Aftercare at East Coast Recovery Center
Aftercare is a structured plan to assist someone after they’ve completed a treatment program. While our treatment programs at East Coast Recovery Center are designed to provide a solid foundation for recovery, the journey isn’t over when the program concludes. The goal is to provide assistance in the early stages of recovery to prevent relapse, help a person regain control of their life, and work toward their life’s goals.
An aftercare plan is designed to help a person that has recently completed an addiction treatment program to learn and practice coping skills. As a person transitions to living a life free of substances, there are bound to be triggers, cravings, and stressors that can impede progress in recovery. The goal of aftercare is to give you all the necessary tools you need to overcome the desire to use. At East Coast Recovery Center, each aftercare plan is individualized to help you meet your goals as a sober person.
Some components of your aftercare plan may include
Because it can be very difficult to transition to a life free of addiction, it is very important to have a plan for what comes after treatment. It has been determined that the risk of a person relapsing is highest within the first few months of leaving treatment. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has determined that between 40% and 60% of people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction will experience a relapse at some point.
Having a plan and knowing what to do immediately after treatment can help avoid relapse by providing you with the support system you need to continue building upon skills learned in treatment at East Coast Recovery Center. Many people find that once they feel secure in their sobriety, they find great fulfillment in helping others in the recovery process.
Treatment outcomes have been shown to improve when clients receive tailored services that match and address their specific needs. Because of this, treatment at East Coast Recovery Center is individualized to meet each person where they are in their recovery journey. This includes our approach to aftercare as well.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines the term “recovery” as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. SAMHSA has identified four dimensions of recovery from substance use issues:
1. Health: One overcomes or manages disease(s) or symptoms. For example, abstaining from the use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and non-prescribed medications if one has an addiction problem, and for everyone in recovery, making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being.
2. Home: Have a stable and safe place to live.
3. Purpose: Participate in meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and have the independence, income, and resources to participate in society.
4. Community: Engage in relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
The goal of aftercare is to address all four of these principles and, in turn, lead to strong, lasting recovery.
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Having a safe and sober living atmosphere can be crucial in the early stages of post-treatment sobriety. Living in an environment with frequent exposure to drug and alcohol use can lead to strong cravings and even relapse. One of the reasons why initial treatment is effective is that it can remove a person from a potentially dangerous living environment and place them in an atmosphere conducive to positive, healthy outlooks. At East Coast Recovery Center, we believe that a sober living environment can be an incredibly effective method to build lasting sobriety.
Sober living homes are exactly what they sound like: residences in which like-minded and recovery-focused individuals live together free of the potential triggers that substance use by proxy can entail. The goal of these residences is to provide an environment where residents can build upon various skills and resources as they transition toward independent living.
Residents are typically required to live by a set of house rules including abstinence from drugs and alcohol as they actively work on skills related to strengthening their foundation for recovery. Sober living homes may vary in the details of their house rules, but residents will typically be expected to engage in household chores, follow a set curfew, and limit visitors to specific times of the day. There are even opportunities for residents to volunteer and pursue employment.
At East Coast Recovery Center, we encourage human connection by placing an emphasis on community-based therapies such as a 12-step program and by pairing with local community coalitions such as Safe Harbor. We also hold on-site Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings and guided yoga and meditation sessions to help achieve peace in recovery, together.
As discussed above, relapse is often a part of the recovery process, but there are many strategies after completing our treatment programs to strengthen recovery and reduce the risk of relapse. At East Coast Recovery Center, we aim to give everyone the best chance of a successful outcome in recovery and recommend utilizing the following strategies:
Our licensed and compassionate mental health counselors understand addiction and recovery struggles because many of them have experienced addiction themselves. Attending every therapy session is a good way to ensure the treatment is as effective as possible.
At East Coast Recovery Center, we believe that this sense of community is key to avoiding relapse and achieving victory over substance use issues. That’s why we hold on-site recovery meetings through programs like Alcoholics Anonymous in order to help nurture this sense of community.
Family can also be an important aspect of support to the newly-sober individual. That’s why we offer programs to help loved ones better understand what someone is going through and how to offer the best support they can.
At East Coast Recovery Center, we treat the development of an aftercare plan with the same individualized approach as every other step in the recovery process. We take into account many different factors when we work to create an aftercare plan that will be the most effective for each situation. Some of these factors include the severity and length of addiction issues as well as which resources we believe will be most beneficial in the long term.
Some may find success by focusing on family or group therapies while others may find that a residency in a sober living home may be the most effective approach to aftercare. We’ll even help figure out the logistics of an aftercare plan including finances, transportation, housing, and education.
You’re not alone in your journey, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.
At East Coast Recovery Center, our mission is to help those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction achieve success in recovery and life. Our campus is located 20 minutes outside of Boston in beautiful Cohasset, Massachusetts. This is where your healing journey will begin.
We realize that every person’s path is different, so our approach to treatment for substance use issues must be different as well. Contact us today at (617) 390-8349 to get started on your own path to recovery.
The requirements for entry into an aftercare program can vary but typically require that a person has completed an addiction treatment program. There are a certain set of rules and expectations that must be followed by someone who is entering an aftercare program as well, the most basic of which is the desire for, and commitment to, abstinence from substance use.
Aftercare is an ongoing set of counseling and lifestyle changes that a person participates in after completing an addiction treatment program. Addiction is an ongoing issue that doesn’t stop when a person completes a structured program. Through the healthy lifestyle changes that aftercare provides, a person can help solidify their sobriety and enjoy a life free of substance use.
After completing a structured addiction treatment program, most addiction facilities will provide you with resources that address what comes next. Aftercare strategies typically involve community coalitions such as Alcoholics Anonymous, group and individual counseling sessions, and various healthy lifestyle changes.
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