You have completed the residential inpatient program. You should be extremely proud of your efforts to overcome your addiction. Making a commitment to lead a substance-free life is an empowering and uplifting process.
But you have an important decision to make. You are anxious to go home, spend time with family and solid friends, to get back to your community and begin your renewed life.
Should I first go to transitional care, or do I feel well enough to go straight home?
The majority of individuals who go through a structured drug treatment program do continue to some form of transitional care program. But not everyone does. What are the benefits to continuing with a transitional care program?
To ensure that you avoid a relapse when integrating back into your old environments, taking part in a transitional care program can be a huge help to you as you incorporate the strategies learned during your therapy. You get the opportunity to practice use your new life skills in an environment that is closer to your home environment, but still has a clinical staff and support to reinforce your care, “lock in” your gains, and i=enhance your chances for long-term abstinence and success.
Advantages of Transitional Care after Drug Addiction Treatment
Protecting your recovery. When you successfully move forward from your inpatient treatment program, taking back your old responsibilities all at once can seem daunting. A transitional care program allows you to take it one step at a time. You have the opportunity to choose from multiple aftercare options that are individually designed to enhance your healing process.
During the transitional care program, you are able to understand your recovery journey on a deeper level. By making the slow transition back into your community, you will realize that you have the potential and capability to achieve all of your goals. Through techniques learned in psychotherapy, individual, group, and pastoral counseling sessions, you will be equipped to anticipate difficult moments and respond in a productive way.
Keeps you connected to your therapists. You may feel a little apprehensive when going back into the old environments that elicited destructive behaviors. However, even when you are back in your community, you are still not alone. You can continue one-on-one counseling sessions and group therapy sessions with your trusted therapist. During these sessions, you can refine your goals and establish a deeper understanding of your life’s purpose.
Aftercare program options allow you to call your therapist when you find yourself in a difficult moment and do not know how to respond in an effective way. Therapists can talk you through difficult moments and will remind you of the self-soothing strategies that can be used to cope with social and environmental stressors.
Creates community. Finding new, positive friends can feel a little overwhelming while simultaneously incorporating your work and personal responsibilities. One of the greatest benefits of transitional care is that it helps connect you to other people who are going through similar experiences.
If your transitional care program is back in your cmmunity, your counselors and therapists will connect you to group therapy sessions in your area and will encourage you to incorporate enjoyable activities that elicit the relaxation response. If it is an extension of your inpatient program, like at Covenant Hills Treatment, you build upon the healthy relationships already established.
The dedicated team in the transitional care program also connects you with the Church community. Becoming closer to God and being a part of a supportive and selfless community will humanize your experience and help you to remain on the path of abstinence. Through prayer, community volunteer work, and church services you will create a new social group that follows His Teachings and believes in the power of the human spirit.
Connects you with your family. Substance abuse causes immense strains on familial relationships. Transitional care is the perfect opportunity for you to start bridging those relationships and doing enjoyable activities with family members. These can include day trips, family dinners, or just calling your family for continued support.
This benefit of the transitional care program strengthens your healing process. Family is the most important part of life and reconnecting with them will make you a happier and healthier human being. When you are stressed or struggling, they become the backbone to your lifelong recovery process.
Establishes new habits. Practicing the coping strategies learned in therapy in your daily life will help you to establish new, productive habits. With the support of your therapists and family, establishing a positive routine will help to ensure that you avoid a relapse. Because you are slowly integrating back into your normal life, this is the perfect experiential state of learning which coping strategies learned in psychotherapy work best for you.
Creating and adapting your new routine, with the help of your therapist, will allow you to see the world with fresh eyes. Your mind, body, and soul will be filled with self-compassion, resilience, and courage to continue to find trust in God and in yourself.
Transitional Care at Covenant Hills
The most important thing to remember is that you do not need to battle difficult moments alone. The transitional care program at Covenant Hills Treatment Center in Orange County, California, and San Antonio, Texas, ensures that you are supported every step of the way, even when you are fully integrated back into your community. When you feel connected to your therapists and your family, you fortify the mental resilience to continue to overcome negative thinking patterns and behaviors.
Transition care is a significant entry way into ensuring a successful recovery because it is filled with spirituality and support. Individuals will never feel isolated or forgotten in any step of the program because the staff is dedicated in meeting the needs of every individual. Whether it is for a mild addiction, a severe addiction, or a dual-diagnosis, Covenant Hills uses research-based techniques to ensure individuals lead a sober life both during inpatient residential care, and during its Transitional Care Program.
If you or someone you love is suffering from addiction, the program options at Covenant Hills are comprehensive and individually designed to meet the needs of every individual’s addiction. Individuals will learn how to cope with significant stressors when integrated back into their communities. They will connect with the Church community and continue on the road to lifetime recovery by attending therapy sessions and using life management skills. By leading clients closer to God, the transitional care program offers individuals the opportunity to overcome barriers that have previously led to addiction. With support every step of the way, clients will accomplish their goals and will finally be able to achieve a meaningful life beyond their addiction.
We care, and we can help. Call us today at (888) 662-2873 to speak with an addiction treatment specialist and receive a free assessment.
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml
