Aftercare for the Addict

Aftercare is critical in building and maintaining a substance-free lifestyle. Detoxification and in-patient treatment are but the first steps. Since it is widely considered that recovery from addiction is a life-long process, aftercare is considered vital to a successful program of recovery. The type of aftercare should also be considered; an individual who graduates from an intensive 6 or 12 month in-patient facility may only need to maintain regular attendance of 12-step meetings, while the individual who has just completed a 28-day program might benefit more from a halfway-house environment, where the recovery process is better guarded. Types of Aftercare Treatment include:

Halfway/ SILP

(Semi Independent Living Program), Sober Living Environments, or other structured recovery programs. These are very beneficial for the newly-sober individual. Residents in this type of environment are subject to mandatory drug and alcohol screening (typically via on-the-spot urine-testing), mandatory 12-step meeting attendance, actively seeking, finding, and maintaining gainful employment, and even personal one-on-one therapy sessions. The individual is therefore gradually reintroduced into society as a productive member as quickly as possible, with each step along the way being closely monitored and supported.

12-step

Regular attendance to 12-step meetings (AA, NA, etc.), as well as active participation in the individuals 12-step program, are considered absolutely vital to a healthy, productive recovery. The importance of finding a “sponsor” (a person who “takes under their wing” the newcomer to the program), actively “working the steps” (through journaling, writing personal inventories, making amends, etc.), and adopting a specific meeting as a “home-group are also considered extremely important.

Therapy

Another type of aftercare includes personal one-on-one therapy, usually with a licensed psychotherapist, psychologist, or counselor. The recovering person typically experiences many complications in rebuilding a new life, usually in the areas of financial complications and loss, issues relating to personal relationships with family and friends, building and maintaining healthy relations with significant others, and in finding and maintaining healthy and meaningful employment, or perhaps career-change issues. These issues are sometimes best addressed and dealt with through the help of a personal counselor or therapist. Also, this track may include medicinal prescriptions to treat psychiatric complications such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or some other ailment, which may be present and is often typical in early stages of recovery. When medications are prescribed, certain types of medications, along with dosage monitoring, should be strictly controlled, since addictive substances have a propensity towards abuse.

Spirituality

Yet another option the recovering person may take is active participation in a church, temple, or other organized religion. Since many 12-step programs are spiritually oriented, active participation in the religion of their choice is considered very beneficial. This aids in the building of a solid support network of new, healthy relationships with people, which is also considered very important in the individuals recovery.