“I completed residential addiction treatment, now what?”
This is a popular question for most individuals leaving the protective umbrella of residential care. The majority of experts say that residential treatment is the program type that is most likely to help individuals begin on a path of recovery from addiction, but it is not the only component that helps individuals sustain their recovery. For individuals with substance use disorders or behavioural addictions, completing residential addiction treatment can be life changing . While participating in residential addiction treatment, individuals will typically have a medical detox , individualized and group therapy, family counselling, skill-building sessions, medication management, psychological and psychiatric care. When they complete the residential treatment, they are encouraged to participate in continuing care with professional support.
There are cases in which outpatient care is chosen, but usually the more severe or long-term the addiction is, residential treatment is the most successful. Residential rehab provides 24/7 care to ensure that patients are constantly monitored, to make sure there is help at any hour of the day and also to be able to put the patient through all the steps in the program, without missing any since completing all the steps are vital to long-term recovery.
After an individual has completed residential treatment residential addictions treatment and even outpatient addictions treatment, patients will be strongly encouraged to enroll in a continuing-care program. The main purpose of the continuing-care program is to provide a seamless continuation of recovery for individuals who have recently completed residential addictions treatment. Continuing Care is also an integral component of creating a ROSC (Recovery Oriented System of Care). Here at Strength Counselling, continuing care is provided in cost-effective groups and are facilitated weekly, bi-weekly or monthly and are provided online through a private and secure space.
If you or your loved one have just completed residential treatment, congratulations – that was such a huge step in the right direction for your recovery! It is so important to continue to use the life and coping skills you have learned in treatment so that you can work through challenges that will inevitably arise. That is why having a support network is so important, and that is why continuing care will help you tremendously in order to keep you going in the most positive direction.
Here are 5 important reasons why attending continuing care after completing residential treatment is important:
- Motivation to keep going: We all need the motivation to keep going when times get tough. It is also important to be prepared for difficult situations and know that you will have a support group in your back pocket and readily available. You will inevitably meet others going through similar struggles and you may even develop some new friendships. Listening to the stories of others is comforting as well. It will give you the motivation to keep going if your other continuing care group members are also pushing forward.
- Supportive environment: You will be able to talk about your struggles in an objective, non-judgemental and encouraging way, which is going to create a support system for you. You will not feel like you’re in competition, everyone is there to cheer you on just like you cheer on the other group members.
- Increased self-awareness: The more you get used to talking in a group setting about how you feel, the more you will be able to pick up on new feelings, continuing patterns and stressors that even just by identifying them and talking about them, you will be able to navigate through any possible roadblocks. Strengthening your self-awareness is crucial to recognizing signs of possible relapse.
- Increase confidence: having a support system in the form of continuing care and professional support will likely make you feel more committed to remaining in recovery. It will also encourage you to have a healthy lifestyle and practise self-care. Living a healthier lifestyle will help increase your confidence levels. You will feel better about yourself, especially if you get encouragement to keep up the good work!
- You can participate from home: You don’t even have to leave the comforts of your home to join the group calls for continuing care. This ease of access makes finding an excuse not to adhere to a recovery program very difficult! This is extremely beneficial because there are times when we like making excuses to not show up for ourselves. It is a lot easier to show up for yourself at home, under a blanket and wearing your pyjamas!
Residential treatment can be crucial to recover from addictions. However, when you are in residential treatment, it does not truly reflect your everyday life.
You will be in a place where you will live in a secure location, without access to abuse substances in order to remove complete temptation for relapse. You can’t stay in residential treatment forever, you need a gradual return to everyday life with the support of a continuing care program. It truly is your best defense against relapse. We hope these important reasons why you need continuing care will help you make that decision.
If you or someone you love are looking for support after completing a residential or outpatient addiction treatment program we can help. Contact us today for a discovery call to determine what online supports may be a fit for you.
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670779/
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/residential