What to Bring to Rehab: Packing Checklist for Promises Atlanta

Packing for rehab is one of those tasks that feels enormous in the moment and turns out to be simple. You need about a week of comfortable clothes, your medications and documents, and a few things that make a strange place feel less strange. Everything else either is not allowed or is not needed. Here is the complete list for Promises Atlanta, plus the reasoning behind the rules, so you can pack in under an hour and stop thinking about it.

If you are packing for someone else, this list works the same way. If you are reading this because you are about to call and want one fewer unknown, good—that is exactly what it is for.

The Essentials: Documents and Medications

• Photo ID (driver’s license or passport)
• Insurance card, or a clear photo of the front and back
• Prescription medications in their original pharmacy bottles, including psychiatric medications, with a list of doses. Our medical team reviews everything on arrival. Do not stop taking prescribed medications before you come.
• Contact list on paper: family, your employer’s HR contact if you are using FMLA, your outpatient providers. Your phone will be checked in, so you will want this written down.
• A small amount of cash or a debit card for incidentals, if applicable. Large sums are not needed.

If you have recent medical or psychiatric records, bring them. They are not required, but they prevent repeating evaluations and help us avoid medications that have already failed.

Clothing

Think comfortable and practical. About seven days’ worth—there is laundry on campus:

• Casual clothes you can sit, walk, and exercise in
• Sleepwear and a robe
• Underwear and socks for a week
• One or two warmer layers; indoor temperatures vary
• Athletic shoes and shower sandals
• A light jacket in cooler months; Georgia winters are mild but mornings can be cold
• Modest swimwear if your level of care includes pool access—ask admissions

Skip clothing with alcohol or drug references, offensive slogans, or anything revealing. It is a community setting, and the rule exists so nobody has to think about it.

Toiletries

Bring your usual items with one important condition: nothing containing alcohol. Check the ingredient list on mouthwash, hand sanitizer, aftershave, perfume, and some hair products. Safe to bring:

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash
• Deodorant (stick or roll-on; aerosols are usually not permitted)
• Razor with replaceable cartridges (policies vary during detox—ask)
• Feminine hygiene products
• Hairbrush, hair ties, basic styling tools
• Contact lenses and solution, glasses
• Sunscreen, lotion, lip balm

Makeup is fine in reasonable quantities. Nail polish and polish remover are usually not, because of the acetone.

Comfort Items

These are allowed and make a difference:

• Photos of family, pets, people who matter
• A journal and pens (this will get used)
• Books—recovery literature, fiction, anything that helps you rest
• A favorite pillow or blanket
• A reusable water bottle
• A watch without internet connectivity
• Religious or spiritual items

What to Leave at Home

Each rule below exists because of something that went wrong for someone, somewhere. None of them are about distrust:

• Alcohol and drugs, obviously, including over-the-counter sleep aids and supplements not cleared by our medical team
• Products containing alcohol (see above)
• Weapons of any kind, including pocketknives
• Laptops, tablets, smart watches—check with admissions, as policies depend on level of care
• Large amounts of cash or valuables; we are not a bank
• Outside food and drinks, especially energy drinks
• Candles, incense, lighters beyond what is permitted for smokers
• Revealing clothing or clothing referencing substances
• Excessive jewelry—a wedding ring and a watch are plenty

Anything not permitted is inventoried and stored securely until discharge. You are not in trouble for bringing it; it simply goes in a locker.

Packing for Detox vs. Residential

If you are starting in medical detox, the first few days are spent resting, so the clothing you will actually wear is sleepwear, sweatpants, and slippers. Some items—razors, certain electronics, cords—may be held by staff during detox and returned when you move to residential treatment. This is a safety measure during the period when people are least steady, not a judgment. If you are entering residential treatment directly, pack as described above and plan to use all of it.

A Note for Family Members Packing for Someone Else

If your loved one is too sick, too ambivalent, or too overwhelmed to pack, you can do it. Prioritize the documents and medications, then a week of comfortable clothes, then toiletries without alcohol. Include a handwritten note—people open their bags on the first night in an unfamiliar place, and a few lines from someone who loves them lands differently than you might expect. Do not include anything that could be read as pressure or a list of conditions. If you forget something, you can bring it later; you cannot bring back the window of willingness if you spend an hour hunting for the right socks.

For Longer Stays

If your treatment plan extends beyond a few weeks into partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient, you will have opportunities to retrieve more from home or have family bring seasonal items. Plan for the first week, not the whole stay.

About Your Phone

This is the question everyone asks, so here is the honest answer. Phones are checked in on arrival. During detox and early residential treatment, access is limited. The reason is not punitive: the first weeks of treatment are when people are most vulnerable to the pull of work stress, family conflict, and—bluntly—using contacts and dealers. Staff facilitate scheduled family calls, and access expands as you progress. Most clients report that the break was harder to imagine than to live through.

Tell your employer and family in advance that you will be reachable through the facility, not your cell. Give them our main number and, with your consent, we will keep designated contacts updated.

Printable Checklist

Documents: photo ID · insurance card · medication list · written contact list · small amount of cash or debit card · recent medical or psychiatric records if available.
Medications: all current prescriptions in original bottles.
Clothing (7 days): casual clothes · sleepwear · underwear and socks · warm layer · athletic shoes · shower sandals · jacket in cooler months.
Toiletries (alcohol-free): toothbrush and toothpaste · shampoo and body wash · stick deodorant · razor · feminine products · hairbrush · glasses or contacts and solution · sunscreen and lotion.
Comfort: photos · journal and pens · books · pillow or blanket · water bottle · non-smart watch · spiritual items.
Leave home: anything with alcohol · weapons · laptops and smart devices (ask) · large sums of cash or valuables · outside food and drink · candles and incense · clothing with substance references.

A Few Things People Wish They Had Known

• You will be more comfortable than you expect. Our facility is designed for rest and routine, not austerity.
• Pack for the person you will be in two weeks, not the one packing tonight. Bring the workout clothes.
• Don’t over-pack. A week of clothes in a single bag is ideal. You are not moving in.
• Handle the urgent things, not everything. Childcare, pets, a note to HR. The rest waits. Our same-day admission guide covers how to use the last hour before you leave.
• If you are in withdrawal, do not delay to pack perfectly. Come. Family can bring the rest.

For a sense of what the first days on campus look like once you arrive, read our overview of your first week of treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my phone?

Phones are checked in on arrival and access is limited, especially during detox and early residential treatment. This is intentional: the first weeks work better without the pull of work email and using contacts. Staff facilitate scheduled family contact. Ask admissions about the current policy for your level of care.

Can I bring my own medications?

Bring all current prescriptions in original bottles. Our medical team reviews everything and determines what continues. Do not stop psychiatric medications before arrival.

What if I forget something?

Family can drop off approved items, and we can help with essentials. Forgetting things is not a reason to delay admission.

Is there laundry?

Yes. Plan for about a week of clothing and expect to do laundry on campus.

Can I bring cigarettes or vapes?

Policies on nicotine vary by facility and change; ask admissions when you call. Nicotine replacement is typically available.