From Detox To Aftercare: Rehab Steps For Substance Use Recovery
December 20, 2024
From Detox To Aftercare: Rehab Steps For Substance Use Recovery
When you’re ready to stop using addictive drugs or alcohol, your greatest odds for success is to initiate rehab. But, rehab doesn’t involve just one step or place. Drug and alcohol addiction rehab and recovery is a multi-step process with different stops throughout the journey. But you shouldn’t perceive that as an obstacle. Being aware of the stages of rehab will help you have the courage to start. You can be confident that at every point, you’ll encounter understanding, experienced professionals ready to help you progress in your recovery and live your life to the fullest.
Stages Of Rehab And Your Individual Journey
Substance addiction is both a mental and physical affliction. The several steps of rehab treat both aspects so you can reach a complete recovery. Different medical organizations may utilize different substance use treatment methods, but recognized rehab steps include:
- Inpatient detox
- Inpatient rehab
- Outpatient care
- Further aftercare
Each person’s experience with substance use disorder is unique, and so is their recovery journey. While you’ll encounter the same steps of rehab in Boston as other people, how you complete every step may look different. Many individuals redo steps or start anew, in some instances many times, before they eventually enter recovery. The important thing is to seek competent therapy and always move step by step toward recovery.
Substance Detox Is The First Step To Recovery
When the moment has come to quit using alcohol or addictive drugs, your opening step is to detox from those chemicals and let your body remove them away. Unfortunately, if you’re physically addicted to those chemicals, withdrawal is likely to result and make you feel quite sick.
To succeed at detoxing, you should begin a medically guided detox program. You’ll live at a detox facility and receive 24/7 medical care to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and keep you safe. Detoxing may take 7-14 days.
If relapse occurs, you are able to start over with detoxing when you’re prepared to make another attempt.
Substance Rehab Focuses On The Mental Side Of Addiction
While the detox process emphasizes your bodily recovery, the following step of rehab addresses the mental side of substance use disorder. During this phase, you’ll reside in a rehab facility removed from triggers of alcohol or drug use. You’ll go to different therapies to tackle the mental health influences of your substance use and cultivate beneficial coping devices to replace alcohol or drugs. Those therapies might include different forms of
- Private counseling working one-on-one with a therapist
- Counselor-led group therapy
If you use substances to manage an undiagnosed or untreated mental condition, rehab is the right time to work toward a diagnosis or start suitable treatment. Understanding and treating co-occurring disorders is essential to recovery.
Just like detox, you may return to this step of rehab as many times as needed.
Progressing To Outpatient Treatment
You may remain at your rehab location as long as you need to feel well enough to go home. But even once you return, treatment isn’t finished. You still are entitled to specialized treatment to stay sobert. At this phase, you’ll gain from outpatient treatment that permits you to reside at home and gradually return to your regular lifestyle.
Outpatient treatment employs continued psychiatric care from qualified clinicians that allows you to stay at home without enduring a relapse. Mental health locations that focus on substance use recovery are optimal for this stage of rehab in Boston. They will have several levels of outpatient treatment to provide the structure and routine that helps prevent relapse.
Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) involve going to substance use and mental health counseling every weekday for multiple hours a day. You can stay at home or a nearby sober living location when you’re enrolled in PHP.
Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) offer therapy throughout the week to keep you on track with recovery while you stay at home and attend to work and other commitments.
You might also go to medication management sessions at this step. If you’ve been prescribed medication to curb substance cravings or regulate a mental disorder, it’s crucial you have a medical professional helping you evaluate dosing and side effects.
Further Aftercare Options
During all rehab steps, you’ll create an aftercare plan with a qualified addiction professional. Your aftercare plan will spell out your future path of treatment to maintain your recovery momentum. In time, you’ll “graduate” through the steps of rehab and discover yourself on the threshold of recovery.
It’s a great accomplishment to regain control of your life enough to no longer require frequent treatment. But, you won’t be left without opportunities for further support. Here are a few things you might do:
- Continue to see a trusted counselor
- Go to twelve-step meetings or other support groups
- Frequently remind yourself of the insights you gained through your recovery
- Nurture bonds with understanding people
- Pursue healthy activities and new hobbies
- Go back to any rehab step if you ever notice yourself fighting to stay sober
You might never be completely “cured” of addiction, but recovery is attainable when you adhere to all the steps of rehab in Boston. Revisiting those steps as often as needed and depending on your network of support will permit you to live free of drugs and alcohol someday.
Get Started On The Opening Steps Of Rehab Near Boston Today
Wherever you are in your addiction recovery journey, Sunrise Detox Millbury will help you obtain the support you need. Give us a call at 508-506-8940 now or submit the following contact form to have an immediate consultation on where to pursue treatment. All calls are confidential and at no cost to you. We are here to assist you right away.
Author
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Stephen Cooke brings over a decade of experience in international and American healthcare communications to Praesum. A prolific writer and published author, Stephen has dedicated his career to promoting health and recovery across various organizations.
