Types of Aftercare Programs for Substance Abuse
There are a wide variety of aftercare programs for substance abuse. The
different types of aftercare treatment programs vary based on the service
that they provide individuals in addiction recovery.
Ongoing Outpatient Counseling
Ongoing outpatient counseling is a primary form of rehab aftercare for
individuals that are in recovery. This form of regular counseling or addiction
therapy occurs after a person is sober and has already completed addiction
treatment. It’s because these addiction counseling or therapy sessions
continue after rehab is complete that they’re considered ongoing.
Ongoing addiction counseling or therapy is consideredoutpatient because it allows patients to live a normal life in society and doesn’t
require them to live in rehab facilities while receiving care. The purpose
of ongoing outpatient counseling is to make sure that individuals in recovery
are always proactive when it comes to upkeeping their coping skills, managing
their triggers, and maintaining sobriety.
Ongoing outpatient counseling is the least restrictive form of aftercare
programs for substance abuse. Therefore, individuals that use this form
of aftercare treatment are usually in a good place in their recovery.
Ongoing outpatient counseling usually occurs for a couple of hours a day,
a couple of days a week. Individuals that attend ongoing outpatient counseling
can lower the number of hours or counseling sessions that they receive
if they feel that they are making progress in their recovery.
12 Step Programs
12 step programs are membership-run support groups for individuals that
are in recovery from specific substance addictions. Membership to 12 step
programs is free, though. Therefore, all individuals in addiction recovery
can receive this type of aftercare treatment.
12 step programs make individuals follow 12 sequential set guidelines,
or “steps,” to help them maintain sobriety. 12 step programs
are spiritually focused. Therefore, many of the 12 steps focus on helping
individuals through faith in a higher power. This helps those in recovery
release their stresses, concerns, and triggers when it comes to addiction.
In doing so, 12 step programs give individuals in addiction recovery the
hope and confidence that they can maintain their sobriety long-term.
While 12 step programs help individuals relieve their stresses, concerns,
and triggers through spirituality, they also teach people in addiction
recovery how to be accountable for their actions. 12 step programs even
show individuals in addiction recovery the value of making amends with
people that have wronged them in the past.
By forcing individuals in addiction recovery to forgive others and make
amends with people that have wronged them in the past, 12 step aftercare
programs for substance abuse help relieve people of toxic hate and resentment.
This frees 12 step program members up to be their best, sober selves.
It’s best for an individual to go through and complete the 12 steps
within 12 step programs with the assistance of a sponsor. Once individuals
complete all the 12 steps within 12 step programs, people in addiction
recovery are supposed to revisit and complete various steps again on an
as-needed basis.
Types of 12 Step Groups
12 step programs are support groups. There are different types of 12 step
support groups for individuals that are in recovery from substance addiction.
Typically 12 step support groups focus on different addictions respectively.
For example, a well-known 12 step support group for people that suffer
from alcohol addictions is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Other well-known
addiction support groups include Narcotics Anonymous (NA), SMART Recovery,
Women in Sobriety, and Celebrate Sobriety.
Sober Living Homes
Sober living homes are another one of the primary types of aftercare programs
for substance abuse. These homes are apartment-style living quarters where
all of the residents are other individuals in addiction recovery.
Sober living homes are different from rehab facilities. It’s because
sober living homes are only for people that have already completed rehab.
Therefore, they allow residents to function normally in society while
not at home. In fact, sober living home residents are encouraged to further
their education and/or get a job.
This kind of rehab aftercare is for people that are worried about going
back into the real world after addiction treatment. Therefore, sober living
homes are the bridge between rehab and normal life in society.
Additionally, sober living homes don’t allow any substances on their
campuses. This helps sober living home residents get used to maintaining
sobriety post-treatment. Sober living homes also often provide their residents
with extended addiction therapy opportunities. This only helps make sober
living home residents more prepared to maintain sobriety once they’re
on their own in the real world.
How Else Do Sober Living Homes Help Those in Recovery?
The structure that sober living homes force onto their residents even helps
individuals in addiction recovery build boundaries for themselves. These
boundaries will help sober living home residents healthily function as
sober individuals in the real world.
Sober living homes provide individuals that are new to addiction recovery
with the time to rebuild the structure of their lives. Sober living homes
also provide their residents with the opportunity to further build their
support groups and resources.
Rehab Alumni Programs and Events
Attending rehab alumni programs and events is a fun way to keep up with
support group members that were made while in addiction treatment. Also,
keeping up with other people in addiction recovery helps alumni and event
attendees not feel alone in their struggles.
Just this feeling of community rather than loneliness can help keep people
from relapsing. Rehab alumni programs and events are typically social
parties or activities.
Planning Rehab Aftercare Treatment
To make aftercare programs for substance abuse more effective, individuals
should make plans to attend them prior to leaving rehab. Addiction treatment
counselors, therapists, or case managers can help people set up rehab
aftercare plans.
To come up with an effective rehab aftercare plan, consider individual
needs. For example, individuals that are new to recovery and are worried
about re-entering the real world may put staying in a sober living home
as part of their aftercare plan.
The length of a person’s aftercare plan will also depend on individual
needs. Most addiction treatment specialists advise that people plan to
receive regular rehab aftercare treatment for at least one year. Individuals
can always modify their aftercare plans at any given time based on their needs.
The Value of a Sponsor
It’s wise to get a sponsor when making aftercare plans, going through
12 step support groups, or simply going through aftercare counseling.
Sponsors are individuals that are further along in their addiction recovery.
Therefore sponsors can advise people that are new to aftercare programs
for substance abuse on what they need to do to capitalize on their aftercare
treatment.
Receive Aftercare Treatment Services At Grace Land for Recovery
Grace Land Recovery is adual diagnosis treatment center that specializes in co-occurring disorder treatment and addiction
treatment. At Grace Land Recovery, we understand that addiction recovery
is a lifelong journey. As a result, we know that aftercare programs for
substance abuse are necessary.
To increase the chances of successful aftercare programs for substance
abuse, we offer a variety of specialized
drug addiction treatment programs. That way, our patients start out rehab aftercare being stable in their
sobriety. Here at Grace Land Recovery, we also offer numerous addiction
therapies. Prior to attending aftercare treatment, one of our
case managers will even help patients come up with an effective aftercare treatment plan.
That fact on top of the fact that we offer relapse prevention to all of
our patients goes to show how dedicated we are to the success of after
programs for substance abuse. To learn more about our rehab aftercare
treatment services,
contact us today!
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