Aftercare Programs For Drug & Alcohol Addiction

Aftercare: Recovery For The Long Haul

The work of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction can be both exciting and demanding which makes addiction treatment aftercare very important.

The rewards from months of dedicated effort can give you a strong sense of value, self-respect and hope. It can build the confidence and skills that can help you to face the challenges of creating a purposeful life.

However, acute care in our rehab center is very structured and you are highly supported.

During this time you will be largely shielded from the demands and stresses of your normal life.

What happens when it’s time to leave the facility and embark upon the rest of your recovery? How will you spend your time? Where will you find your support? What kind of activities will you pursue?

Where will your most meaningful relationships be? How will you navigate your old environment? What will your life look like?

Aftercare is the mechanism that we offer to provide answers to these questions.

Aftercare a Major Part of Addiction Treatment

Aftercare is a major part of your addiction treatment, and it is during this time frame that you will establish many of the healthy habits that make up the foundation of a sober life.

Starting very early in your pursuit of recovery from alcohol or drug addiction, your treatment staff begin the aftercare process.

It will be critically important for you to be an active participant in your aftercare addiction treatment planning.

Recovery from drug or alcohol addiction is a long-term process. It requires patience, a willingness to learn, diligence, self-discipline, transparency and awareness.

An aftercare program is where this long-term process gets put into action in a real and practical way.

Addiction aftercare is an opportunity for you to be able to capitalize on the energy and hopefulness that acute care recovery treatment has provided.

Let’s take a look at what aftercare at Emerald Isle Health and Wellness is, how our aftercare program for substance abuse works, how effective our aftercare program is and how your addiction aftercare plan gets integrated into your overall treatment.

What is Addiction Treatment Aftercare at Emerald Isle

Addiction treatment aftercare is also known as continuing care. You can think of it as the treatment you need after all acute care needs have been met.

However, the word “aftercare” can be a bit misleading, since it includes more than just an “after care” program.

Treatment staff begin creating your aftercare plan for substance abuse early in your recovery process, often during the first days of detox or residential treatment.

Our treatment staff will create a comprehensive aftercare plan for addressing your long-term therapeutic, clinical, medical and other needs.

If you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol and have a co-occurring disorder like depression, they will ensure that you have access to treatment for mental illness in addition to the substance abuse.

They will also help you find sober living if you have not done so when you reach that step in your recovery. These measures are geared toward helping you maintain the momentum of recovery after rehab is complete.

The more thorough your aftercare treatment plan is, the more likely it will be able to provide you with the necessary skills and support for sustainable recovery efforts.

After care plans vary from one treatment program to another, but they almost always include the following:

Plans for Managing Medication Assisted Treatment

Medication-assisted treatment can be used in some situations. We do not want you to trade one addiction for another.

In some instances it is best to use medication assisted treatment to remove a highly addictive drug and then move to full sobriety.

Medicines like Vivitrol and Suboxone can help people manage uncontrolled cravings for alcohol and opioids.

These medications are only administered by addiction Medical Doctors, Primary Care Physicians or other medical professionals with prescribing privileges.

Usually, these providers have had special training in opioid use disorders and other aspects of addiction medicine.

Referrals for Therapy

For many who have experienced residential or other acute treatment, they developed meaningful relationships with a trusted therapist.

While sometimes once you leave our rehab and move back to your pre rehab life, it is not possible to maintain the same therapist from residential treatment, the treatment staff will help you find therapists in your community.

Often, these therapists have worked with our clients before, and they have significant experience with recovery from alcohol or drug addiction.

They will have keen insight into what you will need to be successful.

With these professionals as your guides, you will be able to build on the foundation of recovery that you built during the initial stages of treatment at our rehab center.

Therapists are emotional and behavioral specialists, and they can help you process your emotions in healthy ways, help keep you accountable for your progress, and gently help you understand where your vulnerabilities to relapse might be.

Referrals to group therapy

Group therapy is usually available in a community setting and is administered by a trained, experienced therapist.

During group therapy, you can participate with other individuals who are willing to share their experiences and listen to yours.

Group therapy works because these connections tend to reveal the participants’ habits, tendencies and coping mechanisms that they use in their lives.

Like individual therapy, group therapy can create a strong sense of intimacy and can be deeply meaningful.

Referrals to 12 step groups

We are well aware of how important it is for clients to establish a connection to a 12 step based fellowship like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

These groups provide essential elements of recovery: accountability, purpose, structure, routine, camaraderie and support.

In 12 step groups, people in recovery usually work with a sponsor who can help guide their efforts and help them learn how to apply 12-step principles.

They attend meetings with other recovering members and talk about their experiences, as well as listen to others who may share similar backgrounds.

Referral to Sober Living

After rehab, it is important to find a supportive living environment. For many in recovery, it is not safe to return to the homes from which they came.

In sober housing, you can progress back to a normal routine in a home that is free from the familiar triggers and stressors that can be dangerous for a newly recovering individual.

Why Does Addiction Treatment Aftercare Work

The main purpose of our aftercare is to create a sense of self-efficacy in your recovery efforts. Self-efficacy can be thought of as the confidence and ability to provide for your own needs.

It is well established in addiction treatment literature that self-efficacy protects against relapse.

Participation in aftercare programs has been repeatedly shown to lower rates of return to drug or alcohol use. Aftercare sets the precedent for sustainable recovery.

During this time, you will develop a support network. You will deepen your efforts to heal from the damage that addiction caused in your life and see to your own needs.

The time immediately following your residential treatment, partial hospitalization and other acute rehab is a vulnerable time. Without support, it can be difficult to maintain the progress that you started in acute rehab. Aftercare also allows you to set personal goals.

It allows you to make intentional choices about how you spend your time and energy. It helps you identify your stressful situations and triggers.

Aftercare helps you deal effectively with your emotions. It helps you be honest with yourself and to ask for help.

Aftercare at Emerald Isle Health and Wellness

Most of all, aftercare helps ensure that the progress you’ve made in acute treatment gets integrated into a sustainable approach for the rest of your life.

It takes time and energy to create the healthy habits that form the backbone of successful recovery.

Though this process is not easy, it is incredibly rewarding. Here, we will help you understand how to capitalize on the momentum you’ve achieved in acute treatment and how to make it work for the rest of your life.

Our staff will help you create a detailed, comprehensive plan to help you maximize your joy and minimize your risks.

Call us today.