No Relapse! 3 ways to stay sober after drug or alcohol rehab

om-link">plan, and within this document you will have listed
places, people, and situations all likely to induce
Drug or alcohol rehab is unfortunately no guaranteecravings for use; and all situations to be avoided if at
of long term sobriety, and a great many people failall possible.
to see sobriety through the end of the first veryToo many of us, although leaving rehab with the
risky year after rehab. Here are three things you canbest of intentions, fall prey to overconfidence and
do to maximize the odds of staying sober andfind ourselves tempting fate with a return to some
staying healthy after the end of drug or alcoholof our old ways. It's difficult to stay away from what
rehab.we now, the people whose company we enjoy, and
The first weeks and months after rehab are anthe environments where we feel comfortable; but
incredibly risky period for relapse and continuingfor long term sobriety, at least for the first year, you
abuse, and the whole first year of sobriety ishave got to minimize the temptations to use.
tenuous at best. Recovery statistics put the odds ofMinimizing the triggers to use cannot be the only
a long term sobriety after drug rehab at about 40%,strategy to success, and without motivation, desire
and sadly more people than not do not manage toand continuing therapy, these temptations that
integrate the therapies and lessons of recovery in ainevitably do emerge will always overwhelm; but it's
way that allows for enduring success.also foolish to increase the risks of using, and thus it's
Individual motivation and commitment to recoveryvery foolish to get overconfident during the first high
obviously influences your odds at success andrisk year.
sobriety, but wanting something badly is rarely3) Give something back
enough, and to truly maximize the odds of successfulA period of active drug or alcohol addiction is
recovery, you need to put into practice certaininevitably a selfish and destructive period. We may
strategies of relapse avoidance, and put them intonot have been in complete control over our thoughts
practice every day.and actions during this period, yet nevertheless, rare
Three ways to stay sober after drug rehabis the addict who does not leave some harm in the
1) Stay involved with aftercarewake of abuse.
The single greatest factor influencing long termVolunteer, sponsor at AA, mentor a newly
sobriety is the degree of participation in the therapiesrecovering addict...do something to give back to the
after the end of drug rehab. Ideally, you should lookcommunity. Acting out of concern for others gives
at rehab as a two stage process, with the secondmeaning to life and sobriety, reduces the temptations
stage only beginning after graduation, and the secondto use, and plain and simple gives us something to do
stage of therapy equally important to the first.with free time that might otherwise lead us into
Long tem aftercare therapies can include privatetrouble.
therapy with a psychologist, may mean regularMost addicts have taken more than they given for
participation in AA or another form of 12 stepstoo long, and a period of new sobriety is a great
meetings, or mean local peer group supporttime to restore that karmic balance.
participation. It doesn’t much matter what youSobriety takes continuing effort, even after the end
use, as long as you pick something resonant to you,of drug or alcohol rehab. By staying committed to
and stick with for at least a year.aftercare, by minimizing the temptations to use, and
2) Change your routinesby filling free time with worthy actions, you have a
During rehab you will have made a relapse preventionfar greater chance of ultimate success and happiness.