Recovery exists to help you take those tentative first steps.

Our rehab facility is comfortable, welcoming, and upscale, allowing patients to rest easy while they embark on their recovery journey.

Let our enrollment team answer your questions about treatment and verify your insurance benefits in a quick and completely confidential phone call.

At Ingrained, we feel that successful recovery is possible, and you don’t necessarily have to give up cell phone privileges to obtain it.

Reach out to our caring team today to learn more!

References

1. Pettersen, H., Landheim, A., Skeie, I., Biong, S., Brodahl, M., Oute, J., & Davidson, L. (2019). How Social Relationships Influence Substance Use Disorder Recovery: A Collaborative Narrative Study. Substance abuse : research and treatment, 13, 1178221819833379.
2. Ratan, Z. A., Parrish, A. M., Zaman, S. B., Alotaibi, M. S., & Hosseinzadeh, H. (2021). Smartphone Addiction and Associated Health Outcomes in Adult Populations: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(22), 12257.
3. Collier, S., & Gavriel, M. (2015). Mobile phones in residential treatment: implications for practice. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 55, 45–51.