Lil Xan is just 22 but being a rapper in the spotlight, he has already had many run-ins with drugs. On November 15, he wrote an Instagram post that said he was going to go to a rehab facility to get help for his drug addiction. The post said this, “I just dropped out of SoundCloud Uni to go to rehab, I leave in like five days And I couldn’t be happier with this choice I love you guys for being so supportive and can’t wait to get back clean headed ready to finish my album.” The post was deleted which may have had to do with the fact that he wasn’t able to go to rehab right away. His girlfriend, Anna Smith would later explain on Twitter that it took longer to get him into the rehab he wanted. Part of the reason Lil Xan, whose real name is Diego Leanos, wanted to go to rehab is due to the death of his friend. Fellow rapper Mac Miller died of an accidental overdose in September. This was his way of honoring the death of someone who lost their way with drugs.
“Get the help you need today. We offer outpatient assistance, so you can maintain your work, family, and life commitments while getting the help you deserve!”
Another Fentanyl Overdose and Death
Lil Xan deciding to go to rehab was directly related to the tragic death by overdose of his friend, Mac Miller. He said that his death pushed him to get professional addiction help for his own problems with drugs. Miller was 26 and died from an accidental overdose. He was using cocaine that was laced with fentanyl while also drinking. He died from mixed drug toxicity. His death hit close to home for Lil Xan. Sadly, when fentanyl is involved, it works so quickly on the body that there’s very little time to resuscitate. It’s the cause of the current opioid epidemic ravaging all of the US.
Lil Xan Out of Rehab 2 Weeks After Checking In for Drug Addiction
As of December 17, there were reports that Lil Xan would be home for Christmas. He checked himself out of rehab just two weeks after going in for treatment. He said that he was going home because he was clean. “Out And Sober,” was what his Tweet said over the weekend. The thing is, Lil Xan has had issues with drugs in the past. He had previously had some major problems with Xanax abuse. Actually, his stage name is a shortened version of the drug name.
Lil Xan Talks about His Problems with Xanax and Opioids
His lyrics tell the tale of his relationship with drugs. In his breakout hit record, “Betrayed”, he says, “Xans don’t make you / Xans gon’ take you / Xans gon’ fake you / And Xans gon’ betray you.” Xanax is extremely addictive prescription drug. It is used to help patients with anxiety and panic disorder. It works on the brain and nerves to make a person experience a calming effect. It works by enhancing the natural chemical GABA in the body which is what would normally keep us relaxed naturally. 
It has become more popular with younger hip-hop stars and their audience in recent years. Lil Xan admits being highly addicted to Xanax for two years. He says he feels lucky to have gotten off of it. He admitted to doing Norcos and was withdrawing from both opiates and benzodiazepine at the same time. It caused him to be in the hospital a variety of times. He is one of the few rappers that now talk about not doing drugs which is rare in the industry. 
He also admitted to using the painkiller hydrocodone liberally. He said that he was recently taking a lot of opioids but also said it’s not as bad as it had been in the past with Xanax. He was looking to go to rehab because he believed it would get him through his last little hump.
Trouble with the Law After Leaving Drug Rehab
Right after leaving rehab early, he experiences a problem with the police in Palm Springs. He was playing music outside in a public area which is a strict no no in the area. He was detained for no apparent reason. People speculated that he wasn’t sober through the experience. He adamantly said that he was totally sober and was being profiled for how he looked. Lil Xan wasn’t actually arrested but he did get kicked out of his Airbnb.
“We treat both addiction and co-occurring disorders and accept many health insurance plans. Take a look at our outpatient program today!”
Lil Xan Isn’t the Only One Who Leaves Rehab Early
It’s never a good idea to leave rehab early. If a rehab program goes on for 28 days, it’s important to honor each day and the process. It’s hard for a person to be in rehab. If you’ve ever tried to convince someone to go to rehab in the first place with an intervention, you will have experienced their resistance. When an addict finally agrees to rehab, it is a moment of surrender. 
The transition time is essential from when they do surrender to getting them into rehab. This is the first hurdle. Many addicts will reach a tipping point when they’re in rehab. They will feel like they don’t need rehab anymore and they’ll tell themselves they’re fine. Once they’ve detoxed, they’ll be clean which can give an addict a false sense of safety. They might want to be discharged, feeling that they know what’s best for them.
Leaving Addiction Treatment Despite Professional Advice
Sometimes getting a person to stay in rehab is as challenging as keeping them in the program. Nearly 17% of addicts who admit themselves into rehab for either substance abuse or mental health problems will leave early. Leaving early can be dangerous for a few reasons. For their medical health and also for recovering from substance addiction. Inpatient addiction programs come with a certain process that involves many different treatments. When you leave early, you don’t get to go through all the treatments that are proven to work against addiction. It’s important to participate in the whole program to get the benefits. When you leave before the program has been completed, you are risking your full recovery. You potentially ruin any of the effort put in to be free from substance addiction.
The Most Common Reasons Why People Want To Leave Rehab Early
There are a variety of reasons a person will leave rehab early. They are not usually the reasons they tell themselves either. They will usually reason that they are fine now but there are underlying reasons they want to run away from the situation. Here are some of the main reasons addicts will want to leave rehab early: 
The Overwhelming Withdrawal Symptoms
Some of the withdrawal symptoms create extreme discomfort that can feel like too much. Benzodiazepines, opioids, and alcohol often have severe withdrawal effects. No substance is easy to withdraw from. It’s not just the physical symptoms either. An addicts emotional and mental state can feel out of control. It’s normal for people to experience anxiety and depression when the substance leaves the body. The first week of treatment has been found to be the most difficult in many ways. Withdrawal symptoms that can occur include:
- Extreme cravings.
- Flu-like symptoms.
- Insomnia.
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Hallucinations.
In an inpatient treatment facility, they help you through all these issues. Sometimes, there is medical tapering and therapies. It’s also helpful to be around others that are going through the same thing. There is no judgment and the experienced staff is there to care for and help you through the hard moments.
A Sense of Hate
Many recovering addicts will feel extremely angry as they go through the post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS). These symptoms last after the main withdrawal symptoms from the drugs or alcohol. They include uncomfortable symptoms that are ongoing such as:
- Mood swings.
- Exhaustion.
- Irritability.
- Anxiety.
- A general feeling of hopelessness.
This can cause the person to burst into tears or even to break out in a violent tantrum. During this time, it’s hard to work through anything. The addict may look to going back to using so they can overcome the feeling they’re experiencing. The best rule of thumb is to accept what’s happening and to continue fighting through the feelings. Often, they will start to blame other things and people for their misery. This can include the rehabilitation facility. They may say that the food is terrible, that the staff doesn’t care, or that it’s simply not working.
I’m In the Wrong Place
An addict may tell themselves that they’re not like their peers within the rehab clinic. They don’t want to feel labeled as an addict. In addiction treatment programs, they avoid the word, “addict” for this very reason. An addict doesn’t see themselves as someone with a problem much of the time. When they look to others with the same problems, they don’t see themselves. An addict has the belief that they are different. They see themselves as a smarter and stronger drug user. Someone who can handle their usage. This builds up a wall so they can continue on with the beliefs that make them feel comfortable. If they admitted that they were the same, they would have to become accountable. When this doesn’t happen, they will have to repeat rehab over again usually. Through the assistance of therapists, they will begin to see that they are connected to the other people. They can start to feel more aware of themselves and their problems as well as become empathetic towards others. This is where healing can begin which becomes a powerful weapon against the need to abuse substances again.
They Think They Have All the Answers
Something that will come up for recovering addicts in rehab is that they don’t need rehab. They will feel like there is too much repetition involved. The thing is, we as human learn through repetitive processes. For an addict who is feeling frustrated, they may tell themselves that they’ve been through a certain situation in rehab already. The repetition can actually create overconfidence. Confidence is important when going through recovery but it can also become damaging if misdirected. They may feel like they know the important things for their recovery which can create a belief that they’re cured. The problem is, other areas of addiction recovery haven’t been developed or fully implemented. It’s important for an addict to really know how to work through triggers effectively. They think they know but until they have to deal with it in real life, they don’t really know. When a person stays in treatment despite what their ego tells them, they simply have a better chance of recovering for the long term.
The Detriment of Leaving Rehab Early
When you leave rehab early and against medical advice (AMA), you put yourself at risk. It likely wasn’t an easy decision to go to rehab in the first place. People that love you may have put a lot of effort into getting you there. Many times, an addict will call home frantically and say they want to leave rehab early. When you leave early, you’re checking out against medical advisement. Although the drug is behind you, you are still at high risk of using again. You might not see it but others on the outside do.
Rehab is Not Prison
People can leave rehab whenever they want due to the changing of laws in the US. For someone that wants to leave rehab, you should know how to help them. If your loved one wants to leave rehab, it’s important that you know what to say. Giving them permission to leave only enables them to come home and risk a successful recovery. Did you know that as a loved one, you have leverage over the addict in treatment. This could be anything from the living situation, emotional, legal or financial obligations you share together.
“We accept many health insurance plans. You can get your life back in order with our outpatient program today!”
No Good Reason to Leave Rehab Early
There is never a good reason to leave AMA. It’s common for people in the first or second day to want to leave. This is sort of the point that reality sinks in for the addict. They are away from family and their substance. There is also a finality to the separation of the substance and the user. They come to understand that it’s the end of the road for drugs or alcohol. This invokes a serious fear and they may want to back out. Being clean and sober can be a scary idea for some. Addiction offers a reward that is hard to walk away from. 
Leaving 2-3 Days In
If a person is going through opiate or benzo withdrawal, they will often want to leave 2-3 days into rehab. This is when the withdrawal symptoms begin and the cravings, both physically and mentally are at their worst. Even when they do a medicated detox, it can still be extremely stressful, overwhelming and uncomfortable. Addicts are often so desperate in this period that if they try to leave rehab, they will beg, plead, and threaten. They may try to reason with their family or the facility on how they will follow all the rules they have learned thus far. If addicts make it through the first few days, they will likely be okay for a while. It’s the one to a two-week time frame that almost every addict will want to leave, believing they are truly healed.
Leaving 1-2 Weeks Into Rehab
If an addict wants to leave in the 7 to 14 day period, it’s usually because they want to use substances again or because they believe they’re cured. The reason a person will want to use after detox is the emptiness or negative feelings they might be experiencing. A lot of times, substances are abused as a bandaid for something that happened in life. When a person goes clean, they are hit with the memories and the feelings once again. All the problems they’ve avoided will all of a sudden be unavoidable. They will have to deal with it on top of coping with not using any longer. This is actually why the whole rehab program is important. These issues will be talked about and dealt with. The addict will learn how to deal with these emotions and manage triggers.
Fear Behind Drub and Alcohol Withdrawal
Fear is a huge part of addiction withdrawal. It is what overwhelms us to the point we’d do anything to avoid it. The reality is, an addict doesn’t usually end up in rehab if their lives are going well. When the addict is separated from their substance, reality comes in. It can feel like walls are caving in. Things that have been avoided now have to be dealt with. An addict becomes afraid that the secrets they’ve been holding onto will be exposed. While releasing these negative parts of ourselves is freeing and a positive step, it’s scary to take the next step. Problems they’ve avoided can have to do with serious aspects of life. Legal or financial issues, loss of friends or loved one, the possibility of being homeless and jobless. People in treatment will often do the digging through the therapy process. They will use the tools they get and they will live sober, positive lives. They won’t have lies or fear looming over them. They will have a new sense of freedom. Others will try to get out of rehab and will rely on their loved ones to enable their attempts to leave. They will usually resort to old behaviors more often than not.
Days 7-14 of Leaving Rehab
When a person abuses substances and they grow to become addicted, it becomes like a full time job. They will spend all their money, resources, and thoughts on how they can continue to use the substance. Usually, between the 7-14 day mark, the mind will start to come up with wild stories. This is when the addict will start to say that everyone in the facility is against them. The facility they are in is unsanitary. They might make accusations that there are bugs in the food or that their roommate is plotting to kill them. A common thing someone will say to get out of being in rehab is that everyone in there is using drugs. During this time, families will often get a disturbing phone call from loved ones in treatment that they want to leave. One way that a family can work around these accusations is by saying they’ll get them set up with another rehab clinic.
Leaving Rehab Early and the Risk Of Overdose
When an addict leaves rehab from 7-14 days, this is when they’re most susceptible to overdosing and dying. This is when alcoholics will go on major benders and get alcohol poisoning. The addict has abstained from drugs which means they don’t have the same tolerance for the drug they once had. It’s the first time in a long time that they don’t require a certain amount that they’ve mentally become used to. 
For example, someone who does heroin will inject the same amount they always have. Their body won’t be used to that amount and it can cause an overdose. Alcohol and opioids depress the respiratory system so the heart can stop.
Lil Xan’s New Video
Lil Xan and his new album is called “Be Safe”. Originally, it was a picture drawn of Mac Miller. He recently changed the album cover to include a picture of Xanax and cigarettes. Then in front of it is the album name, “Be Safe” It sends a clear message that Xanax wants to get the message out there. His journey with addiction and the death of his friend has clearly left a mark on him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbgbM2t_OCU
Lil Xan’s Plan Post Rehab
Since being out of rehab, Lil Xan has focused on finishing his album which is dedicated to Mac Miller, “Be Safe.” The name of the album cover is significant because those are the last words that Miller said to Lil Xan before he died. He will also be changing his artist name to Diego. Lil Xan went to rehab as a way of tributing Mac Miller. He also added a face tattoo to honor his friend, it says, “Memento Mori” which translates to, “Remember that you will die.” Time will tell whether Lil Xan’s stay in rehab will have made an impact after he left early. Whenever a person leaves rehab before recommended, it’s sabotaging the recovery process. A rehabilitation program offers you the opportunity to create a solid foundation for getting sober. The full program is there to build stepping stones for your best chance at success. It’s important to stick with it for best results.
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