Deciding to attend substance use treatment is a life-altering move. However, it’s only the first step on the road to long-term recovery. An addiction aftercare program is an essential element of any comprehensive treatment program for maintaining sobriety.
Aftercare provides individual support as you navigate the many challenges to your sobriety. If you’re wondering how to maintain sobriety after treatment, preparation is key. These three tips for maintaining sobriety can help you turn your addiction recovery into a lasting one.
If you’re looking for more support on your recovery journey, Woodland Recovery Center can help. Call 662.222.2989 today to learn more about the addiction aftercare program at Woodland Recovery Center.
Top Tips for Maintaining Sobriety After Treatment
There’s no magic formula for how to maintain sobriety after treatment. However, there are several tried-and-true techniques that have helped countless individuals achieve their goal of long-term recovery from substance use disorder.
Enroll in an Aftercare Program
Attending a rehab-led addiction aftercare program is one of the most powerful tools available when it comes to successfully maintaining recovery. Aftercare sessions are led by behavioral health professionals.
In many ways, sessions offer a continuation of the support and oversight you received while in treatment. As you reenter the workforce and return to daily life, staying connected to peers and treatment professionals helps keep the lessons of rehab front and center in your life.
Join an Addiction Support Group
Addiction support groups come in many shapes and sizes. 12-step groups are hugely popular, and meetings are usually available even in small towns. However, there are also many other types of addiction support groups in existence. Some of the most popular addiction support groups include:
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Celebrate Recovery
- SMART Recovery
- Dharma Recovery
Many of these meet online, allowing you to build community and find an approach to supporting recovery that works for you.
Create a Relapse Prevention Plan
Creating a relapse prevention plan is a common activity during inpatient treatment. If you created one during treatment, keep it accessible and review it regularly. If you haven’t created one yet, making one as soon as possible is a good idea.
You can look online for ideas when it comes to the format of your plan. Most plans ask you to identify warning signs that you might be at risk of relapse and list out the concrete steps you’ll take instead of using substances.
The Challenges of Maintaining Sobriety
In recovery circles, the early days during and after treatment are often referred to as the “pink cloud.” Being free of substance use can bring a flood of positive emotions: hope, excitement, and even euphoria.
While it’s natural to feel excited about the prospects of how your life will change in recovery, it’s also important to stay grounded. If you’re not careful, that initial flood of positive feelings can lead to a false sense of confidence.
It’s important not to underestimate how easy it can be to relapse. Hanging out with an old friend or having dinner with family members who urge you to have a drink can easily result in a return to substance use.
In early recovery, it’s essential to always put your recovery from substance use first. Staying connected to a recovery community, having a plan in place, and participating in formal aftercare programs are all powerful ways to help you stay on track as you continue to strengthen the foundation laid in treatment.
Navigate Recovery with Addiction Aftercare at Woodland Recovery Center
Making it through a treatment program is a challenging but rewarding process. Unfortunately, the greatest challenges to maintaining sobriety aren’t encountered until treatment comes to an end.
Attempting to navigate early recovery without a support system is a huge mistake. If you’ve already done the work of attending treatment, you’ve laid the foundation for a new way of life. Taking the time to bolster the lessons learned in treatment is the best way to ensure that your life in recovery becomes a lasting one.
Call 662.222.2989 or contact us online to learn more about the addiction aftercare program at Woodland Recovery Center.
