Detoxing from drugs can be a very uncomfortable and sometimes even painful or life-threatening process–especially for clients that have been taking large or frequent doses of their addictive substance of choice before deciding to stop. However, getting admitted into a drug detox center is the best way to take that first step toward a path to addiction recovery.
If you or someone you care about want to detox from drugs before going through a comprehensive addiction treatment program, do not attempt it alone. It’s never a good idea to detox without professional and medical supervision. Search for a medical detox center, and accept their recommendation if you need to get admitted into an inpatient or outpatient program.
Looking for a drug detox center in Ohio? Contact Midwest Detox Center by calling 833.647.0392 or reaching out to our team online.
What Happens After a Drug Detox Program?
After undergoing a drug detox program, you may wonder what to do after drug detox as a client. After you go through detox and deal with withdrawal symptoms, the goal of medical professionals taking care of you is to get you stabilized mentally and physically. After this, you’ll typically be faced with several options:
- You can return to your home: This is common practice, but it is often not a good idea. Not only do those that return home after detox have an increased risk of relapse, but they often go through the detox process multiple times before finally committing to an inpatient addiction treatment program. Outpatient addiction treatment may work for some clients but simply trying to live sober after detox is a tall order.
- You can transition into an inpatient addiction treatment program: Some detox centers always recommend this option, regardless of the severity of the client’s substance abuse disorder. It can be challenging to manage your participation in an inpatient program, especially regarding the strict schedule and cost. However, inpatient treatment provides individuals with intensive therapeutic care and helps them develop coping skills and relapse prevention skills necessary for maintaining long-term sobriety. Inpatient addiction treatment programs can last for one to six months.
- You can move into a sober living home: This could be a good option for clients struggling with mild substance abuse disorders. A sober living home is also an excellent compromise for clients who want the best chance of recovery but don’t want to feel like they’re under extreme clinical care and supervision. While a sober living home resident, the client can participate in intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) or outpatient treatment (OP).
5 Steps To Take After Drug Detox and Treatment
Formal drug addiction treatment programs don’t last indefinitely. They typically last for a few months after the detox process. During or after detox, clients usually spend most of their time working on themselves, learning new skills, and developing new capabilities to help them maintain their sobriety in the real world.
What’s essential for clients to understand is that recovering doesn’t stop when their comprehensive addiction treatment program is done. Detox and addiction treatment aren’t the cures to substance use disorders. Each client will have to find a way to maintain their sobriety and manage their potentially addictive thoughts and behaviors for the rest of their life. Here are a few steps to take after drug detox that can help.
1. Find Sober Friends
Studies show that teens, specifically, may develop and maintain addictions because of the influence of other people in their lives. Teens who spend time with pro-drug friends and family members are more likely to use drugs.
The same is true for adults. If you have friendships built on drug use, you can find it harder to socialize when you go back to your life after an addiction treatment program. You may experience difficulties and temptations to use when you’re simply going to a party, sharing meals, or otherwise interacting with your old friends.
You should make new friends who, like you, are sober. They can be a vital resource for support to those in recovery.
2. Evaluate Your Environment and Move If Necessary
Like old friends, your old house or old neighborhood may also have you experiencing difficulties and temptations just be being around you. Your environment can remind you about your previous substance use and the negative behaviors that came with it. You may even walk by your old drug dealers when you’re just on your way home.
Don’t let your memories become triggers for relapsing. While it may be hard to move and settle in a new place, it’s worth doing to maintain your life of sobriety.
3. Keep Follow-up Appointments and Go to Support Group Meetings
Some addiction treatment programs work with a stair-step model, where the care they provide to clients becomes increasingly less intense depending on each client’s progress. If this sounds like the program you were in, its eventual goal is to have you eventually handle sobriety without assistance. Often, these programs include follow-up appointments with counselors, even after the formal part of the program is done.
Follow-up appointments can help you deal with the stresses of living your life while maintaining your sobriety, but going to support group meetings may help more. Most aftercare plans include membership in support groups like Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These group meetings can bring a feeling of affiliation, which helps people feel less alone in their struggle to maintain sobriety and deal with life’s various challenges.
4. Focus on Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Returning to an old routine after being in an addiction treatment program can bring anxiety and stress back into your life, especially you’re also experiencing intense cravings for the addictive substance of your choice. Those in recovery should avoid focusing on the negatives and being in a low mental state. If the negativity builds too much, a relapse is likely to happen.
Finding a moment daily to do something positive is essential. A few moments of early morning meditation, for example, could help bring you the peace of mind needed for the rest of the day. You can also exercise or do chores to encourage the feeling of being healthier and more in charge of your life’s direction.
5. Be Alert for Signs of Relapse
Did you know that addiction is a chronic illness? Up to 60% of people in the process of addiction recovery relapse at least once. Relapsing doesn’t mean that the addiction treatment program you went through wasn’t effective. It simply means that change is difficult, even when it’s positive.
People in recovery must have their guard up at all times to maintain their sobriety. For starters, understanding where their vulnerability exists is helpful. Feelings of sadness or loss may trigger some individuals, but sensations of happiness or power may trigger others. When triggering thoughts pop up, people shouldn’t ignore them–they should go back to therapy, visit a sober friend, catch a support group meeting, or otherwise deal with the issue.
Find Out More About Midwest Detox Center’s Programs and Services
If you’re looking for a drug detox center in Ohio, contact Midwest Detox Center. Call 833.647.0392 or reach out to our team online.
