Aftercare:
The Journey Back to Self
In my experience I have found that aftercare is essential for relapse prevention; with the right kind of preparation and support found in aftercare recovery addicts can maintain their hard-won sobriety and build a lifetime foundation for recovery. During the fragile time in the weeks and months after leaving treatment or in between programs, people are the most at risk for relapse. This is why I have recently begun a close collaboration with the team at Alyst Recovery. I think it’s important to share a little bit about Alyst Recovery, and the significance of aftercare for successful long-term recovery.
During recovery, “aftercare” is the tender time following a patient’s release from rehab, the hospital, or another healthcare facility. When this happens, individuals need a plan that will build on the treatment they received. With the right care and guidance, I believe anyone can successfully navigate the spiritual "journey back to self,” but not all approaches are created equally.
The reality is that recovery from addiction is a lifelong daily maintenance program. If you set yourself up with a solid aftercare plan, it can help minimize the risk of falling back into addictive behaviors and self-destructive patterns, and keep you moving forward on the road to recovery.
Once someone has actively arrested the disease of addiction, detoxed, and stabilized, they need to focus on relapse prevention tools from a treatment program. They also need to prepare a strategy for life after treatment, because in my experience, it's not hard to get sober—it's hard to stay sober. That's why I believe aftercare is so important.
Treatment: The First Step Of The Recovery Journey
Aftercare is everything that comes after formal treatment so first, you want to make sure you get the “care” component right. It’s nothing new for treatment programs to say that addiction involves all aspects of someone’s life, but what Alyst Recovery does differently is tailor all aspects of treatment to the individual’s life by bringing rehab to the comfort and privacy of their home.
As active addicts, we are not able to see our true selves, but upon entering into a drug and alcohol treatment center, we get to begin our self-discovery journey. Treatment begins by getting to the root causes of our addiction, digging deep to reveal the experiences that have shaped us, the good and bad, without judgment, shame, or regret. This helps us realize what our beliefs are so we can practice principles to live by.
However, for some people, the thought of entering a traditional treatment center to start the journey can be a dealbreaker that prevents them from getting the help they need. Many people I talk to are concerned about a lack of privacy (especially in the days of social media) or simply can’t put their lives on hold for months at a time to enter a residential treatment program. Yet that self-discovery journey still has to happen somewhere, and Alyst Recovery has found a way to make it happen at home.
As important as it is to go through rehab and treatment, in a way, there is a false sense of reality and protection where we are removed from all triggers that exist in the outside world. Alyst Recovery’s approach is one with the real world that teaches you the skills you need to cope from day one while empowering you to practice those skills in real time. It's the perfect time to learn about "triggers," which are environmental, social, and psychological factors that can trigger substance abuse, because you’ll have the same level of support as residential rehab with a 24/7 Certified Recovery Agent.
At the same time, Alyst Recovery’s at-home approach means you can ground recovery in therapeutic treatment as well as a range of lifestyle interests like:
Yoga
Kickboxing
Art therapy
Music therapy
Cooking and nutrition
Alyst Recovery builds aftercare preparation into their approach from day one. You’re set up for success after treatment because you’re already practicing the skills you need right where you’ll need them while also exploring healthy activities and interests as part of your daily routine.
Aftercare: When The Rubber Hits The Road
During rehab, there is structure, safety, and consistency, and all of that helps us stay sober. However, when the rubber hits the road and it's time to move on and leave treatment, creating your one-of-a-kind aftercare plan is vital to maintaining long-term sobriety.
With Alyst Recovery, the best part is that aftercare generally doesn’t look all that different from the initial care you receive. You have access to the same team should you ever need them, and while you may not attend formal treatment sessions; you will integrate the skills and tools you learned without having to think about it.
For my recovery journey, I discovered that I could replace my bad habits with a multitude of positive things that would benefit my life. Part of my "journey back to self" was realizing how important it was to discover what I am passionate about and what motivates me! These are things that give me purpose ... and a life of purpose is usually a happier one.
In addition, like many of us in recovery, a huge part of getting to know ourselves is also continuing to seek professional help from therapy.
Here are some ideas for what your aftercare plan of self-discovery can include:
Locating resources in the community through case managers.
One-to-one counseling sessions as well as group therapy.
Getting dialed in with your local church, synagogue, or ministry.
12-step programs such as AA, or Al-Anon/Nar-Anon (which are free).
Educational programs to provide information on the nature of addiction and mental illness, such as SMART Recovery.
Taking psychotherapeutic medications if necessary under the supervision of a doctor.
Using coping strategies for addiction and mental illness instead of drugs when possible.
Building stronger, closer relationships with friends and family members.
Finding and maintaining employment—financial security helps.
Find your passion, what motivates you, your favorite hobbies, and how and where to be of service to others in need.
In a lifetime of "aftercare," there are going to be many new situations to face sober and new opportunities for how to cope with stress, life circumstances, and even "cravings." However, the early stages of aftercare are the most crucial time for patients to continue with counseling sessions and support groups to help cope with emotionally vulnerable states and high-risk situations.
Your Lifelong Journey to Self: Recovery Aftercare
Coping with addiction is a lifelong journey to self—discovering the light of who you are without the shadow of addiction. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel of new recovery takes time, assistance, and an extremely solid foundation for success in aftercare. Staying sober and learning how to establish good habits is a start, but continuing to maintain them takes a concerted effort and commitment.
I'm grateful to have the opportunity to work in many capacities in the world of treatment, aftercare, and recovery. I especially like working with programs like Alyst Recovery that are dedicated to revolutionizing treatment options for people who have been affected by substance abuse. They truly make recovery realistic for anyone’s lifestyle.
If you think an at-home approach to addiction recovery may offer a better fit for your daily routine than conventional rehab, I encourage you to learn more about the inspiring work Alyst Recovery is doing.