The first step toward sobriety is to stop intake of the addictive substance, which is why treatment of addiction begins with detoxification. But successful recovery from addiction doesn’t end here.
Successful recovery is dependent on maintaining sobriety after the initial withdrawal, making aftercare an essential component of any addiction treatment plan. Aftercare is the addiction treatment that happens after the first attainment of sobriety and includes various types of care that can be tailored to meet the needs of a recovering addict. Relapse after an initial detox is common because recovery from addiction requires long-term commitment, which can be difficult. Rise in Malibu is here to tell you, fortunately, aftercare substance abuse programs are a pivotal way for recovering individuals to invest in their long-term sobriety and avoid relapses.
What Is Aftercare?
Aftercare is structured addiction treatment that takes place after the initial detox from drugs or alcohol with the purpose of maintaining long-term abstinence from the addictive substance. Aftercare substance abuse programs have the goals of maintaining recovery from substance abuse, preventing relapse, and achieving a life of fulfilling relationships and a sense of purpose. Addiction aftercare is essential because prolonged substance abuse can cause physical and psychological impacts that are not instantly reversed once the substance is removed from the body. To undo the effects of addiction, effective aftercare often takes at least 90 days of treatment according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Quality aftercare substance abuse programs focus holistically on an individual, often addressing their housing, transportation, employment, finances, relationships, and mental health. Aftercare can take on several forms:
- Outpatient Treatment—allows recovering addicts to attend treatment during the day but return home at night. These options might range in intensity depending on the needs of the individual from partial hospitalization programs (PHP) to intensive outpatient programs (IOP) to individual or group therapy.
- Sober Living Arrangements—are a kind of addiction aftercare suited for those recovering from addiction without safe or stable home environments or those without strong support systems. Sober living arrangements include therapeutic communities, recovery housing, sober living homes, or halfway houses.
- Support Groups—offer individuals recovering from addiction support networks to continue their sobriety in the long-term. This aftercare option can take several forms including 12 step programs, like Alcoholics Anonymous, or non-12 step programs for those looking for a more secular approach. Either way, support groups provide a space for people who are going through or have gone through similar experiences to help one another.
Why Are Aftercare Substance Abuse Programs Important?
Addiction is an on-going condition, so it requires ongoing treatment. Recovering addicts that utilize aftercare programs experiences lower rates of relapse than those who do not take advantage of aftercare services. In addition to the increased likelihood of sustained sobriety, aftercare substance abuse programs have several other valuable benefits. Addiction aftercare helps with:
- Transition: Aftercare helps ease an individual recovering from addiction out of inpatient treatment which is a highly structured controlled environment. The step out from inpatient care can often be overwhelming, but aftercare can help smooth the transition back into the real world.
- Building Skills: Aftercare often provides recovering addicts with the tools they need to cope, such as learning how to deal with triggers and manage stress. Aftercare programs also often provide skills for navigating relationships and employment in recovery.
- Finding Community: Aftercare substance abuse programs often create programs to help recovering addicts build social networks, improve and engage in healthy relationships, and become involved in a community. The community aspect of aftercare is critical as it can help develop strong relationships as well as a sense of belonging and hope.
The right aftercare for any individual takes a comprehensive approach to treatment and understands sobriety is a lifetime commitment. Finding the right aftercare is foundational to successful recovery.
Continue Aftercare With Rise in Malibu
The Continue Rising Aftercare Program is Rise in Malibu’s aftercare plan focusing on relapse prevention and continued progress after leaving the residential treatment program. The Continue Rising Aftercare Program acknowledges the fact that relapse often occurs in the first three months home and works to combat this by creating a plan for aftercare during the third week of treatment. These plans consider housing, transportation, community support, and case management to tailor aftercare to the individual in order to maintain the gains achieved while in residential care. If you are interested in continuing aftercare with Rise in Malibu contact us.
