Aftercare

So what happens after a patient completes a drug rehab program?

For an alarming number, they will return to their addiction within a year—many in half that time. The death grip of addiction is that strong. How can it be broken?

No one becomes an addict overnight. It happens gradually, and the drug’s pleasurable sensations or numbing effects continually reinforce that behavior. Similarly, undoing the tangled web of addiction is also a gradual process. The experience of rehab is a strong beginning, but something that took years to establish can’t be completely eradicated in a month or two.

Those who are most successful in remaining drug-free indefinitely cite their ongoing involvement with sober, drug free people and their participation in a program of support. This is what aftercare can provide.

With aftercare, patients can maintain a connection to their counselors and the new friends they met during rehab. These positive relationships can offer invaluable support during the difficult early stages of recovery.

Aftercare programs encourage former patients to visit the drug rehab center regularly for workshops and discussions on issues related to abstinence and recovery, and to receive continued therapy on an as-needed basis.

In some aftercare programs, ongoing access to counseling is available for both the patient and his or her family. In the counseling environment, families can explore and identify their patterns of behavior toward each other. If there are issues of trust, anger or fear, these feelings can be aired in aftercare therapy before they threaten to undermine the patient’s recovery.

Most aftercare programs offer a regular schedule of on-site 12 Step meetings, open to all current and former patients. In addition to the ongoing support these meetings provide, they also help foster new friendships among people committed to recovery.

Those who take advantage of aftercare programs will continually reinforce the lessons learned in drug rehab. This is the basis for keeping the disease of addiction in constant remission.

To find a drug rehab treatment center that offers effective an effective program, as well as outstanding aftercare services, please call (800) 231-6025. You’ll speak with an understanding person who can refer you to programs in your area.