Life after rehab

On leaving rehab treatment it is normal to feel a mixture of fear and excitement. Fear due to the fact that you will have learned the seriousness of the addiction and excitement due to returning back home to your family and loved ones. You may leave under the illusion that you are now able to deal with cravings easily. However, leaving the supportive environment of the rehab means finding the strength to continue recovery alone. Complacency and overconfidence is often what leads to relapse.

On leaving the rehab environment, it is likely that you will have associations with dealers and old using/drinking friends. We cannot stress enough that this needs to change! Maintaining contact with these individuals, especially in the early days of recovery, is likely to lead to temptation and relapse. As a newly clean and sober individual, it is important to surround yourself with those that support you in maintaining your abstinence based recovery. Support groups such as 12 step, aftercare and counselling are particularly helpful and highly recommended. Acceptance is key to changing your life; as an individual that suffers with a life threatening incurable condition you must put your recovery first, above all else. Attending ongoing support, aftercare and recovery self-help groups assists greatly with this process. Do not be fooled into thinking you are cured and will never returned to drink or drugs again; this thinking is fatal and often leads to relapse. With addiction it is vital to stay actively engaged in recovery. Addiction is a “chronic relapsing brain disease”. Permanent recovery is possible, only if you are willing to go to any lengths to maintain it.

There are various treatment options and follow on care that are available on leaving the rehab treatment environment, which is temptation fee and safe. The real world is very different and it is vital that you continue to engage in practices that serve your ongoing recovery and help you to adjust to living a clean and sober life. Treatment options after rehab include:

• Aftercare: all of our rehabs provide twelve months complimentary aftercare to those that complete their treatment programme. Here you will be able to gain support and understanding from your peers, learn from their experiences and also have the professional input of the counsellor or the addiction specialist conducting the aftercare service.
• Individual Therapy: If attending aftercare, due to commitments or distance is not a viable option, we can arrange for you to continue your recovery work with a BACP approved counsellor locally. They will help you to address any issues that are new and help your to continue to process past issues relating to your addiction. Most individual counsellors use a variation of evidence based addiction treatments and techniques; we will endeavour to find you the perfect local counsellor that is qualified and experienced to meet your specific treatment needs.
• Follow up checks: UKAT will continue to check in with you once your rehab treatment has been completed, to ask how you are coping and to suggest anything that might be of further help to you
• 12 Step meetings: 12 step has been around for many, many years and provides a structured programme of recovery that covers most addictions. We can help you find and access your local meetings on leaving rehab. 12 Step also provides a network of recovery friends that support each other in their common goal: maintaining individual recovery
• Alternative self-help/support groups: If 12 step is not for you, we recommend other groups such as SMART recovery. This is usually accessible through your local drug and alcohol team and includes evidence based methods to serve the individual in taking control of their recovery and addiction.
• Secondary and Tertiary Care: Many of our rehabs offer secondary and tertiary care to assist with the reintegration process. Through accessing these services you will be gradually exposed to normal community living whilst still accessing support within an abstinence based environment. The rehab offering the service will also assist with retraining, education and getting back into employment.
• Step down programme: After rehab, support is a crucial part of addiction recovery, involving the transition from intensive inpatient treatment to structured outpatient rehab support. UKAT’s step down programme helps individuals reintegrate into daily life whilst receiving continued guidance and services tailored to their needs.

Many individuals who do not suffer from addiction live their lives without centring it on drugs and alcohol. You do not need alcohol and drugs to enjoy life. In fact if you are an addict, substances and destructive risk taking behaviour will ruin your life. Clean and sober, life can take on a new meaning, you can meet new friends, engage in new activities and regain your confidence, inspiration and zest for life once more. Clean and sober, the world is your oyster; if you can overcome addiction, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Put the same effort into recovery as you did into your addiction and life will become very worthwhile and fulfilling. Addicts are notoriously undisciplined, so it is important to get in place a routine and structure to maintain your recovery. Do what you enjoy and embrace gratitude for what you already have. Life after rehab doesn’t have to be difficult, not if you follow these simple suggestions. For further assistance and advice on coping with life after rehab please call or chat to us online live now!