Life After Outpatient Opioid Treatment
Many believe that the journey of recovery ends at the completion of treatment, this is a common misconception. If this is true, then what exactly needs to happen after successful completion of an outpatient addiction treatment program? There are many concepts and areas to pay attention to during a journey of recovery from opioid addiction, or any addiction for that matter. In this blog we will discuss some of the major areas of focus for after treatment life. The main concept is to know that recovery is a lifelong process and will be something that a person will need to pay attention to for the rest of their life. This does not mean that recovery will consume someone’s life and the longer in recovery the easier it will get, but some attention needs focused there to prevent any potential relapses.
The completion of any part of the journey to recovery should be celebrated. Whether it is just the first completion of an in-patient treatment program, the completion of an intensive outpatient program, to the completion of the least restrictive outpatient treatment program such as here at Recover Clarity. Each advancement in recovery is a huge step forward to a better and healthier life and every step deserves acknowledgment. Often people focus too much on only the end goal and forget to take time to appreciate their progress. These little rewards and acknowledgments are crucial for continued success on a journey to recovery, whether this is from opioid addiction or any type of recovery. Then obviously the last stage which is completement of all treatment programs and the removal of maintenance medications, such as that of Suboxone, Subutex, Vivitrol, or Naltrexone is an especially huge success and deserves all the praise in the world.
Importance of Continued Therapy
By successfully completing an opioid addiction treatment program or any treatment program does not mean that individual therapy sessions must come to an end. Not everyone will need to continue with their therapy, but this is never a bad idea. Assistance with a therapist is generally beneficial to anyone, regardless of their situation in life. Even something as infrequent as bi-weekly or monthly therapy sessions can do an immense amount of benefit to anyone, especially those on the journey of recovery. So why is continued therapy so beneficial if a person has recently and successfully completed their addiction treatment program?
Unlike that of other social support structures a person may have in their life, a therapist is a special support structure. Therapists are completely unbiased and can see things that are discussed in the therapy sessions for exactly what they are or most importantly help a person see reasons they are not conscious of. This allows them to help a person work through concerns in their life without any personal judgments and help others come to realizations quicker than they would on their own. As many social supports are amazing to have, if they have a personal relationship with you, such as with a friend, their advice is often biased. This is not to mean that those social supports are not of great benefit, and these will be discussed next, it just means that they will be in your favor as your friends will take your side. Also, unlike a friend, you can be bluntly honest with a therapist without any worry about hurting their feelings or how the discussed information may affect other areas of their personal life. And unlike that of friends or other social supports, the information discussed in a therapy session is completely confidential as therapists are bound by HIPAA laws.
Group therapies are another option for continuing therapeutic support after completion of an opioid addiction treatment program. It is important to know that group therapies are different than peer support groups, such as that of Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.). The main difference is that a group therapy is guided by a trained therapist and often will have specific objectives for the group session. The therapist will also guide interaction by those in the group session to ensure that everyone is actively involved in the group therapy. And the therapist will assist in guiding the group session when things get off topic and stop any cross talk that could be detrimental to others.
Another very useful continuation of therapeutic support is that of continuing to work with holistic guidance. Some of these practices can be worked on by oneself, but having a guide is also of great benefit. Holistic practices are amazing at supporting a journey of recovery as they are natural ways to improve one’s quality of life as well as decrease stress. Some of these practices include meditation, music therapy, yoga, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices, all of which are greatly supported here at Recover Clarity. To read more about how mindfulness can assist in addiction recovery, click here to be taken to the blog on What Is Mindfulness? How Can This Assist with Addiction and the blog of Practicing Mindfulness Benefits Addiction Recovery.
