At our program for addiction aftercare in Georgetown, we take addiction management after rehab very seriously, and help all our patients with it. It's the reason that our patients, once they get back into the world, do so well staying sober.
If you've successfully made it through the detox, psychiatric care and therapy that make up rehab, you may believe that you're at a point where you can finally consider your addiction behind you. Certainly, there is cause for jubilation when you complete rehab; it's important to not let your guard down, however.
Addiction is not a condition that can be cured; it can only be kept in check through active management. You can never assume that an addiction in retreat will always stay that way. The best approach is to always be on the offensive against the disease, and to always look out for possible relapse. Putting Together an Aftercare Plan
Well-designed addiction aftercare programs need to be assessed, planned and built individually for each patient, depending on the needs perceived by the addiction specialists and therapists in charge. They tend to be put together with the following components.
A prescription: Patients may need methadone or similar drugs to maintain themselves on. If psychiatric disorders are involved, additional prescriptions are likely to be part of the patient's treatment programs in Georgetown after rehab.
Follow-up appointments: Routine appointments can help with drug testing and monitoring, clarifications and explanations, and allow for new prescriptions if needed.
Sober living: Should a patient need help transitioning from rehab to life out in the world, the rehab may recommend stay at halfway houses or other centers for addiction aftercare in Georgetown. These facilities offer a certain amount of discipline, monitoring and restriction, and also some freedom.
Relapse prevention in Georgetown is the most important part of our aftercare plan, and it is likely to be offered to every patient. Relapse prevention is a series of therapeutic steps that patients participate in, for months or years. The aim of these steps is to help the patient address psychological complications that may have led to addictive behavior in the first place.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This therapeutic approach helps participants look at and analyze destructive thought patterns, and change them. CBT is applied to changing compulsive guilt and self-loathing, among other behaviors.
This therapeutic approach is also used to help patients identify their triggers -- stimuli that create vulnerabilities to cravings -- and help participants avoid them.
Motivational interviewing: Addiction has the ability to make a person ambivalent about any attempt to change. Many patients suffer from a poorly focused desire to get better. Motivational interviewing is treatment in which therapists try to skillfully identify sources of motivation in different areas, and channel the motivation found to getting better.
Moral reconation: When the patient's psychological issue is a lack of an internal moral compass or an ethical conscience, therapy of this kind can help the patient rebuild it from scratch. Treatment includes simple ways to help patients practice moral behavior, and learn from it.
Art therapy: From music to painting, dance to sculpture, art therapy helps patients in a very specific way -- reach areas of conflict or unhappiness deep within, through artistic creation. Art can be a very effective way of self-expression for some people who are extremely troubled by past experiences.
Family therapy: While it is the addict who actually receives treatment, therapy for the family is actually a good idea. Families supporting addicts can become very stressed, and may suffer from psychological issues themselves. Family members may also be enablers of the addict. Family therapy helps families with educational programs and one-on-one therapeutic interviews to help them heal and learn healthy ways behavior.
Drug addiction aftercare programs come with a wide range of therapeutic offerings to help patients in very specific ways. It takes experienced therapists match patients with the right care programs.
If you would like to speak to such an expert, you only need to call us to learn about our program for addiction aftercare in Georgetown. Call us now for help (877) 804-1531.