5 Tips on How to Stay Sober After Rehab

If you’ve recently completed rehab in West Palm Beach, you may feel slightly overwhelmed with the idea of having to manage your sobriety on your own. After all, most local addiction treatment facilities provide highly structured environments accompanied by supervision and support. So, leaving one of these rehab centers and making the transition back into day to day life is intimidating. Fortunately, South Florida is teeming with local recovery resources. Whether you are new to the area and traveled here for rehab or are a life-long Floridian, there are plenty of free and low-cost resources at your disposal.

In addition to professional and self-help resources, there are additional things you can do on a day to day basis to help support your recovery. When you combine professional help with an undying dedication to staying sober, you will have what it takes to remain healthy and clean after leaving rehab. Here are 5 tips that will help you stay sober after going to rehab in West Palm Beach.

1. Complete a Full Continuum of Care

Life after rehab isn’t always easy, but one of the best ways to ensure your sobriety is to complete a full continuum of care. This includes not only detox and residential treatment, but also outpatient rehab, aftercare, and ongoing counseling sessions. Since recovery doesn’t happen overnight, longer treatment programs that help people adjust back to normal living are associated with more successful treatment outcomes.

Fortunately, certified addiction treatment providers in Florida offer multiple levels of care including:

• Residential (inpatient) treatment
• Partial hospitalization programs (PHP)
• Intensive outpatient programming (IOP)
• Outpatient programming (OP)
• Alumni groups

When you participate in multiple levels of care, the intensity of your treatment adjusts according to the progress you are making. This allows for an individualized approach that can provide patients with the specific tools and resources they need to address their unique issues surrounding substance use disorder.

2. Participate in a Local 12-Step Program

Having a support system of other people in recovery is one of the best ways to maintain sobriety. 12-Step fellowships such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA) are some of the most popular recovery-based support groups available. Moreover, South Florida is home to an overwhelming number of 12-step groups, which is one reason why so many people choose to get sober in South Florida. With meetings occurring on nearly every street at every hour of the day, there is always support available.

All meetings are different and vary by group, but the purpose is to help educate members about sobriety and encourage supportive relationships among like-minded individuals. If you attend a rehab program in West Palm Beach, it’s likely that your treatment program will include 12-step facilitation. That means your counselors will encourage 12-step participation and you may even have the privilege of going to these meetings with your rehab center. Other treatment options are focused solely on the 12-steps and teaching individuals how to live a sober life.

Even if you start getting involved with a 12-step fellowship during rehab, it is even better to continue getting involved after leaving rehab. Self-help groups such as these can help support your sobriety and provide you with life-long friendships. If you prefer an alternative approach to the 12-steps, SMART Recovery and other groups are also available in the West Palm Beach area.

3. Live in a Sober Home

Returning home after going to an addiction treatment center isn’t always the best decision. Whether your home environment is riddled with drug or alcohol using family members or simply isn’t the safest, most supportive environment, you may consider temporarily staying at a local sober living home. Regardless of which type of drug addiction you are struggling with, sober homes bring like-minded individuals together under the same roof.

Sober living homes in West Palm Beach offer a safe, structured, and sober living environment for people who have just completed rehab. Most sober homes are subject to rules and guidelines regarding random drug testing, nightly curfews, chore assignments, and more. Adjusting to a new, sober lifestyle isn’t always easy, but it can be made easier by going to sober living after rehab.

4. Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

In addition to taking advantage of the immense recovery resources in the area, people who complete rehab in West Palm Beach should become educated on how lifestyle choices impact their mental health and sobriety. For example, simple things like eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and staying active can help stave off feelings of depression or anxiety, therefore, helping you stay sober.

Other lifestyle choices that will help you stay sober after rehab are:

• Mindfulness meditation
• Journaling
• Spending time in nature
• Hanging out with positive influences
• Taking time to relax
• Practicing self-care

Oftentimes, our minds and bodies tell us exactly what they need in order to stay healthy. However, it is easy to ignore these needs. When you get sober, be sure to take care of your mind, body, and spirit to help you stay sober.

5. Take Your Medication and Follow Up With Your Doctor and Therapist

Not everyone who goes to rehab is placed on medication. That being said, an overwhelming number of people who seek treatment for addiction also require mental health treatment. On the other hand, if you are addicted to opioids or alcohol, you may begin taking FDA-approved substance abuse medications like Suboxone or Vivitrol. Whatever the case may be, it is vital to adhere to your doctor’s advice if you are taking medications.

Many people start feeling better after they leave rehab and are tempted to stop taking their medications. However, doing so is extremely dangerous and can increase the risk of relapse into substances or mental health symptoms. Instead, it is crucial that you continue taking your medications correctly. If you do feel the need to cease the use of a medication, it is important to do so after speaking with your doctor and/or therapist to alter your treatment plan appropriately.

Get Help From a Drug and Alcohol Rehab in West Palm Beach Today

At The Best Treatment Center, our primary goal is to help our patients achieve a lifetime of lasting sobriety. We don’t just help you through detox and send you on your way – we work closely with you to develop a full continuum of care that will meet your needs both during and after rehab. In addition, we’ll connect you with the most trusted addiction recovery resources in the area so that you have everything you need to get sober and stay sober.

If you or a loved one are ready to take the leap from addiction into recovery, contact our drug and alcohol rehab in West Palm Beach to see how we can help you lead a sober life.