What to Bring to Rehab: Freeman Recovery Center

Medications

All medications need to arrive in their correct, labeled bottles. This applies to prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines alike. Fill your prescriptions before you arrive and bring a 30-day supply of all necessary medications with you.

Important Documents

Bring what you have of the following, since it is what lets admissions confirm who you are and what your coverage looks like:

• Driver’s license or other photo ID
• Insurance card and your pharmacy benefit card if it is separate
• Any legal forms or paperwork that apply to your situation

It also helps to arrive with a written list of contacts, including an emergency contact, a legal contact, and any medical or psychiatric providers you currently see. The printable version of this checklist has space to write those down before you go.

Personal Items

A few personal comforts are approved and can make the first week easier. They are as follows:

• A fan
• Books and journals
• Cigarettes, vapes, and e-cigarettes

Items That Must Be Sealed and Unopened

Personal hygiene items must arrive sealed and unopened, and alcohol must not appear within the first 3 ingredients on these items’ labels. Products without a factory seal are not permitted, so it’s worth checking the packaging before you pack rather than at the door.

• Body wash and shampoo
• Hair and body oils
• Cotton rounds, cotton balls, Q-tips, and panty liners
• Tampons and pads – the box can be open as long as the items inside are individually wrapped

If Something Is Not on the List

Treat this as a closed list. If an item does not appear on it, plan to leave it at home. Nothing gets thrown away, though. Anything you bring that is not permitted is taken at admission, stored, and returned to you when you discharge.

If there’s something you believe you genuinely need, call the admissions team before you arrive, and they can get clarification for you. It’s a short conversation that’s far easier to have before you pack.

Why Some Everyday Items Are Restricted

The restrictions are not arbitrary, and the reasoning usually makes packing easier. The alcohol rule surprises people most, but some everyday hygiene and hair products carry enough alcohol to matter around people who are detoxing or newly sober. The seal requirement is the same principle applied more strictly, which is why an unsealed bottle is not allowed in regardless of what it holds.

The rule about medications arriving in their original labeled bottles serves a clinical purpose rather than a security one. Staff need to verify exactly what someone is taking, at what dose, and who prescribed it, before it interacts with anything given during addiction treatment. A pill organizer or an unlabeled bottle makes that impossible to confirm safely.

If You Cannot Fill Your Prescriptions in Time

The 30-day supply is the part of this list people most often struggle with. Filling a prescription can depend on a prescriber’s schedule, a pharmacy’s timing, or cost, and not everyone can resolve all of that before an admission date arrives.

If that is your situation, please call before you come in. Freeman Recovery Center can help fill prescriptions when needed. This is never a reason to delay the necessary care. Tell the admissions team what you’re working with today by calling (615) 645-3677.

If You Do Not Have Your ID or Insurance Card

Missing paperwork stops a lot of people before they start, and it doesn’t need to. Cards get lost, IDs expire, and paperwork tends to scatter during the stretch before someone asks for help. Freeman Recovery Center can help you get copies of your ID and locate your insurance information.

If either one is missing, that’s worth a phone call rather than a delay. Bring what you have and let the admissions team work through the rest with you.