Getting clean from drugs at rehab offers numerous advantages for addicts, with around-the-clock supervision and pharmacology to taper down their cravings and withdrawal effects. But the battle doesn’t end there, and staying sober for the rest of your life might be easier said than done.
But the good news is that it’s not impossible. These are some of the best ways to ensure your sobriety sticks after you leave rehab.
Tips on How to Stay Off Drugs After Rehab
Join an Aftercare Program
Let’s place numero uno at the beginning because the truth is that you can’t do it on your own.
Having the right support group is the key to ensuring you can have people to lay back on when things get tough.
But more importantly, an aftercare program is an excellent way to ensure the memories of your old ways remain vivid, ensuring that as time passes, amnesia doesn’t get the best of you.
These programs are designed to help addicts stay sober after they leave rehab. There are various forms of relapse prevention programs, and they all work differently. Some of them include:
Support Groups
There is widespread recognition, commendation, and evidence that support groups are effective in helping addicts stay sober. This is why twelve-step programs are so popular in the recovery community.
The purpose of a support group is to provide mutual support and accountability for addicts in recovery.
Therapy
Therapy is another very effective method of helping addicts stay sober. It can be beneficial for addicts to speak with a professional who can help them keep a sense of perspective.
As a result, they will be able to identify and address patterns and behaviors that could lead to addiction in the future.
Sober Housing
Taking up residency in a sober house is another way to prevent relapse.
Eventually, recovering addicts will take up their own residence, sober living might not be a permanent solution. In spite of this, they are excellent programs for addicts who have just left rehab and have difficult living arrangements, as well as those who have relapsed frequently.
Whatever your cup of tea, make sure you make an aftercare program your TOP priority after getting clean from drugs.
Get Moving
Emotion is affected by motion, standing still will not do you any good. Whether you join a gym, or find a favorite sport, getting your move on will help you stay off drugs.
Getting into some form of sport will help you meet like-minded people who are concerned about their well-being and who are most likely not using it. Sports can also be a fantastic natural way to release endorphins in your body which can help your mood and your cravings.
Get a Job
Generating income is paramount to establishing a healthy and productive new life but it can also keep your mind busy and off drugs.
The discipline and schedule needed to keep a career can also be a good way to ensure you maintain your sobriety.
Change Your Inner Circle
Not only will you want to find a new group of sober and healthy friends, but you will also make sure the old ones don’t have a way to chase you. Change your phone number, clear your old contacts off your phone, and maybe even start a new social media account.
You have a blank slate, use it to craft a life where you are surrounded by positive influences, not ones that could derail your progress.
Rehab Aftercare
Getting clean from drugs can be difficult, there is no need to want to do it more than once. For this reason, it’s best to ensure you have a solid program of recovery.
Attending a rehab center that offers aftercare programs is a great way to start your recovery the right way.
Outpatient LA offers aftercare services for alumni and guests as well as 12-step programs within the facility.Contact Outpatient LA today and ask how our aftercare programs can help you stay off drugs after rehab.