Moving out of a rehab facility doesn’t mean that your treatment is absolutely over as you still need to have aftercare. Seeking treatment is really not the end of your addiction, and this is why aftercare is required especially in the first years of recovery.
So you’ve just completed your treatment in a rehab facility. You may be hoping or tempted to be able to say that your problems with addiction are finally over. However, the story is not over yet. There’s still work to do–this is where aftercare comes in.
What is aftercare?
Aftercare is any subsequent form of intervention or counseling that follows the initial rehabilitation treatment, which is usually residential in nature. This often come in the form of counseling sessions, support groups, or follow-up meetings. Here, you will be guided and reminded of the life skills and coping strategies that were taught to you while in residential treatment.
Fighting relapse
About 50% of people who have undergone addiction rehabilitation or treatment may risk relapsing. Some of them recover eventually, while others don’t. While this can be a sad statistic, the good news is, relapse is preventable. The best way to fight relapse is to keep being on your toes during the first 60 days after discharge from the facility. The this risk reduces the longer you stay in recovery.
Importance of Aftercare to Fight Relapse
Those who receive regular aftercare are less likely to relapse because they get motivated and supported throughout their recovery journey, especially in the early stages of recovery where emotions and cravings are high.
While you may learn a lot within your stay in a treatment facility, your learning will truly be tested during your life outside. Here, the learning process continues and reality kicks in.
[…] Does it offer group and family therapy as well as marriage counselling? Does it have an aftercare program for a more sustainable sobriety and a consistent support system of […]