The centre is in Kyiv region, Boryspil district, in the village of Petropavlivske. Here a person lives around the clock among others with the same addiction and among the staff who work with them — and that is exactly what sets a stay in the centre apart from outpatient treatment.
Groups run outside the centre too — that much is true. But at home the job, the family, the old habits and the temptation to use are all still there. Making time for groups on your own is hard, and easy to put off, because there is already one “reliable” way of dealing with tiredness to hand — the substance.
In the centre the patient joins those same therapy groups, only now around the clock. The basics stop being a worry — money, food, a roof over their head. Coming through a hangover or withdrawal in an atmosphere of care is far gentler than doing it at home in the usual surroundings.
The centre's rules limit contact with the outside world, to protect the person from triggers and from people who do not understand the problem. At first this almost always provokes protest, and that is a normal part of the process.
The first two weeks are called quarantine. During this time nobody expects the person to do deep work on themselves: first the body simply has to recover.
The person gets to eat properly again — in addiction this basic need is usually treated as unimportant and forgotten. Sleep does not come back straight away for someone dependent on alcohol or drugs, but there is at least the chance to lie still and get warm.
Over these two weeks they meet others in the same position, and it becomes clear that addiction really can be treated, if the person wants it. Acceptance of the illness and of where they are now sets in, and with it the wish to be well.
After quarantine the main part begins: daily work on yourself, going through defects of character and looking for the reasons that led to using. The more honest a person is with themselves, the sooner the results come.
Therapy groups show those defects of character most clearly of all. In an atmosphere of respect, sharing their own experience and hearing the experience of others in the same position, a person sees themselves from the outside. They remember the times they fell, understand what caused them, and make the only decision that works in chemical dependency — not to use.
Alongside this, the centre's rules bring back, slowly and in small doses, the skills the illness has let waste away: keeping things clean, looking after your appearance and your health, thinking about the person next to you. Surrounded by others it comes more easily, because everyone there is an example of both the work and the change it brings.
In the early days after rehabilitation it matters that a person does not forget what they climbed out of, and that means staying in touch with people like themselves.
The traditions of the ISTOCK centre allow people to stay part of the family of those in recovery once the programme is over — including helping back up anyone who has relapsed. Nobody is to blame for falling ill, but everybody is responsible for their own recovery.
The ISTOCK centre is in Boryspil district, Kyiv region. How to get there, why it stands outside the city, and how families from other regions take part.
Eight questions worth putting to any rehabilitation centre before you decide, and the answers that are a good reason to end the call and keep looking.
What happens in the first two weeks of rehabilitation: withdrawal and hangover, sleep, food, the first protest and the first acceptance of the illness.
ISTOCK is a Christian centre. How spiritual work fits into the daily routine, where the twelve steps come in, and what happens if the person is not a believer.
It is different for everyone. That is not a formality: in each person the illness is at a different stage and has been running for a different number of years. We will give you a rough timescale for your case once we have talked and it is clear what we are dealing with.
Contact with the outside world is limited by the centre's rules in the early period, precisely to keep the person away from triggers. Calls and visits are arranged with the family separately, and what applies during quarantine is not what applies two months in.
Formally, yes — people stay at the centre voluntarily. But going home early, before sobriety has had time to settle, ends in a return to using in the great majority of cases.
Part of the daily routine is given over to spiritual work, and the centre is indeed Christian. At the same time, the staff treat people of any faith with respect, and the spiritual element is about restoring a person's humanity, not about compulsion.
Kyiv region, Boryspil district, village of Petropavlivske, Budivelna Street. We agree the exact route and departure time by phone.
These reviews are not written by us: they sit on our Google profile, where the owner cannot delete an inconvenient one.
Good afternoon, this comment is for parents and relatives who are experiencing family problems! My daughter went through rehabilitation at this center, and she's finally sober and happy. I was desperate and didn't know where to turn. Miraculously, I found out about this place. My daughter went there herself and completed the full course of rehabilitation. The center is open and there's no moral pressure. They treat us with love and care, and they've really helped me and many other parents understand their children better! I'm eternally grateful to you, you've changed our lives and done what others couldn't do!!!
I want to express my deepest gratitude: my friend has already been clean for a year. With the help of this Rehabilitation Center, he began to recover and is now getting his life back on track. Using the knowledge and skills he gained at the Istok Center, he is trying to resolve his current problems and worries and is even helping others do the same! Thank you for opening his eyes and giving him a choice about the life he wants to live. Thank you for that!
A very good center!!! Thanks to the staff and the director of the rehab center, I have completely changed my life after twenty years of severe drug use. My family and I are so grateful that there are people like you who can show us the right path and, most importantly, support us when we think we're lost. I recommend it to everyone!!! All you need is a sincere desire, and the rehab center staff will help you with the rest.
The consultation is free and anonymous. It is usually the family who call first rather than the person with the addiction — that is normal, and most recovery stories begin exactly there.
Call us +38 (063) 632-71-17Request a call back
Anonymous, around the clock