Addiction Aftercare Program

An aftercare program is designed to teach skills to maintain sobriety after completing a treatment program. Aftercare can include things like therapies, groups, and mindfulness.

Massachusetts Center for Addiction provides opportunities for long-term success, even after patients have left our care. We maintain this trajectory of success by first establishing appropriate step-down procedures and exit strategies as part of the discharge plan.

This is required to develop recovery support and aftercare from therapists, sober communities, friends, and family. We then ensure that the patient has appropriate resources and case management support to continue achieving their recovery goals.

Our goal is to provide you with the tools you need to prevent relapse and help you live a healthy and fulfilling life. 

Understanding Addiction Aftercare

Ongoing support is required for successful drug addiction rehabilitation. Each stage of the process is critical. Ignoring or putting in less than one’s best effort in one of the phases can jeopardize complete recovery. Although aftercare is a less-publicized part of the recovery process, it is critical to continue getting assistance after finishing outpatient or residential rehabilitation.

About 10% of the U.S. adult population struggles with a substance use disorder, and relapse rates for substance use disorders can be as high as 60%. But patients who take advantage of aftercare services experience lower relapse rates than people who do not participate in aftercare programs.

Aftercare is intended to last as long as the patient requires, which is indefinite for many. Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs are prominent examples of aftercare programs that focus on educating an individual on how to recover from the disease of addiction and emphasize the significance of assisting others once recovery has been achieved. In addition, these programs allow individuals to develop the coping skills required for long-term healing.

Why is Aftercare Important for Addiction Recovery?

The recovery journey is not an easy one. It is a long road to wellness; many may struggle to stay sober. Aftercare is vital to addiction recovery because it helps people stay sober and continue their journey to sobriety.

Aftercare services are available for anyone who has completed a treatment program. These services can help you maintain your sobriety, but they also offer other important benefits for your overall health and well-being. Rehab aftercare helps people stay sober after treatment, which can sometimes be emotionally and physically taxing. It also provides a support network so that people who have completed treatment don’t feel alone or isolated as they recover from addiction.

Aftercare programs help people ease back into everyday life after addiction by helping them find employment and housing and providing other resources they need to get back on track after treatment. These programs offer support when things go wrong during recovery, such as setbacks or relapses.

What are Some of the Resources Available in our Aftercare Program?

The recovery process looks different for every person, so no two journeys will be exactly the same. The resources needed will depend on each person’s diagnosis or co-occurring disorders and what they’re comfortable with and have the bandwidth for. The following are some common examples of aftercare.

Sober Living Homes

A safe home, income, and meaningful daily activities will help you develop resilience toward life’s challenges. While some families champion the person in recovery, others may experience familial stress, guilt, shame, anger, fear, anxiety, loss, grief, and even isolation.

As such, sober living homes are a great way to transition from rehab or an inpatient treatment center back into society. It is a safe place to live with other people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction.

In addition to providing housing, sober living programs offer employment assistance, financial aid, and counseling services. Many people choose sober living because they know it will help them avoid relapsing into old patterns. Furthermore, some people choose this type of housing to avoid returning home after rehab. Sober living is a great way to strengthen your aftercare plan.

Therapies and Counseling

Some of the most effective addiction recovery programs include therapy and counseling. The best approach is usually a combination of different types of therapy, including individual and group therapy.

Individual therapy sessions are one-on-one appointments where people can learn new coping strategies for dealing with stress or other issues that may contribute to drug or alcohol abuse. There are many types of talk therapies, and some include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and non-verbal therapies such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Group therapy involves meeting with people with similar problems or experiences as part of their recovery process. Group members share their thoughts and feelings, which helps them learn from each other’s experiences and gives them support during difficult times in their lives.

Support Groups and 12-Step Programs

Addiction support groups and 12-step programs are great ways to get help for addiction. These organizations can be helpful for those who want to quit a drug or alcohol addiction, and would like some outside support from others who intimately understand their struggles. The programs are free, but you must attend meetings regularly and follow the group’s guidelines.

The most common support groups are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These groups were started by community members who had been through recovery and wanted to help others find sobriety.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that has been around for thousands of years. It is the process of being fully present in the moment. The practice of mindfulness has been shown to have many benefits, including helping people live happier and healthier lives. 

Mindfulness can help with addiction, mental health issues, and stress reduction. Mindfulness also helps people develop better relationships with themselves and others.

Physical Activities

Physical activities can range from sports to going to the gym to consciously move one’s body. They promote physical health and wellness, as well as release natural endorphins. These activities allow for structure and healthy habit-building, which is important to recovery.

Traditional Health Care

Maintaining physical health by making appointments for more traditional health care is also important. These are especially important when recovering from a substance use disorder to mitigate any bodily harm from these substances and manage possible pain that caused these addictions in the first place.

Some drugs cause localized damage to specific body parts, such as acidic methamphetamine and its effects on teeth. Key healthcare appointments to make include: 

•     Dentist Appointments: Specific to teeth and general oral care. This would be an opportunity for both maintenance care and any cosmetic care, if desired.
•     Primary Care Appointments: Establishing a relationship and schedule with a primary care provider allows for a deeper quality of care with a doctor that is familiar with your health history
•     Specialist Appointments: Sometimes, it’s necessary to make appointments with specialists that work with more granular aspects of health, such as gastroenterology or rheumatology.

Where to Start

Addiction can be chronic and crippling to those living with it, but there is hope for the future. Are you ready to take the next steps in your or a loved one’s journey to recovery? It’s as simple as picking up the phone. We can help you from the moment you walk in our door all the way through our aftercare program and beyond.

Are you ready to get started on your own journey? Call 844-486-0671 today to learn more about the programs and aftercare we offer at Massachusetts Center for Addiction. You don’t have to continue struggling; we’re looking forward to getting you back on your feet.