The day has finally come when you can decide what to do next after completing drug or alcohol addiction treatment. You may be excited and have been looking forward to this day. On the other hand, you find yourself a little apprehensive about what decision to make next. You are not alone. Many people have had this same struggle when they are about to be discharged from treatment.
The question is where to go after treatment. You may find yourself contemplating options. However, you may not know what the best option for your recovery is. Should you go home? Or should you find an environment like a sober living home? This article will explore several important tips before deciding where to move after treatment.
Who Will Support You?
The people in your life will be a factor in deciding where to go after completing treatment. If you are considering going back home, you may need to consider that some people you encounter can be a trigger. You have gone through a tremendous change in recovery, but not everyone at home will understand.
You may have family members living in your home who still use drugs or alcohol who don’t understand sobriety. You may have friends who think one drink won’t hurt. Considering these factors is crucial when deciding where the best place to live after treatment is.
If you feel the people surrounding your home life will not support your recovery, it may be best to look into other options. Places like sober living homes can help you surround yourself with others in recovery who understand what you are going through. These people can also encourage you to maintain your sobriety.
Places That Can Be Triggering
In your hometown, you know all the places to go to see familiar faces. Remember to take note of the areas that may be triggering you. It may be beneficial to avoid those places until you feel that you are ready. You are in charge of where you go and how you handle potential triggers. It may be a good idea to stay away from places that cause an adverse reaction.
Is Anything Unsafe Still at Home?
If you can, ensure all paraphernalia is eliminated before returning home. You may want to discuss this with a trusted source within your home environment. Remember, you have the power to identify spaces within your living environment that could be a potential trigger. If you know you still have things in your home that could lead to relapse, ask family or friends to help ensure your home environment is safe upon your return.
Schedule Your Days
Creating a schedule can be helpful when returning home. Sit down and write out a calendar. Think about what you want to accomplish and create a routine before you leave treatment. This can help with excessive amounts of free time.
When you have free time, you are more likely to feel anxious. Initially, you want to eliminate as much free time as you can. Perhaps there is a particular place you would like to volunteer at. Maybe you have been thinking about helping out at the local food pantry. What better time to give them a call?
Whatever it is that you decide to do, creating a schedule can help guide you to an overall positive recovery.
Practice Self-Care
Self-care is essential to practice daily. You take care of yourself when you put yourself first by taking time just for yourself. Perhaps you like nature. Because of this, you may schedule an hour for a nature walk. Maybe you want to sit at a coffee shop and read a book, or you may enjoy listening to the ocean. These are all things you can do to take care of yourself and your recovery.
Self-care is about promoting overall wellness through physical and emotional activity. Whatever self-care looks like for you, it is important to your recovery that you make time for it.
Prepare for Potential Triggers
No matter how long you have been in recovery, there will always be a potential trigger. It is what you do with the potential trigger that matters. When you were in treatment, you processed all of your triggers. While it is important to think about them, it is beneficial to acknowledge them in aftercare. Being aware of your triggers can decrease the effect that trigger has on you.
When a trigger occurs, you can busy yourself for at least five minutes, which can help you will forget about your trigger. Set an alarm on your phone when you have a trigger and find something to do. There are many coping skills that you can engage in. Writing your coping skills down before a trigger occurs can help at the moment too. If you struggle with identifying healthy coping skills, here are several examples to help you:
- Express gratitude for how far you have come
- Take a jog around the block
- Listen to positive music or a favorite podcast
- Call a friend or go to a meeting.
Remember, you are now in control of your thought processes and empowered by your recovery.
Choosing whether or not to go home after treatment can be challenging. In treatment, you learned about people, places, and things that are triggering and are equipped with the knowledge to make good choices for yourself. As a result, you may recognize that your hometown is not the safest place for you to return to after treatment. Luckily, there are various options for you. At The Guest House, we understand the challenges of deciding where to go after treatment. We are here to support you in this journey. After completing treatment with us, we can provide referrals to sober living homes and give you access to our alumni program. Through these options, you can find like-minded peers who understand what recovery from addiction is like. You can find the support you need for lasting recovery. Call The Guest House at (855) 483-7800 to learn more.