Yes. Aftercare is for everyone. Let’s get that out of the way.
That said, blanket generalizations aren’t necessarily helpful and while yes, broadly speaking, drug rehab aftercare is very likely for you, let’s dig into it a bit more.
The chief reason it’s so easy to be so confident about the efficacy of aftercare is that recovery is a lasting, lifelong process. It’s something that’s a continual work in progress and therefore without a real “finish line”. It doesn’t just end one day and given that, aftercare is a helpful part of the process for anyone.
In many ways, treatment and detox are the very, very beginning of recovery. They focus on the near-term goals of getting the toxins out and working through what led you to substances in the first place through counseling, therapy, etc. The process that gets you sober and lays the groundwork for a life of sobriety.
Aftercare, on the contrary, takes the long view and is about preserving and maintaining the sobriety that you’ve worked so hard for. It’s a powerful relapse prevention tool as well. You’re in a particularly vulnerable state when transitioning from rehab back into the realities of the real world and aftercare gives you a space to deal with and healthily work through that.
At the end of the day, drugs and alcohol hold a powerful grip on us and any tools at your disposal that work against that should be strongly considered.
What Are Aftercare Substance Abuse Programs?
The world of aftercare is broad and chock full of options to support your long-term recovery.
For starters, check to see if your rehab facility offers alumni programs or its own aftercare programs.
At Principles Recovery Center we offer both because the empowering and confidence-building nature of them is readily apparent. Alumni programs keep you connected with us, or whichever rehab you went through, and those connections to counselors, staff and, most importantly, other alumni create a meaningful sober network.
Sober living homes are another option you may be familiar with and those are pretty much just what they sound like; a place to live that’s free of substances and with set rules to abide by. They make for an excellent transition from the rigors of inpatient rehab to living on your own which can initially prove overwhelming for some. Particularly if they’re going back to environments that are inherently toxic themselves, with lots of triggers, etc.
Perhaps the most well of the aftercare substance abuse programs is the 12-step program. The Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous’ of the world. These have proven to be crucial lifelines for folks in maintaining sobriety for decades now and can be found the world over. In addition to the 12-steps themselves, a lot of the value in these lies in the regular group meetings where people can talk through their challenges and create bonds. The mentorship you find is huge and as you spend more and more time in the program you can eventually mentor newly sober people yourself. Something that has a profoundly positive impact on you too.
Outpatient care is an alternative to consider as well and yet another that we offer at Principles. It’s more or less a stripped-back version of inpatient care where counseling and group work play the biggest role but you can come and go as you please rather than committing to a long stay. It’s inherently far less prohibitive and allows you to stick with your work, family and other commitments.
Who Should Do A Drug Rehab Aftercare Program?
Doing aftercare is a person-specific choice but with so many options available, finding one that works and benefits you is an easy task. The idea is really to make sobriety as easy and enjoyable as possible, aftercare works towards those ends and provides ample opportunity to make recovery a lasting success. Get in touch with Principles Recovery Center and we’ll not only walk you through our in-house aftercare options but also get you well-versed on the landscape of South Florida aftercare programs like 12-step, sober living homes and the like.
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