Support
Aftercare Addiction Recovery Support
Addiction support during and after recovery is essential when wanting to maintain long-lasting sobriety. Ongoing support has proven to be helpful to recovering addicts as it allows them to feel a sense of comfort and reassurance after treatment and is also a shoulder to lean on in times of distress.
There are four main areas of support for a life of sobriety:
- Home base: Having a stable household
- Network: Having positive and supportive friendships and social networks
- Purpose: Having a purpose every day whether that is attending work, school, volunteering, etc.
- Health: Refraining from using your former substance of abuse
Continued support after rehabilitation includes follow-up meetings where you can openly discuss your new life as a sober individual as well as hear other people’s success in sobriety. Support is also a form of relapse prevention in where you will learn valuable techniques for avoiding triggers and how to cope with them if you do come in contact with drugs or alcohol.
Some popular forms of support are:
- Group Therapy
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
- SMART Recovery
- Al-Anon Family Groups
- Spiritual-based Groups
- Open Meeting
- And more
Participating in therapy and support post-recovery can significantly addicts retain their sober status. They provide a non-judgmental environment which allows former addicts to open up about their past drug or alcohol use and how far they have come since becoming sober.
These support groups offer strength, coping skills, and a sense of understanding. Support allows individuals to communicate their feelings and emotions as well as their experiences. Many times, addicts do not have the family or parental support at home, therefore, support groups provide them with the necessary encouragement needed to stay positive.
Addiction is something that stays with you forever as it is a disease of the brain that cannot be cured but can be managed and coped. Staying sober is a life-long operation that requires discipline and willpower.
Maintaining a Sober Life
Treatment only goes so far and after the 90-days of rehab are over, you are solely responsible for sustaining your sobriety. This is why it’s so important that recovering addicts seek support groups in order to keep their mind on the right track so that relapse is less likely to happen.
Research has indicated that relapse is most likely to transpire six months after treatment was complete. This means that for the next six months after recovery, those who have gone through treatment should attend support meetings in order to uphold their abstinence from drugs and alcohol.
After rehab is complete, it’s helpful to have a game plan. Knowing where you are going to live, work, and attending support meetings will allow you to create a weekly agenda which can be very helpful in keeping your mind occupied.
If you are looking for ongoing support during and after addiction recovery, contact WhiteSands Treatment today.