Addiction is a chronic illness that a person can learn to manage—typically with the help of a structured addiction treatment program. Those who have completed a structured program or even moved through the continuum of care will have learned the mindsets and strategies to staying in recovery. Unfortunately, because substance use disorders are a chronic condition, the temptation to relapse or use again can rear its head at unexpected times. It is for this reason that aftercare programs exist.
What is an Addiction Aftercare Program?
Aftercare is a term that describes follow-up treatments for substance use disorders that occur after a structured addiction treatment program has been completed. Although a qualified treatment program can give a patient an incredible foundation to work from, they are not the end all be all of receiving care for your condition. Addiction is a complex illness that is rooted in both physiological addiction as well as mental health conditions that synergistically worsen that addiction. The term for this is comorbidity and dual-diagnosis addiction treatment serves to address that synergy and treat it.
Addiction aftercare programs can provide residual structure and a lifeline to recovery related communities that can have a positive impact on relapse prevention.
Examples of Addiction Aftercare Programs
There are many struggles a person who has or is suffering from addiction may face. Even after completing a program and starting the recovery process, a person may still have trouble finding or resuming employment, regaining roles and responsibilities, or navigating their post-treatment social landscape with their recovery in mind. These pillars of life can be a source of joy when going well or a source of stress and worry when they are challenging.
Because of the variety of difficulties any given person may face, addiction aftercare programs are quite diverse in their offerings and are meant to provide support in a myriad of ways.
- Vocational or academic counseling
- Case management
- Recovery coaching
- Individual or group therapy
- 12 step programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, etc
- Sober transport and companionship
- Ongoing monitoring and accountability
- Sober or transitional living
These are all examples of potential addiction aftercare program offerings that can be found. Encore Outpatient Services recognizes the importance and efficacy of addiction aftercare offerings and offers many of these services in-house at our outpatient program in Arlington, VA.
Do I Need Addiction Aftercare Services?
Challenges with addiction can create large setback in a person’s life. It can impact physical and mental health, financial wellness, and get in the way of a person’s work or school performance. For this reason, addition aftercare services often address these areas and provide continued care after treatment.
To answer the question: yes, it is advisable that anyone who is about to discharge from structured treatment, such as detox, inpatient, or residential treatment should have supplementary assistance lined up for themselves. It is tempting to want to leave structured treatment and want to continue on in life without additional help. However, a little bit of help on a consistent basis can have a compounding effect on long-term success.
Encore Outpatient Services also offers Discharge Planning which helps our patients understand and map out what their next steps will be after they complete Encore’s outpatient treatment program in Virginia. Our knowledgeable staff make the process of finding specialized care providers easy through tapping our network of qualified and trustworthy organizations and providers.
Contact Encore Outpatient Services today for more information on our programs, aftercare planning, discharge planning, or if you have any questions at all about addiction treatment in Virginia.
Call now (703) 436-8158