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If you have completed treatment for your alcohol addiction, congratulations for making your sobriety your top priority, this is an incredible achievement.
Aftercare is absolutely necessary during this high-risk period and you should be open to all possible relapse prevention resources to help you rebuild a healthy, alcohol-free life.
Call to speak to treatment support team member now at 1-888-993-3112Who Answers? to discuss your alcohol treatment aftercare choices.
Substance abuse treatment research shows that alcohol relapse prevention is effective, particularly when psychosocial and recovery support services are combined with medications such as Antabuse (disulfiram), Campral (acamprosate) and naltrexone.
Resuming alcohol use after a period of abstinence is a core definition of relapse. However, both science and those in recovery indicate that the point at which you pick up an alcoholic drink is the end of a psychological shift; the relapse process begins well before alcohol is consumed.
The myriad causes of relapsing after a period of abstinence include:
According to addiction treatment experts, "the effectiveness of continuing care.... and prolonged participation is associated with better outcomes."
As with chronic conditions such as asthma, hypertension and diabetes, "the only realistic expectation for the treatment of addiction is patient improvement rather than cure." Addiction treatment research shows that at 1 year after completing treatment, only 30-50% of people stay completely abstinent.
These statistics are not unlike data regarding medication compliance for the treatment of other chronic medical conditions.
For example, for people with hypertension or asthma, medication compliance is the highest predictor of treatment success, but less than 30% of those treated fully comply with their medication schedule. The behavior changes that are necessary for sustained recovery do not happen overnight. It is said that getting sober is the easy part, and staying sober is the big challenge. It is likely that you will have a slip or relapse along your road to recovery; this is the very nature of the complex disease of addiction.
Continuing care (sometimes referred to as stepped care or disease management) for the treatment of alcohol dependence refers to ongoing recovery support using one of the following treatment approaches:
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) cites the three following behavioral treatment as most efficacious for alcohol dependence treatment aftercare:
CBT is used both in group and individual therapy sessions to unearth negative thoughts that are causally linked to alcohol abuse and to develop coping skills when stress and triggers occur based on these thoughts.
As the name suggests, this type of therapy helps to change behavior by:
You are more likely to maintain abstinence from alcohol with family therapy.Actively incorporating family members into your recovery plan has considerable advantages.
For those without family members, seeking a new family or friends who share your recovery goals is crucial. If family members are willing to participate, get them involved.
Compared to individual therapy alone, addiction treatment research shows that you are more likely to maintain abstinence with the addition of family therapy.
Like CBT, these sessions are conducted both in individual and group settings, and are led by a counselor who works with you to create a tailored goal chart based specifically on your drinking patterns.
Studies indicate that brief interventions are:
12-step treatment features 3 key concepts:
In comparison to other evidence-based addiction treatment approaches, there is scant data regarding the efficacy of 12-step treatment, due largely to the anonymous aspect of the mutual help approach.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that 12-step treatment is a very useful adjunct and many people have found long-lasting sobriety by adopting the 12-step approach to life.
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The types of follow-up medical care necessitated in alcohol aftercare depend upon the duration and intensity of your alcohol dependency.
Alcohol abuse can have negative effects on your:
The underlying mental health issues that may have contributed to problem drinking can require long-term pharmacological treatment as well.
The therapeutic community (TC) model is the oldest form of treatment for alcohol dependence and has longstanding success rates for many individuals.
The Consortium for Therapeutic Communities defines a TC as a "structured, psychologically informed environment and a place in which social relationships, structure of the day and different activities together are all deliberately designed to help people's health and well-being."
While they take different forms, in general, a TC provides a treatment model that leverages peer and group behavioral interventions in a drug free, residential setting.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) differentiates TCs by the "community as method" approach, whereby peers and staff are considered agents of change and alcohol dependence is overcome primarily through interaction with the recovery community.
Contingency management (CM) is an incentive-based reward system that encourages compliance with recovery components such as:
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), CM is highly effective in preventing alcohol dependence relapse and promoting abstinence. When provided in combination with CBT, CM is even more efficacious because underlying negative behaviors and emotions are investigated while improving the motivation to stay sober.
We can help you identify effective alcohol treatment aftercare options; call 24 hours a day, at
1-888-993-3112Who Answers?.
Despite expanded coverage for addiction treatment and mental health services through the Affordable Care Act, aftercare is unfortunately still not widely available.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association (SAMHSA) defines recovery as "A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential."
Your addicted loved one will be working hard to align all of these life components, and support in these key areas is critical. First and foremost, however, is your own well being.
Consider the analogy of putting the oxygen mask on yourself before you put one on your child.
Your self-care takes precedence over the needs of your addicted loved one and that can create feelings of guilt, shame, helplessness, and anger.
Getting involved with Alcoholics Anonymous or other recovery support groups for family members is your guarantee to a peace of mind.
You'll have the benefit of being part of a community of like-minded individuals who can authentically empathize with your struggles, and provide solace that those not grappling with addiction can never quite understand.
