When someone attends an addiction treatment program, they can often be concerned about the prospect of returning home. Although achieving sobriety is challenging when in rehab, it can often be more so when patients return to the everyday environments they associate with substance abuse.
So how do rehab centers provide support during the transition from rehab to recovery?
The answer is with aftercare drug treatment.
What Is Aftercare Drug Treatment?
Aftercare alcohol and drug treatment provides patients with a structured program they can follow while remaining at home. At Elevate, each aftercare alcohol and drug treatment program is devised specifically for each patient and is based on their responses to various treatments and therapies received during residential care. A noteworthy point is that Elevate patients don’t have to pay any additional fees for an after care program, which are available to them for as long as they are required.
A post-treatment plan from Elevate includes the same therapeutic components the patient received during their stay and is designed as an aid to prevent relapse for people recovering in their home environment. Addiction is an illness that affects everyone in the family as well as the addicted loved one and for that reason; our services are extended to include all involved parties so that families are healed as one unit.
Aftercare Drug Treatment Provides Invaluable One-on-One Support
When patients have attended a residential treatment program, they will have developed strong trust-based relationships with their therapists. This element of treatment is continued in aftercare so as to provide consistency a recovering addict can learn to depend upon. In aftercare programs for substance abuse, counselors are available by phone, via a secure internet connection or in person as and when recovering patients require extra support.
This is a proactive form of aftercare alcohol and drug treatment that allows recovering addicts to “check” their thoughts and behaviors. In an Elevate after care program, recovering patients will be required to check in with their counselor at least once a week or as and when needed, which progressively decreases over time. This means people in recovery are able to deal with daily stressors and triggers for substance abuse with real-time counseling for maximum relapse protection.
Support Group Referrals
Support from others who completely understand a person’s situation is important to someone recovering from addiction. Elevate offers support group referrals as part of our post-treatment plans so that individuals can choose the most appropriate groups in their local area. It is important to have people close at hand who can help people through the tough times and support groups have been shown to promote a longer recovery as a result of this support.
Of course, there are different types of support group and the most appropriate one may not be considered “typical” in the world of addiction treatment. For example, patients who have learned mindfulness practices such as yoga or meditation may wish to join a regular class to underpin their recovery. Others may feel more comfortable in a more “traditional” setting of group therapy and so it’s important to find the right support group for the individual’s personal beliefs.
Vocational Training and Internship
When someone has been through addiction treatment, they have much to offer others not as far as them on their journey to recovery. Many recovering addicts feel motivated to help others as part of their own recovery, seeing it as a gesture of “giving back” to the addiction community. At Elevate, we encourage patients leaving residential rehab to learn how to help others and share their invaluable insights to help them achieve sobriety themselves. When recovering patients reach out to others, they give their motivation a boost, showing them that it is possible to overcome addiction illness and achieve a happy and healthy life.
Aftercare Programs for Substance Abuse Helps to Heal Families
As we mentioned earlier in this article, addiction is something that has widespread negative effects on the people close to the addict. Aftercare programs for substance abuse provide a vital platform for families to heal when someone has left rehab and returned home. Counselors and therapists are available to provide neutral guidance on emotionally-charged situations that take into account all parties involved. Through guided family therapy, it is possible to overcome the damage done by addiction and rebuild close relationships in sobriety.
The Last Phase of Rehab
Addiction treatment doesn’t end when someone leaves the center. It is an illness that develops over time and has significant effects on a person’s physical, emotional and psychological well-being. At Elevate, we consider aftercare to be the fourth phase of treatment and the only one that may be required for an indefinite period of time.
Ultimately, everyone has their own unique route to travel when it comes to addiction to drugs or alcohol. Some may find it easy to make the significant changes required to maintain sobriety, whereas others may struggle to cope. An after care program provides support at whatever level the individual requires and delivers it in real-time while they remain at home.
No-one can see into the future and so it’s natural for people leaving rehab to be concerned about their ability to remain sober. Aftercare ensures that the delicate transition from rehab to recovery is achieved by supporting patients every step of the way, guiding them into a healthy and fulfilling life without drugs or alcohol.
Have you or a loved one benefitted from aftercare drug treatment?
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