What Happens After Opioid Rehab?
Have you heard about patients going back to addiction after completing their rehab? By knowing this sad news, many would assume that rehab isn’t effective. The truth behind this incident is not that rehab is not effective, yet that’s because they lack the support required after completing rehab.
What does that mean? It means there are aftercare services a patient must have to continue living a drug-free life. Completing a rehab program isn’t enough to ensure you won’t go back to addiction, considering you might be exposed to the same triggers that led you to addiction.
In this article, we’re going to talk about what happens after opioid rehab.
What Are Aftercare Opioid Rehab Programs?
Aftercare programs provide continuing support to individuals who have just completed their rehab treatment. Studies show how vulnerable one can become within the first six months of their life after rehab. The stressors of day-to-day realities can be overwhelming. If you don’t have the needed support after rehab, there’s a possibility of a relapse to happen. Please visit EMRGENT – EMR Software for more info.
The following are the aftercare programs you can avail of:
Sober living homes
If a person finds their own home an unhealthy venue for recovery, they can choose to reside in sober living homes. It is typically like renting a new place for yourself but with the advantage of living in a community that provides support for your wellness. It does not offer a lifetime shelter, but it does help you work on a healthy routine for a specific period.
Individual therapy
You may continue seeing a therapist for counseling and therapy sessions. You can come up with a scheduled weekly routine just so you can exercise introspection from time to time, and boost your strength in managing stress amidst your usual responsibilities.
Online counseling through video calls is also happening today. This is offered to patients who don’t have the time to travel to go to their therapist. It could be that they are far from the clinic, or they want to save on travel time and transportation costs.
Support group
There are numerous support groups available in local areas which you can find online. Support groups usually follow the 12-step program. It is a venue for group therapy sessions that comes at an affordable cost.
During the therapy session, members are allowed to share their experiences in battling addiction and staying sober. This helps others get inspired by the wins of their members.
Alumni program
A few rehab centers are offering sponsorships and free counseling through their alumni program. These are previous patients who have successfully maintained a clean life after rehab. They want to give back to the community by extending assistance to patients recovering from opioid abuse.
This support from the alumni is a great help for those that need financial assistance and morale for their treatment.
How Can Relapse Be Prevented After Rehab?
Relapse occurs at any time, especially on the most unexpected occasions. Some people even fall off after years of living sober. This is why most experts call addiction a lifetime journey.
After completing your rehab and aftercare services, you will go back to society where there are many triggers for addiction. If you find your current home, neighborhood, school, or workplace not supportive of your drug-free life, better find a healthier place to reside. Otherwise, continue getting aftercare services to reinforce your good behavior in keeping yourself clean and healthy.
Proper Nutrition
Proper nutrition is achieved by keeping a balanced diet, increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables, staying hydrated, and getting enough rest. It is also important to keep yourself away from unhealthy substances such as smoking and drinking. By keeping a healthy lifestyle, the body can cope better with the challenges of stress.
Physical and Mental Exercise
Physical exercise can be as simple as brisk walking, running, or jogging. Establishing a routine for this brings numerous benefits to the body. Physical exercise increases the natural levels of serotonin and endorphins which leads to an optimistic mental state.
Mental exercise can be done through the form of yoga, meditation, or even journaling. As long as you exercise keeping track of your thoughts and feelings, you are guarding yourself against negative thoughts and low feelings.
Exploring New Adventures
This activity opens opportunities for new perspectives and learning. As simple as learning to love reading books, engaging in sports, cooking, music, and other interests can positively impact the brain. It gets to record a different set of meaningful experiences and induces a drive to develop new skills. On top of that, new connections are born along with this choice. Check this link for more info.
Seeking Help When Necessary
When things get rough in your life after rehab, it is best to seek medical help. This is your best choice to prevent relapse. Visiting a therapist can help you check yourself, and reinforce your positive coping mechanism.
Living a sober life is a continuous process of staying away from triggers and developing new healthy habits. If you need to get external help from professionals, feel free to do so. It’s not a sign of weakness, but rather a smart way to keep yourself clean.
What To Do If Relapse Happens
Seek professional help. When you go into treatment after experiencing a relapse, you know better about how the system works. You can evaluate the things that have worked well and those which did not in your past treatment. This guides you on what actions to take to help you stay sober.
People often neglect the value of aftercare programs and relapse-prevention methods. Some would feel too confident that they are invincible while some would care less about what happens in the future. This attitude is not helpful for people who have a history of substance addiction. Maximizing Cognitive Behavior Therapy would be ideal for this case. All things considered, don’t hesitate to seek medical help to avoid relapse.
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Learn what happens after opioid rehab and how you can maintain sobriety. Read more about aftercare services after opioid rehab.
