Life After Drug Treatment
Now that you are on your way to living a life without the influence of drugs or alcohol, you are probably wondering exactly what life will be like after you get out of the treatment centre?
The good news is that by the time you leave the rehab centre, you will have everything you need to live your life clean & sober.
Of course, if you just did the bare minimum to make it through the program, you may struggle some when you have to live in the real world. Because of this, your successful life as a sober person has to start with a total commitment to your rehab program. From there, the world is yours and you can choose how you will succeed.
Learn How to Use Your Support System After Drug Treatment
When you were going through the inpatient phase of your drug treatment, you didn’t have to worry about a support system. Your support system was a paid staff that was there around the clock to help you when you needed it. Now that you are getting out of rehab or are out of rehab, you have to learn how to use your support system effectively.
One of the most important things you can do at this point is to learn who you can call when once you get out of the drug treatment centre. It’s generally good advice to forge strong relationship with other recovering people and rely too heavily on blood relatives. Using another recovering person that understands what it’s like to be desperately craving at odd hours can go some way to making it easier to find a support network you can call during those times. As you go through the day, make sure that you have someone that knows you’ll call them before you pick up the first drink or drug.
One of the common denominators amongst people who attain decades in recovery is a close relationship with a non blood relative who they can be understood by and receive guidance from.
Attending 12 step support groups after drug treatment is useful in helping you to decide who you can speak to about what problems. You probably don’t want to talk to your father about problems with your love life, so figure out who you can work through those problems with.
Attending meetings where there are many different types of people in recovery after having drug treatment themselves will help you find people you feel comfortable speaking to about every subject imaginable.
Plan Your Days in Advance
Your main goal, especially when you first get out of drug treatment, is to stay away from temptation. Those dangerous people, places and things that could get you back into active addiction or alcoholism very quickly. This means that if you were an alcoholic, you don’t need to go to the club or parities where alcohol is served. Don’t worry, as time progresses, you will get enough recovery under your belt to deal with those temptations. If you do find that you have to go somewhere that you may be tempted, bring someone who can help you stay on the right track. This person should be someone you trust and respect, as you will have to listen to them if they tell you that you are falling back into your old habits. If you plan every second of every day, not only will you probably avoid temptation, you can also ensure that you stay busy.
Stay on a Follow-Up Drug Treatment Program
You have to stay in contact with the people who can help you to stay clean and sober. Attending aftercare at your drug treatment center is a useful way to maintain contact and get support from people who saw just how bad it got for you.
Another common factor about people who maintain decades of recovery after addiction treatment is attendance at some form of a spiritual growth group, AA, NA church etc.
Continuing to see drug treatment addiction counsellors and going to aftercare group therapy and peer support meetings will make sure that you keep up with these meeting to maximise your chance of staying sober.