The window to recovery is often dim and short-sighted at its start. Many people entering rehab cannot see further than the rigors of detox and withdrawal. Most have already tried going cold turkey on their own and know how hard it can be. As such, the fear of eventual relapse is incredibly common and incredibly real. The good news is that drug and alcohol treatment programs are designed to give people the tools they need for staying the course over the long-term. Often referred to as relapse prevention tools, these are strategies for coping with stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions in healthy, productive ways. They also include techniques for successfully confronting and overcoming cravings and temptations. Best of all, rehab is additionally designed to make the initial detox process as safe and comfortable as it can possibly be.
If you’re considering rehab, you should know that treatment is always structured with long-term sobriety in mind. Programs do more than simply help people get clean. They are largely designed for ensuring that they stay that way. After your body has rid itself of drugs or alcohol, you’ll take part in intensive private counseling sessions, group therapy, skill-building workshops, and more. Throughout this process, you’ll be:
- Rebuilding your self-esteem
- Learning how to avoid common triggers
- Learning more about the underlying causes of your addiction
- Identifying options in post-treatment support
- Developing boundary-setting skills and improved communication skills
- Discovering how to establish and maintain positive and mutually beneficial relationships
Professionals working in rehab centers have a keen understanding of the numerous challenges that people are likely to face during their journey to wellness. That’s why they provide services for addressing comorbidities, preventing post-treatment homelessness, and ensuring that people are able to go on to enjoy comfortable, stable, and ultimately sustainable lifestyles.
How Rehab Makes It Easy to Avoid Relapse
Joblessness and homelessness are among some of the biggest obstacles that people can face post-treatment. They are also among the top causes for relapse after patients have exited the treatment environment. Efforts to prevent these circumstances help set the stage for success, but they are only one of numerous ways in which rehab programs proactively prevent relapse. The first and most important of these is identifying the actual cause of a person’s addiction and then addressing addiction right at its source. For instance, a person with comorbidities might be using drugs or alcohol as a way of self-treating pain that has yet to be understood and diagnosed. If you have a comorbidity, you may be drinking or using drugs to relieve depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or other trauma, anxiety, or bi-polar disorder. Treating these underlying mental health issues eliminates the need to self-treat in unhealthy ways. In so doing, it sets the stage for continued success.
For those with comorbidities, practicing good lifelong management of the underlying mental health disorders that have led to addiction is critical. For other people, addiction might be the result of low self-esteem, unresolved guilt or grief, or even negative early-life behavioral conditioning. By taking an individualized and needs-specific approach to addiction treatment, rehab centers can effectively eliminate the motivation to use drugs or alcohol. Once this is done, the battle to remain sober becomes infinitely easier.
Skills That You Can Use to Avoid Using Drugs or Alcohol Long-Term
During your time in rehab, you’ll learn all about the dangers of being overconfident. After you’ve spent some time living sober, you may feel secure enough in your own self-will to enter environments in which drugs or alcohol are present. While this is something that a few people are able to do without reverting back to their old habits, most will need to avoid direct exposure to substances, toxic environments, and potentially unhealthy settings at all costs.
It’s also important for those in recovery to listen to their bodies. You’re more likely to be confronted with temptations and cravings when you’re excessively tired, hungry, or have spent too much time in isolation. To avoid relapse, you’ll need to take good care of yourself, live a balanced lifestyle, and pay careful attention to your needs. The highest success rates among recovering individuals belong to people who are diligent in their efforts to continue receiving some form of post-treatment support. There are sober living houses for those who want more time in structured, drug and alcohol-free environments, support groups, and comprehensive relapse prevention programs. If you want to learn more ways to keep your recovery on track after rehab, we can help. Call us today at 772-266-5320.
