Key Points

  • September is National Recovery Month
  • Enrolling in a Relapse Prevention Program can help you in your recovery
  • Knowing and understanding your triggers can help you manage risks
  • It's important to have a strong network who understand your situation and will be supportive during difficult times
  • Getting help with mental health issues can help you stay on your recovery path
  • Learning how to manage stressful environments can reduce the risk of relapse

Recovery is an ongoing process that continues long after you leave rehab. During this time, you may experience a number of stressors that increase your risk of relapsing. However, there are steps you can take to strengthen your sobriety, manage these challenges, and build a healthier life. These include learning how to reduce drug cravings and manage withdrawal symptoms while developing coping strategies and healthier routines.

In the spirit of National Recovery Month, we’ve compiled five tips to help strengthen your sobriety and help you to reach your recovery goals.

1. Enroll in a Relapse Prevention Program

Despite inpatient and residential treatment having a definite exit date, it is far from being the end of treatment. Intensive treatment is only the beginning of your recovery journey.

After leaving rehab, depending on your recovery goals, you will be directed to ongoing care. These programs are designed to reduce the risk of relapse, impart skills to manage sobriety challenges, and provide continued support to help you adjust to life outside of inpatient care.

Examples of evidence-based aftercare programs include:

You can stay in these programs as long as it takes to reach your goals, and many graduates volunteer in them as alumni.

2. Identify Your Craving Triggers

Like many people struggling with addiction, you may find yourself craving the very substance you’re abstaining from. Approximately 15% of individuals out of rehab manage these cravings, while 85% relapse within their first year of recovery. This may feel like a failure of treatment, but it is a normal part of the recovery process.

In fact, drug cravings are a common hallmark of recovering from drug addiction. They aren’t a sign of treatment failure or that you will not recover successfully. They occur for a number of reasons, including brain changes, emotional triggers, and associations of drug use with certain people, places, and activities.

Aftercare programs can help you identify the triggers of your cravings and provide strategies to manage them. Once you’re aware of these triggers, you can apply the tools you’ve learned to respond to them in a healthier way and reduce your risk of relapsing.

While the DSM-5 clearly highlights drug cravings as an indicator of a substance use disorder, it doesn’t mean that giving in to them is inevitable.

3. Develop a Strong Recovery Network

Twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous offer a framework for helping individuals in recovery remain sober. Although many people attend 12-step programs after leaving rehab, it isn’t a requirement.

You may choose from a number of additional aftercare programs to meet your recovery needs. These include SMART recovery, group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and alumni programs. The type of program you select should help you manage substance cravings, stress, and ongoing challenges.

Your support network should consist of trusted individuals, such as family, friends, or sponsors, who understand your situation and offer a listening ear and encouragement during difficult times.

4. Get Help for Mental Health Concerns

Many individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) also face mental health conditions that can hinder their recovery process. Conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, if left untreated, may complicate the achievement of recovery goals. Choosing one treatment over the other can delay progress in both. Fortunately, treatment for these mental health issues can be integrated with addiction treatment, allowing for a more comprehensive approach to recovery.

Integrated treatment provided in a dual-diagnosis program can address both conditions simultaneously. This allows the treatment provider to consider how both affect one another. It also helps them develop a relapse-prevention and recovery plan that addresses both, including therapy and medication management.

If you experience new mental health symptoms during recovery or alongside substance use, consult a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist to address them and help prevent relapse as a coping mechanism.

5. Learn Stress Management Techniques

Going through stressful events can make relapse more likely and recovery more challenging, especially if you previously used addictive substances to cope with stress. Stress management techniques (such as deep breathing, S.T.O.P, and TIPP) provide healthier alternatives. These strategies interrupt impulsive thoughts and allow you to regain composure.

Other stress relief options include:

  • Participating in enjoyable hobbies like fishing or dancing
  • Taking part in regular exercise
  • Spending time with loved ones

Finding Addiction Treatment and Aftercare in Georgia

Addiction is a lonely path, but recovery doesn’t have to be. Using supportive treatments like aftercare programs and therapy, alongside the support of a sober social network, can help you achieve a healthier, more stable life far from addiction. You’ll also build a number of skills you’ll need to reach your recovery goals.

To learn more about aftercare programs, relapse prevention, and maintaining sobriety, reach out to Southeast Addiction Center GA. We offer treatment programs for every stage of recovery, along with ongoing support.

No matter where you are in your journey, we can assist you along the way.