What happens after treatment?

When you leave a treatment facility, you will be entering an entirely new life. For many people, entering treatment means completely changing one’s life in order to maintain sobriety once they leave. While this is an exciting time, it can also be a little scary for some. But with the right support system, you might be able to transition into your new life quicker than you think.

New daily routines

During treatment, you learn many new skills that will help you maintain a sober lifestyle. This includes exercise, eating healthy and being active in order to take care of your body. Holistic therapy in treatment can include many forms of yoga, exercise and other hobbies that you can carry on into your new life after treatment.

Having a new daily routine is key to making sure you can avoid triggers and fall into any old, unhealthy habits. Doing things like waking up early, working a job and having an after-work activity can help organize your life and give you new, positive things to look forward to and occupy your time with.

Relationships

Relationships are also an important new part of life after rehab. Often times, it means having to cut toxic friends and family members out of their life who enabled, or participated in, their use. It can also mean dealing with repairing relationships with ones you love that may have been affected by your addiction, as well as making new friends who can support your new healthy lifestyle.

This can also mean continuing therapy with loved ones, such as spouses and family members who have been affected by your addiction. Working with your loved ones on repairing these relationships and being able to move forward will be very rewarding.

Make a post-treatment plan

While in treatment, it is important to make a plan for what happens once you leave. This is because if you go back to your old settings and carry on as usual, you will have a higher likelihood of relapse. There are many things to consider when putting together your post-treatment plan, so it’s important to sit down with a counselor or a member of your support team to hammer this out.

Continuing care

It is imperative you keep up with your treatment with regular individual or group therapy with continuum of care. This is something that Cliffside Malibu offers, and firmly believes in as well. Some might even find it helpful to maintain accountability with drug testing, or to work closely with a sober living coach. Depending on the severity of your addiction, a sober living facility could also prove to be beneficial. Sober living homes are a great transition option for people who are worried about returning to life after rehab, or need more time to rebuild their new lives.

New surroundings

Returning to life after treatment could even mean uprooting completely. If your addiction has you tied very closely with people living around you and triggers are rampant, it might be beneficial for you to move to a new city or town to create a new, positive structure in your life.

It could also mean moving to a new home if your home before treatment gives you too many triggers or negative memories to handle. Living with a trusted friend or family member to help you through the transition of figuring all this out could be a good option, if available. Getting a new, fresh start can prove to be beneficial, so it is important to take your living situation under careful consideration.

Lean on your support group

A support system is crucial for anyone going through treatment. This can be family members, close friends or even a spouse. Make sure you have regular contact with your support group in the early stages of transitioning to life after rehab in order to stay on track.

Once you leave treatment, it is also important to work to set up a new support system. This can include members from a substance abuse support group, since they can understand what you may be experiencing and offer helpful advice. You can also join a volunteer group, local sports team, yoga studio, book club or other type of positive group activity to make new friends and be able to move forward in your life with the skills you learned in treatment for maintaining healthy relationships.

About Cliffside Malibu

You don’t have to go through recovery alone – even when treatment is complete. Cliffside Malibu specializes in continuum of care after treatment is over, as well as giving you the tools you need to ensure long-lasting sobriety. Upon entering, each patient is carefully assessed and a custom treatment plan is created for not only their detox needs, but for their treatment for long-lasting recovery as well.

Each patient is then matched with one of these five stages of the Transtheoretical Model: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action and Maintenance. An individualized treatment plan is created based on their current stage of change. This process is in place to ensure that all our patients receive the best treatment path possible for their own specific need. Our goal is to move individuals through their treatment by assessing their readiness for change and formulating stage-matched interventions in order to move them through their respective stage.

It is the policy of Cliffside Malibu to ensure that all individuals who present with chemical dependency issues are assessed for the appropriate level of care. We strive to provide continuum of care including medically supervised detox, residential treatment, day treatment and outpatient services. Services are provided to individuals with a primary diagnosis of substance abuse and/or alcohol addiction. Individuals seeking treatment are assessed by qualified staff to ensure program criteria are met and that each individual admitted is placed in the appropriate level of care for treatment. The program is designed and structured for individuals who are in need of a supportive environment in order to maintain Sobriety.

For more information on Cliffside Malibu, visit cliffsidemalibu.com