Is Finding Drug Rehabilitation Aftercare Programs Important?

What is Aftercare and Why it is Critical for Addiction Recovery

Drug addiction is a demanding, frustrating, and very complex condition, but effective and efficient treatments can help improve the lives of individuals who struggle with it. When care options are readily available and tailored to the patient’s needs, better results are feasible. 

The bad news is, most individuals who need specialized care don’t receive it. According to SAMHSA or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration studies, more or less 11% of individuals who needed care for drug abuse received it. 

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Suppose the person is one of the 2 million individuals that have already sought treatment or successfully completed their initial level of treatment for addiction to illegal substances or alcohol. In that case, it is a huge step that a lot of individuals never take. But there is still a lot of work to do. Drug dependency therapy is not a process that will end after detoxification or an initial rehab program. 

Taking steps to live an illegal substance-free lifestyle is a step-by-step commitment. The process may include various supports and treatment options. As part of the continuous treatment process, addiction rehabilitation care is a very important part of the overall recovery process.

Addiction aftercare

A lot of people first started their journey with a series of professionally supervised detoxification. Depending on the substance abused, as well as the recommendations of professionals, the first-line measures may require medically assisted treatment. 

Whether or not pharmaceutical medications are used, all formal detoxification procedures are conducted to allow for a comfortable and safe clearance of the substance, as well as the toxic influence from the systems in early recovery from alcohol or drug addiction. 

Visit https://psychology.wikia.org/wiki/Drug_rehabilitation for information about rehabilitation.

Although it is an effective first step in the recovery process alone, it is inadequate for long-term sobriety from illegal substances and alcohol. Upon successful completion, a lot of recovering patients continue on with a series of properly designed addiction therapy – either in residential, outpatient, or inpatient settings. Although timelines for rehabs or any formal duration will differ, at some point in the process, recovery will reach the endpoint eventually. 

But ongoing recovery efforts are recommended and encouraged to continue. It is where thorough aftercare plans become relevant. Substance abuse care programs that make a lasting recovery the primary focus will not send patients on their way out without a good, efficient, and effective discharge plan, as well as connecting them with quality after-treatment programs. 

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Aftercare is a broad term used to describe any follow-up or ongoing treatment for drug abuse that happens after the initial rehabilitation plan. No matter the care setting, service providers, the method used, or the goals of aftercare plans are the same. It includes:

To maintain the recovery from the abuse.

To find various ways to help prevent relapse.

To achieve a life filled with a rewarding relationship and a sense of purpose.

One reason that continuous care is very important in all cases is that a longstanding abuse can alter the normal bodily function of the brain in some cases. Some of these changes don’t instantly reverse once the patient stops using. As a matter of fact, these things can last for a long time after use has terminated. Psychological changes usually accompany the physical impact of drug addiction. 

It can affect thoughts, behaviors, and feelings that may occur even after substances are removed from the system. The physiological changes associated with drug addiction and the possible lasting effect on both physical and mental health services to reassert the need for long-term care from facilities like drug rehab in Cinco Ranch, Texas, and other clinics.

Measuring Aftercare efficacy

Like most serious chronic medical conditions, there is no immediate or easy cure for this kind of illness. There is always a possibility of relapse, which makes it pretty hard to measure the effectiveness of aftercare programs. Effective care minimizes signs and symptoms, and absent or inadequate treatment is usually linked to an increased frequency of manifestations or occurrences like a relapse. 

It is true with this kind of cases and other chronic physical health issues like type-one diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. Even with proper treatment, relapse can happen in 40% to 60% of recovering patients. Relapse is pretty common in individuals with fewer to no support and more serious additions. It is imperative to note that a relapse doesn’t mean that past therapies were unsuccessful. It only shows that the person would benefit from a modified, alternative, or restarted aftercare alternative.