June 22, 2022
Life after drug rehab is more challenging than we think. This article talks about the challenges faced by recovering addicts to better understand the needs during this time of transition.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD), commonly referred to as addiction, is often steeped with negative stereotypes and stigma. This makes it difficult for a lot of people who badly need specialized treatments to seek help and get the right programs they need to recover.
Additionally, this stigma also adds to the challenges recovering addicts face after completing treatment programs. In this article, we’ll talk about life after drug rehabilitation to better understand our or a loved one’s needs during this time of transition.
In 2018 alone, around 19 million Americans as young as 12 needed an addiction treatment, but not all were able to pursue or complete one.
With less than 50% of people in need of recovery programs actually getting the right treatment they need, completing a rehabilitation program for substance abuse recovery is already a feat. Additionally, life after rehab for recovering addicts can be overwhelming. The next section offers some information to better understand post-treatment challenges for people with substance use disorders in recovery.
Often, we associate addiction recovery with only abstinence. However, recovery is more complex than we assume. People recovering from substance abuse will most likely encounter challenges after their treatment.
1. Cravings
One of main challenges after rehab is the cravings for the particular substance. Being able to build a set of healthy coping mechanisms during these times is crucial in maintaining sobriety. Generally, it takes a multifaceted approach to address this concern. It includes understanding triggers and avoiding them, strategies to not give in to craving, mindfulness, and other approaches.
2. Altered Relationships
Drug addiction changes relationships in a lot of ways. One of them is when a recovering addict has previously hurt relationships with their family and friends. Often, re-integrating into relationships after rehabilitation can be a major challenge.
Another case is when patients in recovery have done substance use mostly as a social endeavor. For them, completing rehabilitation also means building a new circle of friends and surrounding themselves with a community that will support their sobriety. This is especially a greater challenge for those in recovery who have come from families that are also substance users.
Generally, people in recovery will have a hard time re-establishing their roles in their community because of how substance use disorders have altered their ways of thinking about themselves and the world. Supportive Housings and other post-care services after rehab are especially helpful in this time of transition.
3. Difficulties In Mundane Activities
Often, people in recovery from addiction will encounter difficulties in seemingly normal things like maintaining work or going to school. A lot of people after rehab will still have fears and anxieties related to their addiction, and these often interfere with their day to day life. Additionally, the stigma that surrounds addiction may make it difficult to find work for a recovering addict after completing a rehab program. This may also apply to getting education, finding new friends, and reconnecting with family members.
4. Financial Struggles
Addiction to substances often has negative economic consequences. Most often than not, patients have made poor financial decisions to fund their addiction. Another contributor to the financial burden of addiction is getting treatments. For patients that need to be admitted to an inpatient drug program, they would likely not be working or earning an income during their treatment.
The good news is that most addiction treatment programs can be covered by insurance, and treatment program coordinators can be of help in finding work options for recovering addicts prior or after completing the rehabilitation program.
Lastly, it is also important to note that getting the help you need to achieve your recovery is always worth the cost.
5. Feelings Of Aloneness, Isolation, Alienation
Big changes often follow after completing rehabilitation. This often leads to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and other difficult feelings associated with the complications of life after rehab. Dealing with these emotions is often considered the biggest recovery challenge because most people in recovery revert to substance use to deal and cope with these challenging feelings. As mentioned, building the right coping strategies is crucial in addiction recovery.
6. Relapse
Recovery is often a journey huddled with relapses. According to studies, people in recovery will experience relapse even after completing rehabilitation treatment. Experts say that this is common and should not discourage patients from continuing their recovery. In fact, it takes eight years or more to achieve long-term remission even with high quality treatment and medical care. This means that recovery and maintaining sobriety is a lifelong commitment, and relapses should not hinder recovery to eventually achieve the better life a patient is aiming for.
7. Overdose
After rehab, there is the threat of overdose. Often, this happens when a person consumes the same amount of substance they used before rehab when their body is no longer tolerant to the substance. After detoxification or removing the substance from your system, the body basically comes back to its normal state. Using the same ‘safe’ amount before the detox leads to overdose because the body is no longer a match of that same amount.
To reiterate, continuing care is needed even after rehab to properly facilitate a smooth transition from highly structured living to a less structured one.
According to studies, 75% of people seeking recovery will achieve their goals of freedom from substance use and attain recovery. Often, this recovery is accomplished over a period of time with proper after-care services to support the journey to wellness. Some of these include:
These services and programs help patients build healthy coping mechanisms and learn new life skills, After-care programs after drug rehabilitation help prevent relapses and overdose cases and may even connect people in recovery to better support networks.
Although life after rehab can be very overwhelming, supportive programs to help a lasting recovery are accessible. With the advice of a mental health professional, they can be utilized simultaenously or integrated with one another to deliver the best result. More holistic programs are now available to better fit your needs, and this is our pledge here at Another Chance. We offer evidence-based treatments and services to help our patients heal and experience life to the fullest. We create a unique and safe environment to address the specific needs of young adults and professionals on their road to healing.
We believe that everyone deserves another chance. Let us help you find yours.
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