02 Nov What To Do After Addiction Treatment
Whether you entered drug addiction treatment willingly or at the request of your friends or family, you most likely left treatment feeling like a new person. The guidance you received and the people you met along the way have probably opened your eyes to new ways of life and better ways of thinking and dealing with your problems.
Once the safety net of addiction treatment is lifted, people in recovery sometimes find it difficult to get back in the swing of things. Before treatment, you might have only associated with fellow drug users and don’t want to fall back into the same social circle. You may not yet have a job lined up or a place to live. You may be worried about relapsing and are lacking a proper support system. The transition can be difficult, to say the least. But don’t fret! Feeling anxiety over your new situation is inevitable; don’t let it defeat you. After all, you just went through treatment and are already growing into a stronger person. Don’t stop now.
Stick to a Recovery Routine
Most treatment centers will not throw you out on the street without a continued treatment plan. Returning to meetings and therapy sessions has shown to be helpful for long term treatment, so continue to go to those meetings. Ask your treatment center for a list of 12 step meetings in your local area and actively participate in them. Stay engaged in your recovery!
Find a Good Social Circle
It’s critical that you find or keep good friends after addiction treatment. While it may be tempting to visit old friends with old habits, if it puts your sobriety at risk, skip it. You might be surprised at how easy it is to find sober friends at meetings and events in the sober community. Network with those people, network with your sponsor and their friends, keep family close. The rehab experience creates bonds among people, but if those same people begin to relapse around you, get out. Also keep in mind that just because someone isn’t sober and engages in a recreational drink every now and then doesn’t mean they won’t be a good friend to you. Keep toxic people out of your life and keep supportive people in.
If You Don’t Have One, Get a Job
Now that you’re out of the rehab bubble, you’ll need to find a job and become independent. Having an everyday routine is important to maintaining sobriety, and a job is perfect for this. If you’re having trouble in this department, many treatment centers, including Florida Recovery Group, offer job placement and career services. Florida Recovery Group actually has a 90% job placement rate!
Stay Engaged with Your Mental Health
Many people who develop substance abuse problems are also suffering from mental health issues. It’s important that you continue to work on whatever mental health problems you’re facing in a healthy and proactive way. Now that you have the coping skills to stay away from drugs, really concentrate on the big issues you’re facing. You probably dealt with uncovering under-the-surface problems that led to your drug abuse while in treatment. Now it’s time to face them head on without drugs.
