Adjusting to a rehabilitation center isn’t easy. Not only does it take a toll on your mental health, but it also has long-term impacts even after you leave the center.
According to statistics, there were around 17,561 substance abuse treatment facilities in the US in 2023.
However, life after rehab is much different from what you would normally expect. Even if it feels like a whole new world, you can soon get back into your conventional lifestyle by remembering some useful tips. So come on, let’s check them out!
1. Attend Support Group Meetings
One thing many post-rehab patients often miss out on is attending support groups and sobriety meetings even after their term in the facility is over.
Remember, a rehab facility doesn’t “cure” your addiction or change you into a new person. It simply shows you a better way of life and helps you to be healthy.
A reliable Malibu Recovery Center might already chalk out a 12-step post-rehab support group plan for you, but if they don’t, talk to your provider to make one for you.
If you continue attending support group meetings even after being discharged from the facility, you’ll keep in touch with the friends you’ve made, and they’ll help you stay sober.
Moreover, you can help out any new member of the support group by sharing details of your own rehab journey.
2. Identify Your Triggers
During your therapy in the center, you might have already identified your triggers that had led to drug or health abuse. Now that you’re out of the rehab center, you must remain careful of these triggers and identify how to stay away from them.
For example, if you had been admitted for alcohol abuse, then identify the specific circumstances or environments that used to trigger you to drink.
This can be any setting, such as nightclubs, work stress, or even an underlying health condition. Develop strategies that will get you out of these environments and make you feel better.
Alternatively, you can also ask the rehab center professionals to give you strategies on how to control the urge and not fall back into old, harmful patterns.
3. Keep Your Mind Healthy
One of the best ways to keep your body healthy is to cleanse your mind. While you can try exercises like yoga, jogging, or even high-intensity workouts, the real cleansing starts with self-introspection.
After you leave the facility, consider the reasons why you joined the program and what you learned from it.
You might have practiced different activities like pottery or crafts, which helped you find new hobbies. Take them up again and reflect on which activities make you feel happy and relaxed.
Another way of self-introspection is to keep a journal and write small snippets in it every day. You don’t need to write anything fancy; just reflect on your day and how thankful you are to have been given a second chance at life.
4. Establish A Structured Schedule
Another great way of not relapsing is maintaining a strong, structured schedule. However, making the schedule is only half the job; you also need to stick to it.
For example, you can write down the activities you wish to perform at specific times of the day, such as waking up at 7 am, taking a shower, having a healthy breakfast, and going to work.
Even at work, you can break down the entire day’s routine into smaller parts to help you stick to the plan. It’s important to include at least one kind of physical and mental activity in your schedule, such as meditation or mild physical exercise.
When you leave work, try to find interesting activities like going to a movie with a friend or attending a support group meeting.
5. Enhance Your Skills
When you were spending weeks or months in the rehab center, the world was progressing at a rapid pace. To keep up with the world, you need to upgrade your skills and devote your time to doing something interesting. This is especially important for students who might be looking for jobs. For example, you can take certification courses that will enhance your technical knowledge in your workplace. Or a summer camp course that offers you different opportunities for both learning and recreation. Once you start engaging yourself in useful activities and courses, you’ll soon forget the urge to fall back into harmful patterns. If you don’t have any technical or soft skill courses in mind, check out popular platforms like LinkedIn to help you get started.
6. Go For Therapy
Support group meetings can calm your mind and show you a new way of life, but personal healing can only come from therapy and counseling.
After you’re discharged from the facility, remember to continue your therapy sessions with the facility therapist or someone else.
Remember, it should only be with a licensed professional who has enough experience dealing with patients of substance and health abuse.
For example, if you’ve attended rehab due to mental health complications, you must attend one-on-one counseling sessions to monitor your progress.
In case you feel that you might be relapsing, don’t hesitate to instantly talk to your counselor. These sessions give you a safe space to navigate your feelings and also work toward personal betterment.
7. Take Accountability
Another lesser-acknowledged fact is that when you check into a rehab center, your loved ones and family members also go through extreme emotional and mental stress. Even if others don’t notice their turmoil, you need to take accountability and renew relationships with your loved ones.
Once you’re out of the center, you might find many people welcoming you back with open arms. But there might also be friends and family members who may have shied away from you.
Once you start taking accountability for your behavior before rehab, you’ll start seeing improvement in your personal and professional relationships. Reach out to those who you feel have been affected by your past behavior and rectify them.
Conclusion
Life after rehab will come with its fair share of challenges. However, if you’re able to jump over every hurdle and keep a focused goal in mind, then you’ll be able to blend into a healthy and happy lifestyle in no time!
