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Recovery Advice

If you’re entering a rehab programme or have just left one, it’s important to be open to new information. We’ve collected here several key points we encourage you to consider in relation to rehab, recovery and sustaining a sober life free of addiction.

man in beige suit head in hand at laptop, supported by a woman

Trusting and embracing the process

Rehab arms you with new knowledge and fresh perspectives. It will help you to understand your stressors and triggers and will instil in you a more unbiased and fairer view of your life and what brought you towards addiction and self-abuse.

What it won’t do is hand recovery to you. This leaves some disillusioned with the process; a mistake that holds them back from achieving and sustaining sobriety. The take-home here? Trust and embrace the process. Be open-minded and prepare yourself to take rehabilitation one day at a time, whether you’re in a residential programme or are using a non-residential alternative. Explore every angle, possibility and opportunity along the way.

Valuing aftercare

It’s important you come out of your rehab programme with a clear plan for your aftercare. This is something that any legitimate provider will discuss with you, and it’s vital you produce a plan of action that’s tailored towards your own needs.

For most who leave rehab after completing their programme, this involves immediately starting to attend Fellowship meetings of some kind. These are powerful in their ability to remind you of the ongoing discipline and structure that allows you to stay sober. It’s important to remember that, for almost every person who has struggled with addiction, life never quite returns to ‘normal’ after you finish rehab. Instead, it’s a second chance at life that involves daily discipline and planning to avoid relapse. Fellowship meetings are an effective part of this. You can find other support options here

Pursuing connections and relationships

Addiction is heavily tied to isolation as we discuss on our what is alcohol addiction page, and it’s incredibly important you develop and maintain relationships. Attending Fellowship meetings as described above can help with this, but it’s important to value and nurture relationships in any way you can in your life.

One of the most common ways people relapse is by allowing themselves to fall into isolation after they finish rehab. The same applies to when you’re going through a non-residential or digital rehab programme, where you have the time and opportunity to develop connections as you proceed through your course.

If you find yourself with an abundance of time and an absence of friends and peers of any kind, be it from a running group or a long-lasting circle of friends, you could well be in trouble before you know it.

At such a time, it’s helpful seek group activities of any kind. Volunteering for charities, such as helping the homeless in a kitchen or other volunteer work, can be a rewarding way to contribute to something larger than yourself. Not only do you build those vital connections, but you come to be relied upon to help other people – a path many people who have gone through rehab and recovery find themselves naturally drawn towards.

We’re right here if you need to talk.

Call us on 0208 191 9191 or use our contact form to get in touch today.