Getting over drug or alcohol addiction is a long-term process. It involves treatment at different stages to give you or your loved one the best chance of staying sober. Aftercare is just as crucial as primary substance abuse treatment and can begin once you complete detox and initial therapy. You’ll have the option of entering an aftercare treatment program after completing a treatment program. Through aftercare, you can benefit from the skills and resources designed to promote a substance-free life.
What Is Aftercare?
An aftercare program is a type of post-recovery care included in a comprehensive substance abuse treatment plan. Addiction specialists recognized once individuals leave rehab, they are still at risk of a relapse because of substance use triggers tied to their belief system and social environments. In fact, as many as 40-60 percent of people treated for a substance use disorder (SUD) will relapse at some point.
So treatment specialists came up with strategies to help minimize your risk. In other words, post-rehab care is like putting the icing on the cake. Some treatment centers call it a relapse prevention program or continuing care program, but the aim and techniques used are generally the same. The end goal is to help you continue fighting addiction, a complex and relapsing brain disorder without a cure.
Types of Aftercare Programs
There are different types of programs designed to match the needs of individuals recovering from addiction to alcohol, prescription drugs, narcotics, and other types of illicit drugs. Care may be delivered at your current treatment center or an external location in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Programs you might benefit from include:
- 12-step meetings
- Alcoholic Anonymous
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
- Alumni programs
- Community-based support groups
- Sober living programs
When Should You Start Aftercare?
Post-rehab care provides a sense of relief and hope for clients worried about how to stay sober after treatment. You should begin this continuum of care immediately after leaving a drug or alcohol rehab program. While recovery is a huge accomplishment, delaying the process puts you at risk of relapse. Remember, your brain is still trying to heal from the damage caused by months or years of drugs or alcohol abuse. Individuals with a dual diagnosis disorder, such as anxiety or depression, may relapse faster since they tend to use addictive substances as a coping method.
Benefiting From an Aftercare Program in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio Recovery Center offers a continued care program in addition to the following programs and therapies:
- Residential treatment program
- Outpatient treatment program
- 90-day treatment
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Family therapy
- Holistic therapy
The aftercare program provides a personalized continuum of care for men and women treated at our facility and is designed to keep you in treatment as long as necessary. This can be weeks, months, or years, depending on the severity of the SUD and the presence of a co-occurring disorder.
You will receive care in a supportive environment by a compassionate doctor and therapist who will help you tailor a relapse prevention plan. You will learn coping skills to help manage mental, emotional, physical, and environmental substance use triggers similar to what you learned during behavioral therapy. We will encourage you to set up a network of people you can ask for help at times when substance cravings threaten your sobriety. Other forms of care can include medication therapy, individual counseling, recreational therapy, occupational education, and case management.
San Antonio Recovery Center’s Relapse Prevention Program May Be Right for You
Anyone, including strong-willed clients who are committed to long-term abstinence, can fall back into substance abuse. You can avoid becoming a victim of relapse and having to go back to rehab by entering the aftercare program at our facility in San Antonio, TX. Call us at 866.957.7885, or contact us online for more information.
