When taking the vital step of seeking help with alcohol addiction, you might be focused solely on getting through the treatment, taking it one day at a time. This is important to make the process manageable, even if you have been lucky enough to receive luxury alcohol treatment at a high end clinic.
However, you also need to think ahead to life after rehab, and prepare yourself for the things you will face when you leave the confines of a treatment facility. Here is a look at what that could involve and how you can cope with your return to the real world.
Embracing aftercare
Ideally an important part of your rehabilitation will be the aftercare that is plotted out to provide you with the support you need once your time in rehab is over.
There are many different types of aftercare, ranging from regular counseling sessions conducted on a one-on-one basis to support group meetings that you can attend to touch base with others who share the same condition as you.
You can expect that your rehab centre will outline a suitable plan of action regarding your own after care, so be sure to take onboard the expert advice that is on offer at this time.
Dealing with the likelihood of relapsing
It is important to remember that after going through rehab you will not be ‘cured’ of your alcoholism, as this is a disease for which there is no definitively successful treatment, even if new discoveries are being made regularly. Instead you need to equip yourself with the tools to stay positive and avoid relapsing wherever possible, while also accepting that this may be an eventuality you face.
Relapsing may seem like something that can happen instantaneously, but it actually occurs gradually. Emotions and behaviors play a key role in either catalyzing a relapse, or preventing it, which is why you need to consciously act to manage them and ask for help if you feel vulnerable.
Up to 60 per cent of people who go through some form of alcohol rehab will relapse in the first 12 months, while those who manage to endure this period and stay sober have a much better chance of staying off the drink. Understanding and accepting this likelihood will leave you in a better position to cope after rehab concludes.
Reintegrating with friends and family
One of the most difficult parts of returning to your life after a stint in alcohol rehab is entering back into the domestic situation you left to undergo treatment.
This is not just a time of stress and anxiety for you, but also for the family and friends who you are closest to. There may be trust issues to overcome, as well as fears from loved ones that they might trigger a return to old behaviors.
Being prepared for this challenging process is important and dealing with it effectively through family therapy sessions, or with the support of advice from your physician, can ease the strain.
