5 Ways Continuing Care Will Help You Stay Sober
Continuing Care Helps
Perhaps you’ve already made it through detox and spent some time in residential care. You feel empowered to take on life, but the risks of relapse are ever-present. Continuing care provides additional support and guidance for long-term recovery. Studies show that it may help to reduce thoughts of use or other complications that may lead to relapse. Consider a few key reasons when and why continuing care can help you maintain your sobriety.
#1: Continuing Care Provides Support When You Need It
Whether you are just getting back to life after treatment or you are finding yourself facing a difficult situation, continuing care is one way to obtain support. It may provide individual and/or group therapy: a place for you to talk about your feelings, needs, and concerns in safety. No one will judge the way you are feeling.
As a direct result, you may be able to work through challenging situations in a healthy way, without compromising your sobriety. You’ll feel able to make good decisions for yourself and to nurture your relationships with loved ones.
#2: It Creates Stability
One of the foundations of long-term success from drug and alcohol addiction is stability. Addiction treatment will teach you about the importance of routines and sticking to a schedule in order to create stability in your life.
Continuing care can help ensure that you’re following this part of your recovery plan.
Seeing your therapist on a routine basis can help you work through the week’s stressors, for example. Attending a daily or weekly recovery support group meeting helps you feel part of a community and continually refocus your attention on recovery and healing.
#3: It Fosters Community Support
Let’s face it. What you’ve been through has been difficult. You’ve overcome many of the challenges, but you’re still facing more. Having a place to go to get community support, such as in a group therapy session, a meeting with fellow treatment alumni, or a local AA or NA meeting, is crucial.
Perhaps you’ve experienced a rough week at work or school. No one seems to understand your point of view. You’re frustrated. Having a group of people to turn to just to vent and let out that frustration may help you avoid reaching for substances as a way to escape the emotions.
#4: It Helps Heal Relationships
Continuing care can help you improve relationships. One of the most difficult parts of recovery is mending broken relationships with close family and friends. In continuing care, you have a safe place to do this; a family therapist can help loved ones learn to communicate clearly and with compassion.
Your therapy team can help you learn how to create and lovingly enforce boundaries, communicate your intense feelings in a way that fosters connection, and overcome day-to-day challenges..
#5: It Helps You Celebrate Your Success
There’s no one quite like another person in recovery to help you celebrate your recovery success. Continuing care can help you embrace your newfound life by pursuing dreams, setting goals, and rediscovering old hobbies or talents that you could not nurture when addicted. Maybe you decide to go back to school or get a more fulfilling job. Maybe you start taking piano lessons again or training for a half-marathon. Continuing care helps you set realistic goals and meet them. It provides you with a way to celebrate your achievements.
We Can Help
Continuing care, in all of its forms, provides ongoing support and guidance. It’s one of the most important investments you can make in your long-term recovery because it keeps you focused on moving forward, not dwelling on your addiction. At Victory Addiction Recovery Center, we offer this as one component of a treatment plan that will help you rebuild your life.
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