Structured Transitional Living After Rehab Helps Prevent Relapse
One reason that many people struggle with addiction recovery is that they expect the issue to reach a quick conclusion. This couldn’t be further from reality. There is no such thing as an overnight recovery.
When it comes to success in substance abuse treatment and sober living after rehab, a measured approach is ideal. Those who are able to attend treatment and gradually return to their normal lives have the best shot at making a full recovery.
Opportunities to continue to practice the new behavior strategies and relapse prevention techniques learned during treatment go a long way toward a successful long-term recovery.
Clients Need a Bridge After Inpatient Treatment
Individuals struggling with addiction won’t have sufficient time to work on their sobriety if they go straight from an inpatient treatment program (especially one that was 30 days or fewer) back to their everyday routine. Without this transitional living period after rehab, individuals are far less likely to rebuff the many temptations and addiction triggers they encounter during their normal lives.
Patients that take advantage of structured transitional living after inpatient rehab gain significant time and space to prepare. This continuation of formal recovery has much to offer people who are dealing with addiction, so it’s important for addicts and their families to understand what their options are following an inpatient program.
This resource explores where and how structured transitional living after rehab fits into the recovery process, why transitional care is so vital to long-term recovery, and what true success looks like for clients.
Transitional Living: Where Treatment Goes After Rehab
It’s important to understand exactly what structured transitional living looks like for those in treatment. During inpatient treatment, clients lead an extremely structured life. The staff monitors their daily activities and selects their diets for them. They also have limited opportunities to step foot outside of the facility or property. As clients begin to learn more about their addiction and modify their behaviors, they also prepare to transition into a less-restrictive recovery environment.
The next logical step in recovery is an environment where clients have more freedom to practice a sober lifestyle before they graduate treatment altogether. After all, life after rehab can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Many drop the ball in drug and drinking relapse prevention simply because they hit an unexpected hurdle, such as a phone call from an influential old friend who still uses.
Practicing relapse prevention after rehab, in a monitored setting, is critical. Structured transitional living provides clients with the time they need to get such practice in an environment mostly insulated from life’s many temptations.
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Features Of A Transitional Living Program
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During a structured transitional program, individuals live in a sober environment that is overseen by addiction recovery professionals. This arrangement provides a source of accountability while allowing individuals to focus on one aspect of sober living at once.
Generally, those participating in a transitional living program will continue to attend work or school. Once these daily obligations are over, they return home to a sober environment.
When transitional living is combined with an outpatient program, a few examples of the types of treatments clients might receive include:
● Individual Therapy
● Group Psychotherapy
● Psychiatric and Addiction Education
● Career and Life Skill Counseling
● Holistic Healing Sessions
● Experiential Therapy Groups
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Small Victories Go a Long Way
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It’s important to understand how recovery happens. Over time, individuals learn to trust the relapse prevention strategies and sober living techniques they learn during treatment. This trust increases as they use these techniques to navigate relapse triggers and build confidence in their own sobriety.
During structured transitional living, clients have ample scenarios to begin practicing the relapse prevention skills they learned during inpatient treatment. They also enjoy a safety net in the form of an accepting and supportive sober community waiting for them at “home” each night. This structure allows clients to experience further success in recovery, and these little victories pave the way toward a life of sobriety.
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Transitional Care Is for Everyone
The cultural expectation in our society is that individuals should complete recovery as quickly as possible. As a result, people assume that those who are interested in care beyond the inpatient program are not trying hard enough or are especially addicted to their substance of choice.
However, this viewpoint goes against what actually works. The longer someone receives treatment and practices their sobriety skills in a formal setting, the more likely they are to experience lasting sobriety.
To this end, seeking additional treatment actually indicates a person’s commitment to stop abusing drugs and alcohol for good. Structured transitional living makes the process of recovery easier to manage, so it’s actually a good fit for any person dealing with addiction issues.
Success Through Strong Support Networks
Social interaction is one of the most important aspects of inpatient therapy. Group sessions allow individuals to reflect on their own lives by analyzing the decisions of others. Likewise, interactions between peers in recovery makes it easier to talk about addiction freely and openly. Sharing strategies with each other also will help clients become more effective in using their relapse prevention skills during everyday life.
The same type of valuable support network found in inpatient programs can also be experienced during transitional living. In some cases, especially if a person receives transitional living support near their inpatient recovery facility, clients who met during the inpatient phase may have a chance to continue to support one another during transitional living.
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Focusing on Sober Living After Rehab
Men’s and women’s sober living homes have much to offer individuals who have recently completed a residential program. There is no fast route to sobriety, and much of the journey is one of individual discovery. Not surprisingly, the more time one spends contemplating and strategizing on how to manage their addiction, the better he or she becomes at staying sober. [/colorsection]
Those with more questions about structured transitional living can find answers here on our website. Doing the research, building a strong network and being honest with oneself are the keys to victory in the battle against addiction.