Addiction is a complex issue that takes a lot of intention to begin the healing journey. To improve the lives of people who struggle, individuals need to find various treatment options that will work for them. Tailored to meet their needs, they can find better results when possible. Many people who need treatment don’t always get it. Some are afraid to ask for it, some don’t bother trying to get help because they are scared. Others are unsure how they will pay for the expense of treatment or take time off work. Stigma is also a part of why people don’t get help for addiction. Continuing care programs often help a person who does go to treatment find the support they need post-rehab, even if they are not sure going in how they will be seen by friends or loved ones. Learn more about how continuing care programs support people’s recovery long after rehab ends. 

continuum of care

A continuum of care is the best way to describe a program that starts with detox and doesn’t end. On a continuum, people, and resources continue to grow together as they are moving forward in recovery. Depending on the substances and treatment needed, the person may need to seek additional help beyond the initial rehab stay. Aftercare support is available for more long-term care, sober living environments, and safe spaces to live that doesn’t include a person moving back into toxic spaces and environments where they will be triggered before they are capable of coping. Although detox is a healthy first step, it is rarely adequate for long-term abstinence from alcohol and drugs. When detox ends, many people in recovery continue on with inpatient or outpatient treatment to keep the momentum going. It is a hard transition to move away from directed support services before a person is ready. The timeline will vary, but recovery is a lifelong journey. There is no healing from addiction but there is hope for a better tomorrow with support.

Efficient Care After Rehab

Relapse is a possibility at any stage in recovery. What makes it challenging is to measure how effective an aftercare program will be in supporting a person’s needs. Efficient, effective care models help reduce symptoms, offer support, and tailor programs to meet people’s needs. Even when treatment seems to work and the person graduates from the program, relapse rates remain high. The reason this happens is people struggle with addiction in the brains and bodies. Relapse is more common for people who quit the program, but aftercare services are there regardless. More importantly, relapse does not mean the treatment did not work. This merely signifies the challenges facing people in recovery. Many people require at least 90 days of treatment to make it last beyond rehab. Longer treatment periods are correlated to better results, but not everyone can (or does) go to rehab for this long. Quality programs are important, but the inevitability of relapse is always there.

Healthy Aftercare Objectives

There are significant characteristics that make a difference in aftercare treatment. To be successful, a person can pursue these and still struggle, but they have a better chance at healing when these elements are available:

  • Supportive housing and home services that help them stay connected to resources
  • Purpose: building an internal sense of direction and purpose that keeps them moving forward (work, family, hobbies). Develop a stronger sense of self, a sense of self-esteem, and intuition
  • Self-care: focus on health-related services that provide people in treatment with support, including necessary education, medication, mental health support, and additional services for substance abuse treatment 
  • Belonging and a sense of community support: aftercare programs create pockets of the community for people who feel unseen or voiceless in recovery. Maybe loved ones struggle to understand, but friends in recovery will be there to support the journey

A Place Beyond

Going beyond rehab into aftercare programs is a shift. For people who start with inpatient or outpatient, there is still a change in how things are done outside of the rehab environment. Sober-living is one way people select to help themselves in recovery. Therapeutic supportive communities can last up to 12 months. Treatment is about deconstructing a person’s negative beliefs and patterns. Sober living is about building up education, vocational, and other supports needed. Going to a safe space in recovery is healing for people who need it. An aftercare program helps the person attend treatment and figure out their life while in the midst of it all. This means figuring out childcare, living with family, and navigating the pitfalls of daily living. Recovery is possible with support. Aftercare services, with careful planning, provide a pathway for this to happen.

Ashley Addiction Treatment is an innovative treatment program located on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. Ashley provides support for professionals seeking help with addiction. We are able to help people with co-occurring disorders and offer confidential treatment programs to meet your needs. Please reach out to us today at 800-799-4673.