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I’ve Just Left Treatment. What Happens Now?

Congratulations. You’ve completed your stay in a drug or alcohol treatment center. But your journey towards recovery isn’t at its end. It’s only just beginning. You’ve done a lot of hard work already, but you’ve still got a long road ahead of you as you begin to look at your options for addiction aftercare or post-treatment services.

Fortunately, it’s not a road you’ll need to travel alone. Read on to learn some of the things you can do to make this journey easier and prevent relapse.

Sober Friends and Sober Places

Peer pressure doesn’t end with high school. If you had friendships that centered around drugs or drinking, you will likely have a tougher time socializing and staying sober.

It’s important to find sober friends during this time, as well as places that promote recovery. You might be moving back to a neighborhood filled with things that can trigger your addiction cravings, whether it’s walking by your corner bar or running into your old dealer.

Moving to a new neighborhood might sound difficult, but it may help you avoid cravings and find new opportunities.

Stick to Your Appointments

Even though your official rehab has concluded, you still have work to do. Many people who need treatment still seek counseling with therapists.

Working with a therapist can help you set goals, learn how to manage and prevent relapse triggers and deal with transitions related to work and family.

And while your life can get busy, with many different things demanding your attention, it’s not a good idea to skip your follow-up appointments. These sessions are crucial towards your long-term recovery.

Focus on the Positive

Old routines can create anxiety and stress, particularly when you may be fighting off the desire to drink or use drugs.

Feels of anxiety or depression can make it more likely that you’ll relapse, so try to do something each day that fosters a positive outlook.

For example, you can try meditating each morning to relieve anxiety. Or try taking a walk with your dog each morning, or lifting weights. Getting exercise is important too, as it’s been shown to lower depression and anxiety levels.

Look for a Support Group

Support groups are an essential component of recovery, as they can help you feel less alone during recovery. It might be tempting to avoid these meetings after rehab is done, but support groups offer advantages that just spending time with family and friends can’t offer.

In a support group setting, you’ll learn more about an addiction, get a glimpse of life without drugs or alcohol and hear from people who have been where you are. These groups also give you a place to say some of the things you might feel uncomfortable saying to your family.

And as time goes on, you’ll be able to help others, offering insights to people who are just starting out on the road to recovery.

Be on Guard for Signs of Relapse

Anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of people in recovery will experience at least one relapse. This doesn’t mean their treatment has failed, but that they are struggling with change, as we all do. You need to understand the emotions that might trigger a relapse. Maybe feeling sad makes you want to get high. Maybe you want to drink when you feel happy. When those feelings start to arise, talk to your therapist, go to a meeting or touch base with a sober friend to try to prevent relapse before it starts.

Our Recovery Care Monitoring was designed to help you stay accountable, but also have someone to reach out to should you start to identify signs that a relapse may be possible.

Addiction Aftercare Services in Virginia

Life after treatment can be challenging to those new to recovery, which is why Recovery Care Partner offers three types of aftercare services or post-treatment support in Virginia, each with varying levels of intensity: case management, recovery care monitoring and transition coaching.

We also offer sober living and transportation services, as well transition and academic coaching. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you on your road to recovery.