Rehabilitation is a crucial step in the journey to lasting sobriety. Whether you enter treatment voluntarily or are forced by circumstances, the recovery process begins with a professional treatment program. During this stage, you'll learn to use the tools you acquired during early abstinence in other areas of your life, so you can continue to live a sober lifestyle. For those in recovery, life after rehabilitation should be a time of continuous progress towards sobriety.
If you started in a residential treatment program, you'll now move on to the ongoing counseling or follow-up phase of your rehabilitation program on an outpatient basis. Ashish Bhatt, MD, talks about aftercare, the importance of a TEAM, and why it's key to receive treatment once rehabilitation is complete. When you seek help from a professional alcohol and drug rehabilitation program, the first stage of your recovery begins - the start of treatment. The maintenance abstinence rehabilitation phase will begin approximately three months after starting your rehabilitation program and will last until you are approximately five years old clean and sober, at which point follow-up counseling will generally end.
After completing detoxification and inpatient rehabilitation, a recovering person will return to normal life. It's important to remember that you don't have to be high or drunk to enjoy life after rehabilitation. Studies have found that 33 out of 100 patients who went to residential rehabilitation remained sober after three months and 14 patients after one year. While it's difficult to find specific statistics on rehabilitation success rates, many studies show that certain approaches are effective for different addictions. Once you've committed to continuing treatment for your substance abuse problem, you'll enter the second stage of rehabilitation, known as early abstinence. The key to achieving lasting sobriety is to stay committed to your recovery plan and continue with follow-up counseling and support groups.
It's also important to build a strong support system of family and friends who can help you stay on track with your goals. Finally, it's essential to take care of yourself physically and mentally by eating healthy meals, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
