If you have already completed a drug and alcohol rehab program, congratulations! We know that you went through a lot of hard work to get to where you are today. However, it is important to remember that your hard work doesn’t end once you are over rehab. While it would be nice to be totally cured when you’re done with a program, addiction doesn’t work that way. If you are wondering what to expect after leaving a drug and alcohol rehab program, read on to learn more.
Consider a Sober Living Situation
When you are in rehab, you learned how to manage or avoid the triggers that made you want to use drugs or drink in your past. While these tools will come in very useful while you get back to regular life, it can be difficult in the beginning when you’re back to your usual surroundings. Instead, consider staying in a sober living house while you slowly transition back into your regular life.
A sober living house is less strict than a rehab facility but more so than your normal living situation. You have to stay clean while you are living there, and you will be given drug tests regularly to make sure that you do. While you’re a resident of this type of home you’ll have to start looking for a job or return to your old one. If you attend school, you can now begin classes.
Sober living homes give you the structure you need after rehab as well as the freedom you are looking for. You should always be on the lookout for relapse after rehab, and a sober living home will give you a longer time to integrate yourself back into society. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend group meetings in the home to work on your continued sobriety.
Expect to Attend Meetings
Your rehab stay might be over, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop going to meetings. In fact, many therapists suggest going to meetings at least once a day when you are at the beginning of your sobriety. If you are living in a sober living facility, you may have the opportunity to attend meetings at the house. If not, you’ll have to seek out meetings on your own. Make sure you have 12-step or similar meetings set up for when you are done with rehab. If you can continue private therapy, you should make time for these types of sessions as well.
Addiction quite often tears families apart, especially ones with young children. After rehab, it’s a great idea to keep up any family therapy sessions you may have begun while you were in the program. If you are unable to make appointments with the therapist you saw in the rehab center, ask them for recommendations before you leave the facility. You may have to juggle your schedule to include the right family members, but it will be worth it in the end when you begin to mend broken relationships.
Expect Some Tough Days
It’s nice to think that everything will be back to normal once you leave rehab, but this way of thinking will only set you up for failure. There will be days that test your patience and resolve, more than you probably want to think about! This is why it is so important to have a strong support system in place when you are through with rehab. If you are going to 12-step meetings, find a sponsor to lean on when times get tough. Ask family members or friends if you can get in touch with them when you are having a hard time. Have a plan of action for particularly hard days.
Above all, don’t give up. Remember the mantra-one day at a time. Think about the past and how hard you worked in rehab to get to where you are now. If you do relapse, don’t give up completely. You may have to give rehab another go if you do, but rest assured that you aren’t the only one who has come back a second time. Addiction and relapse often go hand-in-hand, and you are NOT a failure if you don’t stay sober at first.
Call Our Rehab Today
When you are ready to battle your addiction, let our rehab help. Call us at 772-266-5320 to hear what we have available. We’re on your side, day and night, so don’t hesitate any longer! Find out more from one of our caring representatives.
