The importance of aftercare in addiction recovery December 21, 2020 – Posted in: Sober living

In contrast to the cognitive restructuring strategies typical of traditional CBT, MBRP stresses nonjudgmental attention to thoughts or urges. From this standpoint, urges/cravings are labeled as transient events that need not be acted upon reflexively. This approach is exemplified by the “urge surfing” technique 115, whereby clients are taught to view urges as analogous to an ocean wave that rises, crests, and diminishes.

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Addiction often coexists with mental health challenges, trauma, or life stressors. Aftercare provides space for continued healing of the root causes, helping people stay on a healthy emotional and mental path. A relapse during aftercare may prompt a re-evaluation of https://ecosober.com/ your current treatment plan. Your therapist or counselor may recommend additional therapy or a different approach to treatment to help you regain your sobriety. Following the initial introduction of the RP model in the 1980s, its widespread application largely outpaced efforts to systematically validate the model and test its underlying assumptions.

Identifying and Working Through Triggers for Relapse

Aftercare provides a supportive environment where you can rebuild trust and communication with your family and friends. Family therapy sessions can address underlying issues, open communication channels, and foster forgiveness and understanding. Overcoming addiction is a monumental achievement, akin to scaling a treacherous mountain and reaching the summit with newfound clarity. But just as the descent can be equally challenging, so too is the journey to sustained recovery after rehab. That’s where aftercare, your essential companion on this descent, steps in to guide you safely towards a fulfilling, substance-free life.

What is SMART Recovery?

A relapse prevention plan is a series of strategies, specific coping skills, and techniques that help minimize the risk of returning to substance abuse. Even for individuals who are dedicated to recovery, return to drug or alcohol use is common. Studies show that rates of return to drug and alcohol use among adults and teenagers who have finished a rehab program are as high as 80%. Whether you’re struggling with alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, cannabis use or an eating disorder, studies show that recurrence is a common symptom of addictive behavior. In the period after rehab, aftercare services provide valuable support to help you stay committed to your recovery heroin addiction goals. There is a great deal of heterogeneity in how individuals respond to SUD treatment, including continuing care.4 Even with the most effective interventions, a significant percentage of patients will not exhibit a strongly positive response.

The First 30 Days: From Struggle to Growth

Broad implementation of a continuing care approach will require policy change at numerous levels, including the adoption of long-term patient-based and provider-based strategies and contingencies to optimize and sustain treatment outcomes 139,140. The model of continuing care used to treat physicians and pilots features intensive treatment initially, combined with extended continuing care for 5 years or more, and frequent random drug testing over that period. The active ingredients of the intervention are thought to be rapid detection of relapse to facilitate outreach, accountability, and social support.

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Rapid access to telepsychiatry services ensures medication can be adjusted quickly if symptoms flare. Creating an aftercare plan is a collaborative process that begins during your initial treatment and continues to evolve as your recovery progresses. You’ll meet with a therapist, case manager, or counselor to design a plan tailored to your specific needs, circumstances, and goals. While detox and initial treatment help stabilize and educate individuals, aftercare provides the tools to sustain sobriety in the real world, where triggers and stressors are unavoidable. In some cases, additional support may be necessary to help you overcome your relapse. Your therapist or counselor addiction aftercare may recommend that you participate in a support group, attend additional therapy sessions, or enter a higher level of care, such as a residential treatment program.

Benefits of Aftercare Services

Here are a few pointers on what’s involved and how it can ensure all your hard work pays off. We believe in treating the whole person, not just the addiction, which is why our approach focuses on emotional growth, life skills, and community connection to empower your long-term success. True recovery extends far beyond simply abstaining from substance use—it represents a profound journey of self-improvement, healing, and the pursuit of a more fulfilling, healthier life. These components work together to reinforce the skills learned during treatment while providing a safety net during the transition back to everyday life.

Spending time with sober peers can also inspire you to continue to make positive changes. Gaining new sober friends and planning activities with them can help you recognize that sobriety doesn’t have to be boring. Aftercare can help provide the social support and community you need to maintain long-term recovery. As effective as addiction treatment is, sustaining your sobriety depends on your effective use of coping, grounding, stress management, and communication skills. Without using these skills, you can easily slip back into old behavior patterns and increase your risk of relapse.

• This may involve resume writing, mock interviews, or other resources to assist clients with finding employment.
• Explore the common challenges below to begin understanding the support you’ll need to stay strong in your sobriety as you return to daily life after treatment.
• In the first study to examine relapse in relation to phasic changes in SE 46, researchers reported results that appear consistent with the dynamic model of relapse.
• So far, the apps and SMS programs that have been developed for individuals with SUD tend to fall into two main types.42 Several programs provide simplified versions of complex evidence-based behavioral interventions, such as CBT and the community reinforcement approach.

The studies in Table 1 were classified according to whether or not a statistically significant treatment effect was obtained. Studies with positive results were those in which a significant treatment group difference was obtained on at least one of the primary substance use outcome measure(s), with no primary outcomes favoring the comparison or control condition(s). According to this classification system, 10 of the 20 studies yielded positive results. Not surprisingly, studies with minimal or no continuing care control conditions were somewhat more likely to yield a positive result (7 of 11, or 64%), compared to those with active continuing care comparison control conditions (3 of 9, or 33%). A systematic review of the methodological rigor of the studies included in review is beyond the scope of the article. For example, 17 of 20 studies featured random assignment of patients to two or more conditions.

We understand that recovery is a lifelong commitment, and our post-treatment resources connect http://test.bahaimot.one/real-stories-about-drug-addiction-and-recovery-2/ you with a supportive community to navigate the challenges and celebrate the triumphs of life after addiction. Although we do not provide family therapy specifically or provide treatment options for siblings, we do facilitate referrals as needed in this regard. We also provide evidence-based coaching, support, and services to parents of young people with substance-related problems who are not yet willing to seek treatment themselves.

They allow you to maintain contact with the treatment provider and also connect with others who have completed addiction treatment. If you completed a standard outpatient program, your aftercare plan may include joining a 12-step support group and finding a counselor to provide continued therapeutic and social support. For example, someone who has had a substance use disorder for 20 years, has little family support, and just completed a 90-day inpatient rehab needs a different aftercare plan than someone who recently started abusing drugs and has a strong support network in place.