5 Powerful Ways Film and Storytelling Can Support Your Rehab Journey

Rehab, shortened from rehabilitation, is the process in which an individual learns to overcome the effects of a health issue – either a physical health issue such as a broken bone or other bodily injury, or a mental health issue such as anxiety, depression, or addiction.

This article will focus on addiction rehabilitation – where an individual learns to overcome the effects of their addiction and break the cycle of addiction in the long-term – and how film and storytelling can be a powerful tool to assist in this process.

Every individual will have a different experience of rehab, both in terms of the differing treatment programmes that individuals will partake in, as well as their unique perceptions of this process.

A rehabilitation journey – the three key stages

In all cases of rehabilitation, however, it is most beneficial that individuals follow the three main stages of this.

These are as follows:

Detoxification (also shortened to ‘detox’ via a home-based alcohol detox provider)

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Therapy and addiction treatment

Aftercare

Each of these stages will ensure the treatment of different aspects of an individual’s recovery process, from their physical health and the stability of this to their mental health and their long-term coping mechanisms for this.

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The following subheadings outline these stages in further detail.

1. Detoxification

Focussing on an individual’s physical health and recovery process, the detox stage of recovery comes first as it physically prepares an individual for the remainder of their rehabilitation process.

During the detox stage, individual withdraw from the substance that they are addicted to, as well as managing the physical symptoms of this.

Depending on the substance that an individual has been addicted to, the process of detoxification can look very different from person.

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For example, individuals addicted to substances such as cannabis or cocaine can often stop taking the substance in one defining change of behaviour, whereas other substance such as heroin can require weeks of tapering where an individual slowly cuts down their consumption and is prescribed additional substances to accommodate the comfort of this process.

It is always recommended that individuals do not undergo this process alone, have suitable supervision, and are able to benefit from the positive impacts of this (1).

2. Therapy/treatment

After an individual has physically recovered from their addiction, they are then always recommended to continue their rehabilitation with mental health treatment.

This includes a variety of different therapy and treatment options depending on each individual’s specific needs.

For example, therapies are often employed in this stage of rehabilitation due to their flexibility and tailorable nature, meaning that they can be applied to a variety of different situations with alterations made where necessary.

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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is used commonly in the field of addiction therapy due to its empowering qualities (2) and the way in which it can help an individual to alter their negative thought patterns and associations with addiction.

3. Aftercare

As a final stage lasting as long as an individual requires, this is the stage in which an individual must continue to develop their rehabilitation journey after leaving the bulk of their treatment course.

Aftercare can include the continued participation in various different therapy groups (either individual or group-based), aftercare progress meetings and checkups, as well as continued and individual learning.

Again, this stage can be specialised as much as an individual requires, including the duration of this continued care and the supervision included within this process. All individuals should ensure that their chosen source of rehabilitation includes some form of aftercare to ensure their ongoing progress.

The top 5 benefits of film and storytelling for individuals in addiction recovery – why is it so important?

As every individual’s rehabilitation journey will look different and be experienced differently, it is highly common that medical professionals and addiction referral services will suggest some forms of rehabilitation that are related to the specific individual’s hobbies and interests.

Known as holistic therapies and treatments, these types of therapy can be especially beneficial due to the individual’s ability to relate to the style of care, as well as using the individual’s interests to keep them interested in continuing care, motivated in their treatment programme, and maintaining of a strong mental attitude.

The remainder of this article will cover the top 5 benefits to film and storytelling and how these can relate to addiction and rehabilitation, highlighting the importance of holistic and unique approaches to care.

1. Relatable and validating stories

The stories that are portrayed in the media are often ones of real life – stories that could happen to the average individual across the globe.

As addiction is a common and non-discriminatory disease, this means that millions of individuals struggle across the globe and, therefore, if this disorder is covered in popular film and/or television, then this may be seen as relatable and realistic to many individuals, perhaps allowing for the opportunity to de-glorify the effects of addiction and preach the importance of rehabilitation.

2. Sources of inspiration

On a similar note, seeing inspirational stories played out on screen can often be a source of motivation for many different individuals.

A film or story about addiction, for example, could be viewed as motivation for attending rehabilitation and/or avoiding the potential impacts of long-term substance abuse.

It is often underestimated how much films and television can influence the average individual, but this is something that is vital for individuals in the film industry to consider in order to avoid potential misinformation and the creation of harmful stereotypes.

3. New perception of processing emotions

As another example of the positive effects of seeing rehab and addiction on the silver screen is that it may be framed in a different light than many individuals may view it.

For example, when struggling with addiction, many individuals have pre-determined and specific ideas about how addiction is viewed, its effects, and the ways in which others may be affected by its impacts.

After seeing addiction and rehab framed in a different light through film and/or television, individuals may therefore have changed perceptions on how their emotions relate to what they are thinking or feeling, having just witnessed a similar thing on screen.

4. Stress reduction

Often, sitting down and watching a film or television show can be a great way for individuals to sit back and relax, often having the capacity to do little else other than watch the story played out in front of them.

Though this may seem a relatively simple concept, also, addiction can be an ‘all-consuming’ disorder and affects many areas of an individual’s everyday life.

By being able to ‘turn off’ for a short period of time, most individuals will benefit greatly from this form of distraction and may have the opportunity to think about something else, perhaps also benefitting from relatability, inspiration, and new perspectives.

5. Sense of community

No matter whether community is felt by sitting and watching something as a group or whether this sense is felt when an individual watches something alone, these feelings can be incredibly strong.

By knowing that there are others around you, or even have the sensation of this, many individuals are likely to view their situation more positively.

Characters seen on screen, especially for those who struggle with socialisation and loneliness, can often act as ‘friends’ in these instances and watching stories told on the screen can help many people to escape from the world, even if it is only for a couple of hours.

Starting your rehab journey with film and storytelling today

To start your rehab journey today, get in touch with your local health services, or contact an addiction referral service today to find out how you or someone you know can get help for addiction and its associated issues.

References

[1] Blondell, R.D., Behrens, T., Smith, S.J., Greene, B.J. and Servoss, T.J., 2008. Peer support during inpatient detoxification and aftercare outcomes. Addictive Disorders & Their Treatment, 7(2), pp.77-86.

[2] Susanto, S., Nanda, D.S. and Zein, M., 2025. Empowering Drug Rehabilitation Participants through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Metro City, Lampung. Engagement: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 9(1), pp.126-134.