21 Jan After Rehabilitation: What’s Next?

Rehabilitation does not seek to undo or reverse the effects of substance abuse but rather assists the individual in regaining optimal health and well-being. A person in recovery will resume everyday life after finishing rehabilitation. However, this procedure does not go as smoothly as one might think.

In this article, we will talk about the aftermath of rehabilitation.

What Happens After Rehab?

Finishing the recovery procedure is only the beginning, as maintaining sobriety is a lifetime endeavour. In some cases, patients who complete rehab may need time to reacclimate to their new environments and make new acquaintances. The following factors may either positively affect or destroy your journey to achieve sobriety: 

1. Friends: The importance of sober friendships in recovery cannot be overstated, as they will encourage you to remain on the path of healing and will not tempt you to use drugs or alcohol. Meanwhile, if you intend to remain clean and have friends who have not abandoned that lifestyle, this journey to sobriety can become highly challenging. Returning to the same circle of acquaintances who support drinking or drug use can do more harm than good, putting individuals in an incredibly vulnerable situation. Thus, if you will have to step outside of your comfort zone and force yourself to meet new people if you want to form sober friendships with them.
2. Family: Addiction impacts everyone involved, no matter how severe it is or to whom it is directed. A loved one’s family can assist them in achieving and maintaining sobriety. Even though they are witnessing a loved one struggle, family members can and should take an essential role in the therapy process. In family recovery, relatives and loved ones will be informed about family members’ progress or setbacks, as well as the course of therapy. 
3. Support group: According to research, having a sound, encouraging support system will make a recovery far more manageable and effective. It can definitely make the difference between a relapse after leaving rehab and years of healthy recovery. When looking for a local support group, your primary care physician or mental health practitioner is generally the best place to start. You can also look for a meeting in your area by visiting the websites of the various support organisations.

Staying sober 

According to research, the majority of relapses occur within the first six months of treatment. One way to effectively stay sober after rehabilitation is to identify your triggers. In the case of addiction and recovery, triggers are often some type of internal or external stimuli that prompts the former addict to crave the use of drugs or alcohol once more. A few examples of triggers in addiction are stress, rage, and other negative emotions. Relapse prevention strategies such as learning to recognise triggers, seeking counselling, and creating a support network are all effective methods of avoiding a relapse. 

Handling triggers 

Avoiding triggers after completing addiction treatment might be tough, but there are numerous things you can do to reduce the frequency with which you are tempted: 

1. Set boundaries:  Setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries is vital for developing positive self-worth. One method of establishing boundaries is to learn how to say “no” to things that you used to do often. This includes attending parties and hanging out with pals who consume alcoholic beverages or smoke. 
2. Develop healthy coping mechanisms: Whatever your emotions are, whether you’re frustrated or enraged, emotion-focused coping techniques can assist you in dealing with them in an appropriate manner. Healthy coping strategies may assist you to feel better by soothing you, momentarily distracting you, or allowing you to tolerate your distress. Some examples of healthy coping mechanisms you can do instead of going back to your old ways include listening to music, exercising, meditating, and reading. 
3. Finding new hobbies: At first, adjusting to a sober lifestyle may entail dealing with feelings of boredom and loneliness. Activities that were earlier oriented on using drugs or alcohol may appear monotonous in the early stages of recovery. To maintain a healthy lifestyle while recovering from addiction, sports, movies, and conventions are all viable options.

Checkups 

Checkups is a long-term clinical strategy for following up with individuals who have substance use disorders. Regular checkups with a mental health expert significantly aid in the promotion of accountability. Checkups can be as infrequent as several times a year and comprise an examination of vital signs by a medical practitioner. 

Individual therapy 

Individual counselling enables those who have difficulty communicating in group settings to work through their concerns in a more private context. Additionally, individual therapy helps you to set more specific goals for your rehabilitation. Moreover, individual therapy performs a similar function, allowing patients to probe deeply and understand the reasons behind their negative emotions or their use of narcotics to cope. 

Medications 

Adults who are addicted to opioids, alcohol, or nicotine have been proven to benefit from several drugs that have been tested. Apart from putting an end to substance usage, the purpose of treatment is to restore people to useful roles in their families, workplaces, and communities. 

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation 

Calm Rehab is one of the few private rehabilitation service providers in Asia registered with the Association of Addiction Professionals (formerly FDAP).  We are a western-owned and operated private drug and alcohol rehab centre located on the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali. Moreover, Calm Rehab Bali offers a clinical and affordable residential treatment program to individuals from all over the world who are struggling with alcohol and drug-related problems, as well as psychological trauma.