Getting help for drug addiction sets people on the right path to learn to embrace the early stages of recovery. Many of them wonder what happens after drug treatment ends, and how they will be able to stay sober. However, with the right plan, lifelong sobriety proves doable.
Drug Addiction Treatment Levels of Care
Several levels of addiction treatment exist, allowing each person to choose the appropriate one for their needs, including:
Detox: Detoxification, often called “detox”, provides the first step in treatment for drug addiction. Taking place in a residential facility over the course of an average of five to fourteen days, this process allows the person to rid their bodies of the addictive toxins that keep them physically addicted to substances.
Residential: Patients in a residential program live in a facility for at least thirty days, typically just after completing detox. They receive round-the-clock care and support from a variety of specialists skilled at helping them understand the source of their addictions and how to combat them.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): PHP occurs five to seven days a week and provides attendees with focused therapy modalities for those with severe addictions. The patient can continue to live at home while devoting several hours a day to their treatment program.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): IOP provides similar care to a PHP, including allowing the patient to live at home. Less time is involved than PHP, and treatment sessions take place several days per week for a few hours per day.
Outpatient Program (OP): The least time-intensive of the outpatient programs, patients typically attend therapy appointments two or three days a week. Furthermore, a person who has graduated from PHP or IOP moves into an OP program for the final steps of formal treatment.
What Comes After Drug Treatment?
After drug treatment ends, other types of sober-focused options can still be employed to keep people steady in their sobriety. The longer a person stays in treatment for addiction, the more likely they are to maintain long-term sobriety.
Sober Living
Sober living homes operate as private residences for people in recovery from substance use disorders. They live together while working on learning to stay sober, usually while participating in treatment opportunities outside the house. Management of sober living homes establishes house rules and guides residents in basic skills like budgeting, finding work, and learning to avoid relapse triggers.
Recovery Programs
Many people participate in individual or group therapy recovery programs regularly to ensure they continue working on lingering issues that challenge their sobriety. Some people prefer check-in sessions by scheduling appointments as needed or when a particular situation troubles them and they want input on it.
Support Groups
Support groups offer people the opportunity to receive help after drug treatment ends. Many prefer groups that follow the tried-and-true 12-step philosophy. On the other hand, others benefit from different kinds of support groups, such as SMART Recovery. These programs allow everyone the chance to keep their recovery fine-tuned while receiving ongoing support from professionals or peers. They can attend meetings regularly or drop in when they need an extra boost of support or advice.
Additional Ways to Help Maintain Sobriety
Therapeutic options aren’t the only choices after drug treatment programs. Experts recommend that each individual who has put formal treatment behind them makes sure to focus on personal growth. Therefore, setting and achieving educational and career plans helps people in recovery stay active and goal-oriented. In addition, other activities that fill empty hours and provide positive ways to spend their time include local activities, like sports, the arts, and volunteer work.
Recovery programs often require an individual to spend a lot of time away from home and at treatment appointments. After drug treatment ends, schedules begin to reopen, which allows for more time to spend with family and friends. Resuming spending time with old friends or family members who still abuse drugs or alcohol can contribute to a person in recovery spiraling quickly and relapsing. People who have completed drug treatment need to reassess their relationships and establish boundaries within toxic ones or end them, if necessary.
A life spent in the grips of drug addiction often revolves around chaos. However, establishing a routine helps individuals learn to rely on schedules and minimize downtime that can lead to the temptation to use again. Routines can involve things like:
- Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day
- Workout routines: solo, at the gym, or as part of a regular class
- Social groups that meet regularly
- Standing events like date night or dinner with a sober friend
- Housekeeping and yard work
Drug Addiction Treatment in Los Angeles, CA
Drug addiction stops a person’s life in its tracks and makes moving forward impossible. If you or someone you love needs help forging ahead on a new, healthy path, we can help. We provide effective, compassionate treatment for addiction and mental health conditions. Visit the admissions page at Riviera Recovery in Los Angeles now and start your life over again.
