Aftercare
The challenges of recovery don’t end once you have completed your addiction treatment program, so developing a strong support network is essential for your long-term success. Addiction can be an isolating disease. You may think you can handle it on your own, but you’re far more likely to relapse without a solid support network in place.
Aftercare is designed to help you make the transition from treatment back to your home environment and everyday life through a wide variety of evidence-based practices and services provided by both peers and professionals¹. A typical aftercare plan will include ongoing individual, group, and family therapy as well as participation in a community-based, peer recovery support group like Alcoholics Anonymous or Smart Recovery.
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Aftercare Helps Prevent Relapse
Relapse prevention is the main goal of an aftercare plan, but not the only goal. Building a healthy, productive life is the long-term goal of going through rehab and achieving sobriety, so your aftercare plan should continue to move you in that direction. The details of your plan will depend on your home environment and usual routines so that every possibility for a relapse can be identified. Without an aftercare plan in place, the chances of a relapse are significantly higher. Most importantly, an aftercare plan provides rehab graduates with a blueprint for the future.
Types of Aftercare Programs
- Outpatient treatment: Our intermediate intensive outpatient programs are ideal for those who wish to continue treatment on a part-time basis.
- 12-Step Programs: During 12-step meetings, clients will both receive and provide support and encouragement from peers in recovery.
- Sober living homes: Sober living homes are group homes for those in recovery. Clients have the opportunity to work, go to school, and maintain daily responsibilities while continuing in long-term recovery. We work with a select network of reputable sober living or transitional living homes for both men and women in Florida and other parts of the country. We are meticulous about the sober living homes we recommend, and they must meet specific accreditation and ethical standards according to our guidelines.
- Support Groups: Support groups have been proven to be helpful in recovery; in fact, studies have shown that individuals who regularly attend 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are more likely to stay sober after treatment³. These groups and programs also provide a wealth of opportunities to make new sober friends. Don’t give up if the first couple of groups you try aren’t an ideal fit. Most cities have numerous support groups to choose from, and you may need to visit a few before you find the right one for your needs.
- Professional Support: Therapists, counselors, doctors, and other professionals can play a valuable role in your support network, but they can only help you if you’re honest with them. It’s natural to feel a bit reluctant about sharing details of your addiction and recovery; however, you can’t get the maximum support from the professionals in your network unless you tell them the full story. Be honest and open, and you’ll be able to rely on these professionals to get you through challenging periods in your recovery.
- Family Program: Your family members can be a tremendous source of support during recovery. Substance abuse is a “family disease”4, and your loved ones may have their own issues to resolve. Codependency and anger are common issues among family members of an addict. In some cases, family program and support groups geared toward family members can help open up the lines of communication and heal the damage caused by addiction.
- Alumni Programs: Alumni programs are an important part of relapse prevention because they help connect the recovery community and help recovering addicts live healthy, sober lives after rehab. Alumni events, newsletters, family days, and group therapy can help maintain sobriety, even in the face of real-life challenges. Alumni programs are designed for those who have successfully graduated from drug and alcohol rehabilitation and are actively rebuilding their lives.
Long Term Recovery
Destination Hope offers a wide array of aftercare services that will benefit current and former alumni, as well as their families. All alumni meetings, activities, and events are FREE and open to all current and former patients.
Sobriety is not a short-term commitment, which is why Destination Hope is dedicated to patients’ success long after they have completed treatment. Our substance abuse counselors and staff will help you or your loved one create a long-term recovery plan for life after treatment, and we also encourage alumni and their families to participate in support group sessions. Individual and group therapy sessions are offered for all alumni and family members are welcome to attend scheduled sessions whenever they would like.
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