After Drug Rehab

Before you go into drug rehab, you’re just thinking about getting sober. After drug rehab, you’re thinking about staying sober. This is where the hard part begins.
Drug rehab is not a magic cure-all. It severs your physical dependence on drugs or alcohol through detox. While this can be uncomfortable, most symptoms will have subsided by the time you leave drug rehab. The psychological dependence takes much longer to sever, sometimes years. It’s during this time that you have to remain vigilant for anything that could throw you off balance and cost you your sobriety.

Living Life After Drug Rehab

Living life after drug rehab is not the same as it was before drug rehab, hopefully. In drug rehab, you learn about the nature of your disease and how triggers can trip you up. Usually after drug rehab people change some things to protect their sobriety. It could be the people you used to hang out with, your job, where you live and even what you do for hobbies. In fact, you may find out that you really don’t have any hobbies and it’s time to develop some! After drug rehab, people find that they have a lot more time on their hands and they have to find a healthy way to fill it. Unstructured time and boredom can lead right back to drugs or alcohol.
Whereas you may have thought all you had to do was go to drug rehab to end your drug addiction, you will find that living life after drug rehab takes work. There are relationships to rebuild with others and with yourself. You will likely find that your interests change as you get more time in sobriety. This time can feel overwhelming, which is why it’s important to build a support group after drug rehab.

Support After Drug Rehab

It’s vital to build a sober support group after drug rehab. It’s helpful to attend AfterCare if you can at the drug rehab center you attended. The continued support of people and counselors you are familiar with will help ease the transition back into your life. If this option isn’t available, seek out support from members in local 12-step meetings.
You likely learned about 12-step groups and attended some meetings while in drug rehab. One of the best things you can do after drug rehab is to locate meetings in your area and start attending on a regular basis. While it may feel uncomfortable at first, it won’t be long before you begin to form friendships and begin to feel a part of. It doesn’t take as long as you would think and this kind of support after drug rehab is vital to maintaining long-term sobriety. Not only does it hold you accountable, but members can help you learn how to navigate life sober and most importantly, have fun!