For many addicts, completing drug and alcohol rehab is a major milestone and signifies a new chapter in their lives that is filled with the healing and hope that is found with recovery. While completing drug treatment is a major accomplishment that brings a great sense of pride, it doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t more work to done. Those who are new in recovery are vulnerable to relapse in the weeks, months, and even years after completing substance abuse treatment. In order to help minimize the risk of falling back into the self-destructive behaviors of addiction, addicts who are new in their recovery need to take advantage of aftercare programs in order to build a solid foundation for long-term sobriety.
Aftercare Plans Are an Essential Component To a Full Continuum of Care
As one of the premier drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in Florida, Dream Center for Recovery offer clients a wide range of aftercare programs that are an essential element to our full continuum of care. Within days of admission into Dream Center for Recovery, our highly trained team of addiction specialists will begin working with each client on the development of a customized aftercare plan designed to help prevent relapse and maintain sobriety. These individualized plans are continually refined and tailored as each client’s treatment progresses.
Among the aftercare programs we offer include the following:
Relapse Prevention Programs
The primary goal of Dream Center for Recovery’s aftercare program is to minimize the risk of relapse after drug treatment. By providing individual and group counseling as well as other scheduled meetings, our relapse prevention program provides an extra level of accountability that helps ensure that those new in recovery don’t regress back into their addictive patterns of behavior. Among the topics that are discussed include:
- Learning about the social, behavioral and environmental triggers that trigger substance abuse.
- Healthy and proactive ways to deal with urges and cravings.
- Teaches clients how to think through the outcome of a potential relapse.
- Employ strategies to help keep temporary lapses from becoming relapses.
Family Programs
An individual’s risk of relapse can be greatly reduced when their families are involved in the aftercare process. There is often tension between family members as a result of a loved one’s addiction. Additionally, there can also be stress on the family once an addict completes treatment and is trying to fit back into the normal life. Our aftercare services include family involvement in counseling and therapy as well as participation in family-oriented 12-step programs such as Al-Anon or Nar-Anon. Additionally, we also provide educational programs that help families understand the complex nature of addiction as a disease.
Dual Diagnosis Support
For those individuals with addiction issues and a co-occurring mental disorder such as depression or anxiety, there are unique challenge they face in their recovery such as low motivation and social anxiety. Dream Center for Recovery offers these clients dual diagnosis support groups that are specifically tailored to meet their unique needs. In these groups, clients receive support and encouragement from their peers as well as our therapy staff on finding community resources, obtaining employment, building stronger relationships with family as well as the developing healthy coping strategies on their addiction and co-occurring mental illness.