Should you keep going to outpatient services after your residential treatment?
The short answer is: Yes.
Residential treatment is one of the most important experiences you’ll have. It’s where you’ll devote time to understanding your addiction, developing healthy coping mechanisms, and getting essential group support. You’ll have access to mental health professionals who can help walk you through what you’re feeling and how to deal with it.
But it’s important to understand that residential treatment isn’t a cure. If you’re an addict, you’ll have to deal with that addiction for your whole life. Recovery is a constant process.
That’s not said to discourage you. Choosing to recover makes you an incredibly brave individual. But it’s important to know that you aren’t cured when you go home. You still need help managing your mental health. Regular counseling sessions can help you continue to build on the work you did in residential treatment.
You should also understand that going home will be very different from residential treatment. There may be conflicts and stresses that you didn’t anticipate, which may then tempt you to use.
Residential Treatment Is Controlled
A residential treatment center is a controlled environment. In many ways, it’s a vacation from your day-to-day life. You’re working hard every day, and each day is focused around your addiction, but you also aren’t dealing with potential environmental triggers.
Residential treatment gives you a safe space to start sorting through the chaos. Engaging in family therapy can even help you create better support structures for when you return home. But the work isn’t done there. When you get home, you’ll run into issues that you’ll need to talk out with someone. You’ll be glad to have a counselor to support you.
Environmental triggers are stresses and circumstances that make you want to use again. The risk of relapse is high as you get used to being on your own again. Common environmental triggers include:
- Stress at work
- Conflicts and fighting between family members
- Being around other people who use drugs or alcohol
- Being near an area or person that reminds you of a traumatic experience
You’ll need to unpack all of this at outpatient therapy, and you’ll be glad you chose to go.
If you need to talk, we have trained counselors available 24/7 at (833) 762-3765. Give us a call. You owe your recovery to yourself.