Post Residential Treatment Center Life Tips

Congratulations! You did it! You completed the first step in embracing a life of freedom in sobriety by attending a residential treatment center for substance use disorder.

Now that you have finished with your treatment facility, you can move beyond addiction and mental illness to independent life! Completing residential treatment is no easy feat, and you should be proud of your achievements! So, make sure you enjoy your victory. However, make sure you are also taking the time to learn how to remain sober in a lasting recovery.

Completing Addiction Treatment Successfully May Have Challenges, but is Cause for Celebration

Today, substance use disorders affect the lives of millions. Men and women struggling with substance use disorders may wrestle with addiction for years before enrolling in a drug and alcohol treatment center. A person working through the recovery journey will face many challenges. However, when they complete residential treatment successfully, individuals and their families can move forward with leaving treatment excited for a future living drug and alcohol-free!

And a person should be excited to celebrate their achievements with friends and family members!

Yet, individuals must remember that long-term recovery and sober living need continuing care, realistic goals, and healthy choices to be successful.

Continuing Care in Your Recovery Journey

It can be hard to stay sober. And making mistakes is a normal part of the transition in learning to maintain a sober living.

Many people may feel overwhelmed by the prospects of independent living. But research shows that closely monitoring a client’s condition, the presence of a social support team, and plenty of mental health care can make all the difference!

And the most crucial aspect of successful recovery is, don’t give up!

There will be times when your living situation, skills, or even family and group support feel lacking. Everyone in the world has to deal with these moments in life, regardless of addiction recovery. For example, a person may feel let down by their social network when they transition into a new home, new career, or relationship. Or they may feel they aren’t receiving enough family support when a family member fails to get as excited for them about a new opportunity they are having.

It can be tempting to feel sorry for ourselves or hold grudges against others when they don’t meet us exactly where we want them to.

But it’s even more important to remember that everyone has their complications in life. And that to be successful with long-term sober living, you must let go of unrealistic expectations, embrace positive thinking, and live in the present moment.

So, how do we move from the comfort of a residential and intensive outpatient program to independent living indefinitely? There are many ways to achieve balance in recovery after leaving a residential treatment center.

You’ve Laid the Ground Work for Successful Recovery

And the great news is that you’ve already completed the most challenging part of addiction recovery, the inpatient treatment program!

You have dedicated thirty days or more to a treatment facility. You’ve followed the treatment program and dedicated yourself to rerouting the course of your life, health, and mentality. Your rehab community has helped you along the way, releasing you from the grips of substance abuse and the consequences that have resulted from it. Perhaps after years of struggling with a pattern of substance abuse and habits that have impacted your overall health and quality of living, you have broken free!

Deciding to commit to treatment and see it through to completion is a massive step in a positive direction that should not be overlooked or undervalued. Now that you have been discharged from rehab treatment, there is a sense of accomplishment and zest for life. You might be asking yourself:

“What do I do after drug rehab? What is the next step for me?”.

Finishing Addiction Rehab with Your Treatment Provider Unlocks a Whole New Leg of the Recovery Journey

It is not uncommon to feel a sense of displacement or be uncomfortable after being away for thirty days or more.

You’ve changed.

And the adjustment your mindset has undergone is likely to have drastically changed your outlook on life. The life you led before treatment and recovery is a stranger to you now. And you can begin to grow as a result.

However, as we all know, the only way to grow and improve is to permit ourselves to evolve and become better and better. That means refusing contact with the life we once lived and beginning the process of setting realistic goals for long-term recovery.

Because yes, while returning to everyday life with sobriety in mind might feel unfamiliar and foreign for a time, you will acclimate and adjust to your new normal soon enough. These tips can help ease you back into everyday life with realistic goals for sober living.

10 Tips for Navigating Life After Residential Treatment

After signing the discharge papers and beginning the journey home, commission your partner, friend, or family members to be part of your support network. During this time, it is common to be in a vulnerable state. Temptation is an inevitable evil that is likely to appear from time to time.

The likelihood of relapse can increase if there is no plan to prevent us from falling back into our old patterns and habits. Reflect on your former interests, hobbies, environments, and even friends- did they enable you to participate in healthy habits- or lead to dangerous patterns and decision making?

What surrounds us is often what we become. That is why it is essential to create a safe space for yourself that promotes healing, peace, serenity, and freedom from all negative triggers.

Assess Your Environment

It may be hard to come into contact with your old life again. But one of the most important things you can do to set yourself up for successful long-term addiction recovery is to make an honest assessment of your environment after leaving a residential treatment center.

Is this a space you can see yourself readily finding the support you need? Will family visitation help or hinder you in this stage of healing? What if you make contact with old friends or acquaintances around town?

Consider if you feel safe starting your sober life in this environment or if relocating will provide a better healing environment.

Acceptance

Understand and accept that not every day will be a great day, or even a good day. And that’s okay. Remember that life is everything but predictable. Don’t allow the ups and downs you might feel to steer your behavior in directions you have made an effort to change. Just breathe. Tomorrow is another day.

Establish A Strong Support System

Life was not meant to be lived alone, through the good days, the bad ones, and everything in between. As humans, we need community to thrive and flourish. Consider what options are available to help promote your continued path to a lifetime of sobriety.

Family and Social Support in Post Rehab Recovery are Essential to Health, Wellness, and Long-Term Sobriety

Supportive family and friends will be your pillars to lean on for strength and the cheerleaders of your successes. But in addition, you should regularly attend local support groups such as AA or NA, find a licensed therapist to help you through the ongoing process of recovery, and consider participating in your residential treatment center’s alumni program for additional resources and opportunities to build up your community.

Set Boundaries

Along with establishing a solid support system and slowly easing back into a routine, it is essential to begin setting boundaries and carefully evaluating the people in your circle.

While we want to experience the best of all worlds, we need to recognize unhealthy patterns and influences. Sadly, not everyone keeps our best interests at heart as much as we may love and care deeply about our friends and even family members. This does not mean we should completely cut off everyone from our past and eradicate them from our lives completely. However, it is essential to create boundaries, prioritize yourself and not allow negative influences to distort the new life you are making.

Get To Know Yourself Again

One of the most significant consequences of attending rehabilitation is taking a step back from the daily routine of life and getting to know yourself again. When afflicted by addiction, we tend to lose interest in hobbies and activities we once enjoyed.

During your time in a residential treatment center, you will hopefully be exposed to a wide variety of recovery therapies such as art therapy, music therapy, yoga, or various types of outdoor recreation. Perhaps you fell in love with one of these activities. Or maybe they inspired you to dive deeper into your old hobbies. Whatever your case may be, consider this time as a clean slate with endless possibilities for you to pursue the life you’ve desired all along.

You have a new lease on life; doors will continue to open for you. Take a leap of faith and go after your passions and dreams.

Career Aspirations

You may have taken a leave of absence from work or put in your notice before attending a residential treatment facility. Now that you have returned home, it is time to consider how you want to spend your time post-treatment.

Do you want to take a personal hiatus? Begin a new career? Go back to school?

It might seem overwhelming to determine what the next phase of your life should be – but it shouldn’t be a cause for alarm or concern. Be inspired. This is a time of transformation, reflection, and inspiration. Take the time to discover what you want out of your future.

Stay Busy

It is not uncommon for the transition period to last longer than initially anticipated. Shifting environments can take a toll on any individual mentally, physically, and emotionally. And there is nothing wrong with taking time off to figure things out.

However, there is not enough importance placed on staying occupied and mentally stimulated during this time. Lack of activity can lead to boredom and subsequently open doors of mischief and problems. Whether you feel the need to work, exercise, take up hobbies, or simply read a book – stay busy, stay focused, and maintain the course.

Think Of Others

Upon returning home, there may be days you might feel lost, useless, or even feel sorry for yourself. Though it is necessary to feel the emotion and process it in its entirety, we must not allow ourselves to fall into self-pity for too long.

A Good Support Network Can Be One of Your Greatest Safety Nets Full of Encouragement

Focusing on others can help shift our mindset back into a positive direction when we start to stray off course. Helping others not only keeps us busy but evokes a sense of purpose and releases dopamine in our brains. Whether you choose to take on volunteer opportunities, help your grandma clean her house, or visit a neighbor that seems lonely, you might be surprised by how good it’ll make you feel.

Re-Aligning Your Mindset

One of the essential aspects of drug rehabilitation is learning to process and manage our individual mindsets.

One of the most common themes that guide us down the path to substance use is an unbalanced headspace; stress, anxiety, and the presence of other mental health issues that may or may not have been addressed before treatment.

The world we live in is akin to a glass-blowing oven. We can choose to let the pressure and heat we feel turn us into something beautiful and one of a kind, or burst into flames and be destroyed.

It is essential to use the tools learned in recovery and continue to move forward. Meditation, breathwork, and talk therapy can all be integrated into our new lives. When we recognize our mental health is on the path to decline, make every effort to stay consistent and positive. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others and ask for help when the days get hard.

The Next Step

As we all know, life can shift our directions in ways we could never have imagined. We must accept that we have no control over the twists and turns that life creates. But we DO have the power to control our responses. The course of action we choose to take should always align with self-improvement and upkeeping our well-being.

Finding Community Support at SJRP’s Residential Treatment Center

St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP) is a drug and alcohol rehab center dedicated to providing clients with holistic healing.

Clients work through the beginning stages of medical detox, moving on to residential treatment, outpatient care, and more. One of SJRP’s most outstanding features is its community support system. From new admissions to alumni members, we help build sober friendly lives together.

St. John’s Recovery Place Can Help You and Your Loved Ones Live a Healthy Life Again

If you or a loved one struggles with addiction and want a second chance at a happy, healthy life, St. John’s Recovery Place can help you work towards long-term addiction recovery.

Learn more about SJRP’s staff, recovery practices, therapies, and more by calling us today at 833-397-3422.

We look forward to helping you win your battles against addiction and come out victorious!