Kicking an addiction is a major accomplishment for anyone with a substance-abuse problem. It is celebrated in the halls of all 12-step programs and considered a major step to walk into a room full of strangers and pick up that first white chip. Many people, when attending a 12-step meeting are in a residential 30-day program, so they have an in-place program designed to shepherd them from detox through their first month or longer of sobriety. So, what are you supposed to do after detox? Here are the generally agreed-upon procedures to follow following your detoxification.
What Happens After Detox?
Start by going to different local meetings. Find one you like that works well in your schedule and make it your home group and become a member. Finding a home group means you will see the same people almost daily and as a member of the group which will help keep an eye on one another. When you do not show up, expect a phone call as those people helping to keep you accountable, will keep them accountable as well. These first few meetings are an important step and immediately after detoxing the “90 in 90” is recommended to everyone. If you make a meeting every day, at least for that day hopefully you will stay sober, and it provides ample time in that home group, to find and ask someone of your gender if they will sponsor you.
Your sponsor should be someone with years of sobriety or clean-time at a minimum, and who agrees to drop whatever they are doing and take your call anytime day or night. That is a big commitment so show them the respect they deserve, listen to what they say, and follow their directions, whatever it is. From doing the assignments they give you, like journaling or calling them daily at a certain time, hitting an extra meeting some days to apologizing to family and friends and making amends, there is a reason for all of this, to rebuild you as a better person than you were while using. Meet as many people as possible as a newcomer and get their phone numbers, some will become friends and sadly, some will serve as cautionary tales when they fall off the wagon and relapse. If you get to the point you might use, start calling until someone answers and talks to you. Before long many of those people will become your closest friends without you even realizing it happened.
Once you have established a home group your sponsor may advise you to check out other types of meetings, like those for one gender only, or big book meetings, step meetings and to also visit other newcomer meetings. The reason behind this is you will get something different from each of them and usually right when you need it. Many people who have years of experience give a similar answer about why they keep coming back again and again, because watching and seeing the newcomers stumble in struggling, keeps that period of their own lives fresh in their memory. Nobody’s life ever got worse because they failed to get drunk or high one day, and most people’s lives usually improve noticeably.
Dealing With Triggers in Addiction Recovery
Working the steps means admitting you are powerless over alcohol and have made poor choices, your habit did not start on its own, you fed it. taking responsibility for your past transgressions and making amends when it is possible to do so. Adhering to the principles is a recipe for maintaining your new lifestyle. Learning to recognize and avoid potential triggers within your recovery from addiction will help you avoid those feelings that drove you to use, while strengthening your foundation and learning how to accept life’s problems and deal with them positively rather than turning to a drug or drink.
These are safe, stable activities which if you spend half as much time chasing your sobriety as you did chasing your addiction, life will get better. You will not call in sick to work, you won’t be spending all that money, and paying your bills on time, while becoming a responsible person just by listening to a few chosen people and making healthy choices and when life throws a curveball, you will know how to deal with it without rather than wondering what happens after detox and how you should manage that situation.
Seek Recovery Support Groups
Attending support groups can have benefits that often friends and family members don’t have. In a support group, recovering addicts continuously learn further information about addiction and what life could be like without its presence by listening to others further along in the process. They enter into the global structure of people who are pushing their way through similar problems, where everyone has personal goals to work toward and something to strive for. In addition to being informational and supportive, these gatherings of the recovery community provide addicts a training ground, and the opportunity to say things that might be uncomfortable or stressful to share with friends or family members.
Join Addiction Aftercare Programs
After patients have completed their rehabilitation program, the recovery process is far from over. For many individuals, recovery is a process that lasts a lifetime. Drug rehab programs sometimes work on a step-by-step basis, where the care provided becomes more independent as time passes. The participants eventually have to maintain their sobriety on their own. Often, this means that people might have specific addiction aftercare programs and appointments to attend, even though the initial detox process has been completed.
Therapy beyond rehab can help people to deal with transitions, set boundaries, strengthen coping skills, and bolster willpower. Life can get hectic, and you may not have enough time for everything. However, missing any aftercare appointments or programs wouldn’t be in your best interest. The work of recovery should always be to continue and progress. Each appointment should be considered vital to long-term success in sobriety
In addition to attending your regular aftercare sessions, your counselor may recommend that you also attend NA or AA group meetings to expand your support system, and may even recommend enlisting the support of a sober companion. These support group meetings will provide encouragement, accountability, and over time, bolster your confidence in your ability to maintain sobriety.
Start Detox at Home in California Today
Many people these days are realizing that dealing with a substance abuse problem can be done successfully, even in the comfort and privacy of their home. MD Home Detox is a nationally-based program designed to assist you in your quest for a drug and alcohol-free future. Our team will help you figure out what to do after detox and can even provide you with a sober companion who will help you get set up and get started going to meetings. If you decide that exercising might help, MD Home Detox has personal trainers who will create a tailored workout program specifically to meet your goals as well as nutritionists to ensure you get the most out of each facet of your new lifestyle.
The good news is, with MD Detox, you do not need to wonder what to do after detox because the guess work is removed from the process. To find an MD Home Detox center near you, call (888) 592-7931 or click here to email us and take that first step towards a healthier, brighter, sober tomorrow.