Drug rehab if it is completed genuinely with a desire to stop using drugs or alcohol. It is often what happens after that doesn’t work; the return home. Many blame drug rehabs saying they don’t work or that they are a scam. The reality is that drug rehabs do their job and deliver your son or daughter clean and sober with 30+ days under their belt. Drug rehabs prepare an individual for long-term sobriety but after a person steps out that door it’s a whole new world.
Especially if your child is going back to his/her old surroundings, it can really be tough. The people, places, and things will start creeping into his/her life trying to cause a relapse. There will be bumps on the road, but with a proper aftercare program and well established relapse prevention plan, a relapse can be avoided successfully.
What doesn’t work is when a child gets out of the inpatient treatment center, their aftercare plan goes by the wayside, and the lack of communication, organization, and structure opens the door to relapse. There is a disconnect between leaving the drug rehab facility, and learning how to life live sober in the real world. Setting up an aftercare program for your child after drug rehab is the single most important thing you can do to ensure the highest chance for your child’s sobriety. There will be triggers and cravings, so it’s important that he/she has a proper support network in-place with the right coping skills.
Drug Rehab and Addiction Aftercare
If your child will be living with you after he/she completes drug rehab, then you need to have a plan in-place that has healthy boundaries but provides the proper supervision. Being there for your child when you’re needed most is important, but it’s a balancing act that should be approached with caution.
As a parent, you must have a plan and be prepared for aftercare. The inpatient handholding of a treatment center is no longer going to be there and your child will get nine hours of therapy in an IOP program per week. The rest of the time is up to the recovering addict and his/her support network (that includes the family!) to hopefully make the best of it. I’ve been able to successfully bridge the gap between addiction treatment and the real world with a hands-on approach and years of experience.
Parents set such high hopes and think a drug rehab is an absolute miracle cure, but what really makes a difference is a solid aftercare program. As a sober coach, addiction consultant, and certified interventionist, and most importantly, a recover addict with multiple years of sobriety, this is where I’m a real specialist. With my experience in the addiction recovery field, I’m able to bring a unique perspective for lasting success and long-term recovery.