One of the most common questions people ask when they begin to navigate their process of recovery is: Will this work? Between the intense pulls of addiction and compulsive behavior, the prospect of achieving a profound inner transformation that may seem a lifetime away, the detrimental influences that may be waiting for you at home, and the myriads of stories you may have heard about others who go to program after program only to come right back to substance abuse, it’s not unreasonable for you to have your apprehensions about the efficacy of getting professional help.
While each person’s journey of recovery is unique, certain elements are more likely to serve as stumbling blocks for those who aren’t prepared to meet them. One major potential pitfall is the transition from receiving treatment to long-term recovery. When you’re immersed in a supportive, structured environment like a recovery program, treatment center, or rehabilitation facility, you’re likely to make it through to completion, buoyed by the strength of your staff, peers, and internal dedication to self-improvement. Once you leave that environment, things can change quickly. To protect your investment in your future well-being, make sure to plan and set yourself up for success throughout the crucial transition from treatment to more independent living.
The Pressure to Change Your Life
It’s not unusual for people to experience a sort of culture shock when returning home from treatment. The crises and challenges that led to treatment in the first place serve as stark reminders that the stakes are high. Much is riding on your ability to use what you’ve learned in treatment to make positive changes in life. The pressure and weight of those expectations can imbue your every decision with doubt or cynicism, turning once-simple decisions into significant crossroads. You may feel the need to critically assess your relationships with friends and family, consider making changes at work or where you live.
While these are all worthwhile areas to improve, it’s important not to let yourself become overwhelmed by the amount of potential change you see around you. It’s better to move slowly, with purpose, than to rush into a storm of renewal that leaves you surrounded by abrupt shifts without enough familiarity to ground you. Having proper insight from a trusted external source can prove invaluable as you decide how to move forward.
Managing Social Expectations and Opening Up to Others About Recovery
As you come back from treatment, you’re likely to be faced with numerous people asking you about it, wondering how you’ve changed, and offering their support. However well-meaning, it’s important to maintain a degree of healthy detachment. Part of your time in recovery will have focused on cultivating an inner transformation that leads you to view the world and your relationships with a new focus on how they affect your health.
A careful approach can help you strike the delicate balance between maintaining positive social interactions and upholding your commitment to your values and priorities. You want to lean into healthy relationships enough to support your emotional health without compromising your ongoing efforts to stay sober, work through your challenges, and remain dedicated to avoiding unhelpful influences.
Taking a Closer Look at Your Instinctive Reactions
Part of the benefit of treatment is that you can rely upon outside sources of support to help you identify areas of your life in which your instinct has led you astray. As you work to develop a stronger sense of how to act in your self-interest, the staff, sponsors, and peers of a recovery program can encourage and guide you to make healthy decisions until you gain complete self-efficacy in difficult areas. Coming home from treatment can be a cold splash of water, in part because of the sudden dramatic difference in the amount of available external support. While many programs make a point to offer a continuum of care that gradually transitions you back to independent living, and while you’ll still attend meetings and check in with your professionals, it can still feel like being thrown into the deep end of the pool.
To combat that abruptness, it’s worth considering your options for bolstering your transition from treatment to long-term recovery with sober companion programs and other forms of continuing care. These programs are designed to provide you with intimate, one-on-one support by someone who understands your unique circumstances and is there to guide you through the ups and downs of daily living during that crucial early phase of recovery.
Once you’ve completed the groundwork of receiving treatment, it’s crucial to retain the skills and commitments you developed as you make your way back to more independent living. Your treatment is an investment in your future sobriety. Make sure you’re protecting that investment. Augment your recovery with the critical support we offer at Hired Power. As the first company to professionalize transition services for those battling addiction, our goal is to bridge the gap between short-term treatment and long-term wellness by helping you take recovery home with you. Hired Power is made up of a dynamic group of experienced recovery professionals who provide a wide range of empowering services built on compassion, healing, and dedication to improvement. Our Personal Recovery Assistants can encourage and motivate you to become an active participant in your own life. Reach out to us today at 800.910.9299 to begin your journey towards lasting health and happiness.
