Following on from rehab, to provide the experience of comprehensive recovery stands aftercare, a service which recovering addicts can make use of through outpatient addiction treatment.
Offered on an immediate basis, to bridge the gap between residential rehab and sober living, there are many benefits attached to keeping up with aftercare.
Understandably, some individuals will hope to see the end of drug and alcohol rehabilitation once a return home is recommended. Committing to aftercare as a subsequent step is perceived as long-winded, and as prolonging the memory of addiction.
However, such views are incorrect, through quality aftercare offerings, in fact, viewed as a necessary stepping stone for many.
As aftercare is invaluable, from its position within relapse prevention efforts and sustainable coping, at Addiction Advocates, we not only hope to increase the awareness of its services but also encourage uptake.
Here’s some information around recovery aftercare services, along with the benefits of keeping up with aftercare on a post-rehab basis. If you’re yet to experience rehab, feel free to also reach out for guidance with your referral, to encounter a comprehensive recovery journey.
What is aftercare?
Aftercare is the offering of ongoing support, care, and addiction treatment, for recovering addicts who’ve completed rehab. It’s usually free for 12 months post-rehab where a comprehensive programme has been finished.
Offered through outpatient rehab, there are different types of aftercare to experience, which are normally recommended to clients on a personal basis. This is the case through our affiliated treatment centres here at Addiction Advocates, carrying from rehab itself.
As aftercare is a flexible service, just like drug and alcohol rehabilitation, exact recommendations will be provided once you leave rehab. Yet, ultimately, aftercare will be encouraged, no matter how recovered you may feel, down to the value that it offers.
See below the types of aftercare you can look to experience, along with the benefits of keeping up with aftercare consistently and indefinitely.
The importance of aftercare post-rehab
As post-rehab life can be difficult to adjust to, as you leave the bubble of residential rehab and return to reality, aftercare has its own role to play within the addiction recovery journey.
You may feel vulnerable or anxious when you leave rehab. You may in fact feel alone, as this far, your existing relationships may have dwindled. You may also feel like your new reality is an unfamiliar one, down to the existence of your addiction.
Aftercare will ease all struggles, from providing reassurance and sources of confidence to offering a full support network and guidance with climatising to sober living.
For some, it can stand as a lifeline, while for others it provides structure and assurance, that recovery efforts can withstand relapse risks and a new norm.
As a service, aftercare in fact wears many hats, deviating from its universal image. You can look to experience those benefits, by accepting, partaking, and keeping up with aftercare.
The benefits of keeping up with aftercare
Aftercare may feel monotonous after a while. Yet, its intentions and purpose most definitely outweigh such feelings, down to the multifaceted role it plays in long-term recovery. Here are some of the benefits you can expect by keeping up with aftercare recommendations and schedules.
- Provides structure
Leaving rehab can feel like a whirlwind, where you’ll lack routine. Aftercare sessions can help define the structure of your routine, where weekly sessions will likely be recommended and proactively incorporated into your schedule.
- Provides guidance through adjustment
As post-rehab life will be new to you, manoeuvring through change and adjustments may feel overwhelming. Aftercare services are in place to offer guidance through those changes, by providing you with a means of face-to-face contact, to remain invested in your recovery journey.
- Provides sources of accountability
Life after rehab will be a test of independent recovery. One of the key benefits of keeping up with aftercare is that you’ll be influenced to be accountable for your next steps.
It can be difficult to gain sources of inspiration while embarking alone through recovery. Aftercare will provide regular sources, to increase your responsibility for your actions.
- Provides relapse prevention planning
Relapse risks are a concern for many when leaving rehab. Preventing relapse will be the goal, by continuing your progress from rehab. Relapse prevention planning will be incorporated into aftercare, to instil confidence and direction throughout potential risks.
Knowing how to respond to relapse risks will be very helpful, reducing the downfall of regression. It’s important to remember that relapse risks are common.
Yet how you do respond, usually positively with the input of relapse prevention planning, will define how your future recovery journey pans out.
- Provides opportunities to develop positive coping strategies
Coping strategies will guide recovering addicts through ongoing recovery. They will assist with securing positive responses to drug and alcohol exposure, ensuring that sobriety can be maintained.
Aftercare will provide guidance on how to cope, with realism in mind. It can be difficult to develop healthy coping strategies prior to this point, as you’ll be unaware of your response to post-rehab life.
- Provides personalised support through the tests of sobriety
Through our services here at Addiction Advocates, you can expect personalised forms of support. Aftercare, just like your active rehabilitation journey will be tailored to your needs, lifestyle, and susceptibility.
- Provides perspective and connectivity
As you may feel alone on a post-rehab basis, aftercare will position you to feel connected with other recovering addicts, while also developing your perspective.
By keeping up with aftercare, you can build a strong support network, of like-minded people, to work through the tests of long-term recovery.
Common types of aftercare services
Aftercare services will be personalised to you. Yet commonly, AA and NA meetings will be recommended, fully reflecting the above benefits.
Accountability, support, structure, and ongoing motivation can most definitely be experienced through support group styled aftercare services.
Alongside active talking therapy, depending on your personal needs, you may also require guidance with your lifestyle, may need great input with relapse prevention planning, and may also look to invest in counselling, for emotional recovery.
There are different types of aftercare that play different roles throughout the addiction recovery journey. Experience them for yourself, along with the benefits of keeping up with aftercare.
At Addiction advocates, we can ensure that you’ll have access to aftercare, on a post-rehab basis, prior to your admission. Through such reassurance, you can be aware that care will continue for you, measuring as comprehensive.
Reach out for more information on post-rehab life, along with the contents of aftercare.
