Where do you learn how to make a plan for life after rehab? Aftercare programs are designed to help you transition from the treatment center to your daily life. These plans typically include support services that can keep you on track and increase the likelihood of long-term recovery. Call 844.875.5609 to speak with someone from Promises Behavioral Health about our rehab aftercare programs in the United States.
Learning How to Make a Plan for Life After Rehab
Planning for life after rehab is essential for long-term sobriety. Life after rehab is fraught with risk but can also be a joyful time of new beginnings. To avoid adverse outcomes, like relapsing, and to fully embrace your new life of sobriety, it’s essential to make a plan. Perhaps the most dangerous way to approach recovery is to wing it. With a formal plan for tackling life after rehab, you give yourself the best chance of a successful, enjoyable, and fulfilling recovery. Here is a step-by-step guide for making that plan.
Start During Rehab
Your action plan for life after rehab should start in rehab. Make use of the professionals at your service to create your plan. These are the experts, and they can guide you as you try to figure out what your new life will look like.
Include Your Family
Hopefully, you will have a chance to visit with your family members while wrapping up your rehab stay. If so, talk to them about what you think your future will be like. Ask for their advice and support in crafting a recovery plan. It’s essential to involve those with whom you will be living after you leave rehab. These are the people who will be directly supporting you in your recovery.
Determine Who Your Friends Are
You know who will support you in recovery and who will not. Eliminate all those friends who will not help you and may even actively sabotage your recovery. Knowing in advance who to get rid of will make it easier to keep them at a distance once you’re back home.
Line Up a Support Group
Treatment doesn’t end with rehab. To recover successfully, you need to continue with addiction treatment or care. A support group is a great way to do that. Figure out what group you’ll join and when the meetings are before you leave rehab.
List Your Triggers and Plan How to Avoid Them
This is a task that your counselors at rehab are exceptionally qualified to help you with, so get them on board. Make a physical list of what you think will trigger you to relapse, and work with your therapist or counselor to make a specific plan for coping with each one. For instance, if stress triggers you to drink, devise a list of alternative activities that can help you reduce stress during those times.
Plan Your Work, Education, and Activities
Significant triggers for anyone in recovery are boredom and lack of purpose. Your life used to revolve around drugs or alcohol. Now you need something to replace that purpose. Decide what one or two activities you want to focus on and plan how you will approach them. Ask yourself:
- Will you go back to school or work?
- Will you look for a new job?
- Will you start a business or look for volunteer work?
Decide on a few things now, and don’t be afraid to follow your dreams, even if they seem out of reach.
Plan for Relapse
Perhaps the most important thing you can do is plan for relapse. No matter how hard you try, it may happen. Decide now what you will do, how you will cope, and how you will get back to sobriety and recovery.
Find Rehab Aftercare with Promises Behavioral Health
Planning for life after rehab is the best way to approach your recovery from addiction. Rehab was just the first step. Now you have the challenge of living a sober life with meaning. Make a plan and be ready to start your new life with hope and purpose. Contact Promises today at 844.875.5609 to learn more about our rehab aftercare options throughout the United States.