Staying sober after completing gabapentin rehab requires specific procedures and a lot of work. The journey from detox to rehab can be challenging for the individual. However, with the right team of addiction specialists and medical professionals and a solid support structure, you can recover easily. Your treatment usually ends when the drug is eliminated from your body, and you’ve completed a rehab program. It is only advisable to end a treatment program when your therapists and doctors believe you can handle triggers and prevent relapse on your own.
Rehab treatment should not end when you leave the facility; you can also maximize aftercare programs at rehab clinics to gradually get used to life without the drug. When you go back to the outside world and face some of the problems and triggers that might have caused the addiction, you’ll have the tools to deal with it. Post-rehab care and support are known as aftercare, which can help you use the coping skills obtained in rehab to build a fulfilling, healthy life after completing a recovery program.
Social and environmental cues may cause you to relapse back to gabapentin use. In situations where the person has medical conditions such as neuropathic pain, anxiety, or diabetes, they may feel compelled to use the drug again to minimize the symptoms associated with these problems. This is why medical experts will continue providing care until the individual develops alternative approaches to deal with these problems.
Aftercare planning after rehab
This method is one of the many ways addiction treatment is similar to treating chronic health conditions. An aftercare plan is almost the same as a hospitalization discharge plan in treating a chronic condition such as heart failure or asthma. When treating substance use disorders or chronic health conditions, aftercare planning has to include the following:
- A regrouping plan in case symptoms reoccur
- A protection plan to be activated in case of triggers
- A sustainable and realistic self-management plan
- Appointment setting
- Outpatient care expectations
- Identification of possible obstacles to successful rehab treatment
- A proper understanding of the severity of the illness
Aftercare is an essential part of the rehab process, allowing for developing coping skills and relapse prevention strategies. Aftercare technically starts after you complete a gabapentin rehab program and are ready to transition back into society. In the real sense, recovery aftercare begins when you start treatment. As you go through gabapentin rehab, your treatment team will work to identify the skills and tools to achieve recovery success after completing the program. The staff and therapists in these rehab centers have all the knowledge of the program’s resources. They can guide you through setting up effective treatment regimens, contacts, and schedules for continued support after completing gabapentin rehab.
Once you start aftercare, it can proceed for as long as you’re committed to a meaningful, healthy life in recovery. Individuals who stay sober and abstinent after gabapentin rehab usually accredit their success to engaging in aftercare services supporting sobriety, such as volunteer activities, alumni organizations, 12-step meetings, and mutual support groups. All these activities can help you remain connected to others sharing your values and goals to inspire and motivate you to create your desired sober future.
Types of aftercare programs after gabapentin rehab
There are different ways to maintain the accountability and connectivity required to increase your likelihood of success in completing treatment. You can start participating in aftercare programs as your treatment winds down after resuming school or work, but it is usually advisable to start aftercare immediately after completing rehab. Most aftercare programs described can happen concurrently.
Sober Living Homes
Transitioning back into society after gabapentin rehab is a vulnerable period for anyone in recovery. Halfway houses or sober living homes offer a stable, secure setting where rehab graduates can practice their coping skills in a sober environment. Sober living homes typically have strict rules such as engagement in household chores, regular drug screening, mandatory house meetings, and no substance abuse. These guidelines give the individual accountability and structure.
Case Management
Case managers can be your most essential allies during recovery. Their role is particularly important in aftercare and discharge as you prepare to return to life outside gabapentin rehab. A case manager acts as your supporter, counselor, guide, and advocate to help you identify healthcare providers within your community. They will also help you find affordable childcare and housing or guide you through the legal system.
Continued Therapy
For most patients going through gabapentin rehab, recovery starts in a residential or inpatient treatment facility. These structured environments provide around-the-clock supervision and monitoring to make it easier to focus on healing and detoxifying your body and avoid the stress of daily life. After completing an inpatient rehab program, your treatment team might advise you to transition into outpatient care, which is less structured and more flexible. Outpatient care allows the individual to keep getting scheduled services such as medication management, group support, and counseling while working and living in your community.
Support Groups
There are support recovery groups in most communities where recovering individuals can learn new coping strategies and share their experiences. 12-step groups are the most renowned examples of this model in action and are free to attend, not to mention participation is confidential. Alternatives like Smart Recovery are also available for those looking for more secular programs. Most community mental health facilities provide extra classes and group sessions for people looking for support groups after rehab programs.
Alumni Programs
Most comprehensive rehabilitation programs have alumni organizations for former patients to join, stay in touch with their treatment team, and maintain the bonds they made in gabapentin rehab. Membership in these alum organizations keeps you motivated to work towards your recovery goals even after completing your rehab program.
Aftercare does more than uphold relapse prevention techniques in recovering users. The main goal of post-rehab care and support is to keep individuals engaged in recovery as they transition to the rest of their lives after rehab.