Things to Do After Completing a Drug Rehab
You might have heard from your counsellor or therapist that recovery is a continuous process that never ends, which means it takes time for some individuals with substance use disorder to sink in. After all, completing a free drug rehab doesn’t mean you have fully recovered from drug abuse. Furthermore, believing you can be around the drugs after completing rehab is pointless because the chances of relapse go even higher when you are out of a structured, temperate, and controlled facility. In other words, leaving rehab is like stepping out of the front door naked on a breezy day. You may feel exposed, ill-equipped, and slightly agoraphobic. Suddenly, you are working without any guidance, routine, or ways to lessen your drug cravings. And truth be told, it all can be overwhelming.
Hence, for all those on the precipice of completing the drug addiction treatment and worrying about their smooth transition to everyday life, try one or all these eight things after rehab.
1. Find Sober Friends
Addiction is a disease that often occurs through the influence of others. Based on studies, it has been clearly shown that peer pressure poses a significant risk for both children and adults. For example, people who spend time with drug users are more prone to developing an addiction than those who don’t. Therefore, if you believe you can hang out with the same friends you used to before entering drug addiction treatment, you are wrong, as it can put your recovery rate at risk. Hence, making sober friends is vital to prevent relapse.
2. Move to a New Place, If You Will
Your old neighbourhood can be an absolute reminder of your drug abuse habits. For example, you may be walking the same street corners and local bar fronts, or you may have a run-in with your local drug dealer, and a lot more that might remind you of times spent getting drunk or high. Recalling these memories every next day can trigger addiction cravings and might be too much for you to resist. Returning to homes filled with drugs can be dangerous after rehab. Therefore, moving to a whole new neighbourhood can help reset the cravings. Also, the new surroundings can push the old memories away, encouraging a new, sober lifestyle.
3. Focus on Your Mental Health
Leaving rehab and returning to the same old routine can be stressful for people experiencing intense drug cravings. Because if you focus more on negatives and feel depressed, you are more likely to experience relapse. Hence, finding something positive and working on it is imperative for recovering addicts. For example, a few moments of meditation in the morning can help ease the anxiety symptoms, bringing the peace you need. Exercise also plays a vital role in keeping your mental health in check. While no researchers think positively about the connection between mental health and physical activity, findings indicate that depression and anxiety symptoms tend to ease when a person workouts regularly. Walking with your dog, lifting weights once in a while, or swimming a few laps in the pool can also help you feel stronger and healthier.
4. Find a Support Group
Support groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), are often a part of drug rehab programs. These programs ensure you feel less alone in your struggle to maintain sobriety and deal with life’s challenges. While it can be tempting to skip the group meetings organised by these groups for a family or friends get-together, attending them can offer benefits that such informal chats cannot. Also, in a support group, you can meet other recovering addicts working their way through similar issues. This way, you can also convey your thoughts and feelings that would be uncomfortable or stressful to share with your family.
5. Don’t Skip Follow-Up Appointments
Drug addiction treatment works on a stair-step model, which means the level of care becomes less and less intense. Consequently, you will be able to handle sobriety without assistance. It also means that people can attend appointments with their counsellors after completing the rehab. These appointments after rehab can help people to handle relapse triggers, strengthen skills, process feelings regarding work, deal with family transitions, and set goals for the future. Though work and life responsibilities can restrict you from attending these meetings, skipping them is not advisable because each appointment is vital to long-term success in sobriety.
6. Stay Alert for Any Signs of Relapse
Addiction doesn’t have a permanent solution; therefore, the chances of people experiencing a relapse lie between 40 to 60 per cent. But this doesn’t mean drug addiction treatment isn’t effective. Instead, it simply means that some people find transitioning from rehab to their old lives challenging.
If you are going through the recovery phase, you need to keep all your guard up to maintain sobriety. For example, understand where your personal vulnerability kicks in. While some people feel triggered to use drugs due to sadness, others’ happiness and power may trigger drug abuse. However, regardless of the trigger points, the thoughts of using drugs can swirl around the mind and grow stronger until a relapse occurs. Hence, you need to keep track of your thoughts to stop a relapse. You can go back to therapy, catch a meeting, or visit a sober friend to stop the cycle of negative thoughts.
Start Your Drug Addiction Treatment TodayRehab is a great step forward to getting clean and sober. Still, it takes a multi-layered support system. Whether it is from the rehab centre itself, the support group, your family, or friends, the goal of rehab isn’t only obtaining a 30-day chip; it is to provide you with tools for lifelong sobriety. But what happens after you complete drug abuse rehab? Is there any chance of relapse? Yes, it is. Therefore, the above tips can help you stick to your sober drug addiction treatment plan. You can also join an aftercare treatment plan at a free drug rehab to continue recovery.
