Just because you have finished a rehabilitation program does not mean you can slack off on your recovery. Recovery must be integrated into your daily life in order to have life-long progress. Just because your transition back into regular life isn’t easy, doesn’t mean it has to be overtly challenging either. Here are some do’s and don’ts of how to navigate life post-rehab.
Some do’s of life after rehab start with making new friends. This is pivotal in making sure you maintain your sobriety after treatment. Leaving old friends is important because they can pull you back to the temptation and patterns of life before being drug and alcohol free. While it can be painful to cut ties, it is worth forgoing the risky-odds that you will fall back into old patterns.
Another ‘do’ is to get involved in your local community and do group activities that will keep you in an active role in your recovery. Whether it be a group fitness class or outpatient meetings, it is important in sustaining your sobriety. Another suggestion is to create a recovery plan while in rehab, and make sure that you stick to it after your treatment. This should include things like self-care, exercise, and new hobbies. Another ‘do’ is to know when you are not ok, and when to re-seek treatment. Throwing in the towel is nothing to be ashamed of, and it is better to be preventative than to relapse in the wake of successful treatment. However, even small relapses do not discredit your progress. Some people go ten years without having a relapse, which goes to show long periods of sobriety (and a sober life) is possible.
Now, it is important to understand the don’ts after treatment. The first being, not to underestimate your disease and knowing when to not cross certain boundaries. By respecting the disease’s capacity to destroy, you are more likely to take precautionary action and protect yourself from any potential damage. Another don’t is to avoid spending time in places that may have originally triggered you. For instance, going to a bar will want to trigger you to drink. By not putting yourself in those positions you remove the possibility of having a relapse. A common problem of individuals who leave rehab centers is replacing one addiction with another. Most addicts are habitual in their lifestyle, and removing a steadfast addiction can easily make way for other obsessions such as over-exercising or chain smoking. And last, but not least, is to not get too cocky with your ability to ward off relapse. The moment you think you have control of your addiction is the moment it can strike the swiftest.
Asana Recovery is available post-treatment for counseling and follow up sessions, so if you or a loved one believe you need to regroup after treatment, you can reach us at (949) 438-4504.
