Drug and abuse recovery doesn’t end after rehab treatment. You’ll return home to your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours and begin your journey to maintaining your sobriety. This new chapter marks your life after rehab, which normally can influence a mixture of emotions. From being eager, happy, and excited to return home to leaving rehab with a positive outlook, there’s a likelihood you’ll be anxious, worried, and nervous.
In part, it’s because you’ll be returning to where drug and alcohol influences reside and also because certain events and circles at home can trigger cravings and temptations. While these factors can make life after rehab difficult and overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.
Generally, life after rehab is what you make of it. From the daily choices you make, such as choosing to stay at home instead of going out, to your behaviour, your decisions directly impact the type of relationship you have with drugs moving forward and your recovery.
It’s no secret that the responsibility and burden that comes with life after rehab can feel daunting. Luckily, there are several steps you can take to make your life after rehab easier while maintaining your sobriety.
However, as you adopt these steps, it’s essential to note that feeling vulnerable, emotional, and having negative thoughts post-rehabilitation is normal. Remember, rehab acts as an escape from the realities of the real world, helping your recover easily and comfortably. Therefore, transitioning back home can be an actual test of your determination and dedication to maintaining a sober status.
In rehab, you’ve completed hard steps such as detoxification and realignment and have proved that you’re ready and able to return home. If you could do this in rehab, you can apply the same level of confidence and trust at home, ensuring life after rehab is worthwhile. To reach this point, you need a comprehensive and suitable rehab programme, and at Rehab Clinics Group, that’s what we provide.
Potential recovery results through rehab
Typically, rehabilitation is a life-changing process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency and addiction to substances such as drugs and alcohol. During rehab, patients are exposed to various forms and processes of addiction treatment to help them tackle their psychological and physical routes of addiction.
While addiction is a complex and difficult brain illness to treat, addicts can overcome it through long-term commitment and a comprehensive programme. However, it’s crucial to note that recovery results differ from patient to patient. For instance, a patient that desires to recover from drug dependency is more likely to have a successful rehab experience than one who doesn’t.
Still, through a reliable and comprehensive rehab program, recovery is possible for all since the process challenges triggers. Realistically speaking, recovery and maintaining a sober state might feel miles away and unachievable. Yet, through foundational rehab, you can have a structured program that influences a positive outcome and promotes recovery.
Ultimately, the progress you make in rehab influences your life after rehab, including your ability to avoid relapses and your capability to maintain long-term recovery. And, all this begins with the decisions you make and the steps you take post-rehab.
What to expect from life after rehab?
Although expectations vary from client to client after rehab, obstacles and challenges are unavoidable. From broken relationships and negative associations to judgements and financial issues, you’re bound to experience obstacles that trigger your addiction.
Fortunately, by using new coping strategies and relying on the results from the completion of your rehab treatment, you can overcome these obstacles and maintain your sobriety. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, it’s wise to take one day at a time and make positive decisions in the long run. Trying to juggle many issues or life obligations at a time can trigger a physical or emotional relapse, adversely affecting your life after rehab.
Additionally, after rehab, don’t expect to stay away from drugs completely. Your friends and family can expose you to drugs in social settings. But how you deal with such triggers can make a huge impact on your long-term recovery. All in all, the best expectations to set are those that assess both best-case and worst-case scenarios.
Lifestyle changes after rehab
If you want to truly benefit from your rehab, you’ll need to make some lifestyle changes once you return home. These include:
• Maintain a positive lifestyle: This involves getting enough sleep, exercising, and maintaining a well-balanced and nutritional diet. Participating in self-care and stimulating positive mental health can also go a long way in maintaining long-term recovery.
• Entertain valuable relationships: The goal is to stay away from toxic relationships that expose you to drugs or trigger your addiction.
• Find new hobbies: Fill up your idle time with hobbies to occupy your mind and distract you from your recovery.
• Get a support team: Find people that support your recovery journey and spend quality time with them. They can be friends, family, or people you work with.
• Socialise: Ensure you’re socialising with the right people who can support and nurture you.
After rehab, there are many coping mechanisms you can adopt to ensure you become the person you want to be without drugs and alcohol. At Rehab Clinics Group, we encourage you to do whatever you can to avoid drug and alcohol exposure.
Continuing recovery after rehab through treatment
Since returning to your normal life after rehab can be overwhelming and cause anxiety, experts recommend seeking professional help. Through a range of treatment options, a professional can support your recovery journey and provide you with the coping mechanisms you need to maintain a sober state.
Embracing professional support is all about continuing your recovery journey in a safe environment and having access to sustainable methods to help you remain sober. Some professional support and treatment options include:
1. A 12-step programme
This programme motivates you to continue with your recovery journey and forgiveness. It can also help your overcome psychological and physical challenges associated with life after rehab.
2. AA meetings
Feeling supported throughout your recovery journey is vital during life after rehab. Luckily, through AA meetings, you can open up to a network of like-minded individuals and feel this level of support. This way, whenever you’re experiencing some challenges or are having a hard time at home, you can have someone to talk to.
3. Counselling and therapy
When it comes to life after rehab, psychological recovery is the most challenging part. To recover fully, you must overcome associations with drugs and alcohol. This can be difficult to achieve on your own, but with help from a counsellor or therapist, you can tackle your psychological issues and identify the underlying causes of your addictions.
