Living in addiction recovery has many challenges. Although some people might think that recovery only involves treatment at a rehab center, the truth is that it is a life-long process. Rehab is an important first step in addiction treatment, but after detox, users must reenter daily life and figure out how to stay sober long-term. This task can be overwhelming, so it’s important for users to begin life after treatment with a plan for success.
Aspects of the Recovery Process
Recovery is a complex and long-term process that involves several components. As a 2007 report from the Betty Ford Institute explains, many healthcare professionals understand recovery as a process that includes the following elements:
- Sobriety, which means users refrain from using non-prescribed drugs or alcohol
- Citizenship, which means people respect other people around them
- Personal health, which means users take care of themselves mentally, physically and spiritually
If users utilize the aforementioned options, they might get and stay clean from drug abuse.
How Rehab Prepares Patients for Long-Term Addiction Recovery
Most rehab centers focus not only on treating addiction, but also on preparing users for life after treatment. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains, rehab centers commonly help users in the following ways:
- Individual and group counseling – In treatment sessions, users learn to maintain sobriety and manage substance abuse after treatment ends. Users might also engage in family therapy, which helps them and their families learn to interact in healthy and productive ways.
- An adequate amount of treatment – Every user’s recovery process will be different, so users should be willing to stay in rehab for as long as necessary to strengthen their recovery
- Treatment for co-occurring mental health concerns – People who deal with addiction usually struggle with at least one other mental health condition. Therefore, it is essential for users to treat any mental health concerns they have so they can continue with recovery.
In other words, users can recover with the right help.
Keys to Long-Term Addiction Recovery
In treatment, people can learn how to maintain addiction recovery, but eventually treatment will end and users must reenter their regular lives. When this happens, they will need to understand the following keys to long-term recovery:
- Developing positive relationships – Whether users restore relationships with friends and family members or they make new sober friends, they must find people who support and encourage recovery so that they are not alone
- Finding healthy activities – These acts could include any substance-free activity that allows the mind and body to explore and enjoy the world
- Learning forgiveness and patience – This skill helps users deal with other people who frustrate them or let them down. Since the recovery process has its low points, it will also help users forgive themselves when they make mistakes along the way.
If users have the right support, they can get and stay clean from drug abuse.
Find Help in Addiction Recovery
Recovery begins the moment users decide to get help for addiction, but it doesn’t end after rehab. Instead, it lasts for a person’s whole life, and requires a commitment to one’s self, other people and to a healthy lifestyle. If you or someone you love is wondering about what happens after addiction treatment ends, give us a call at 615-490-9376. Our admissions coordinators are available to answer your questions about the recovery process, and they can also connect you with treatment.
