One of the barriers to accessing appropriate care for substance abuse is not knowing what is going to happen. There is obviously going to be a period of time when our bodies detoxify as we stop using our substances. Maybe we have heard something about withdrawals during the early stages of sobriety. But what then? What happens after detox?
Residential Treatment for Addiction
For those suffering from substance abuse, residential treatment is the most common and effective form of treatment. Within residential treatment, medical staff are there around the clock to oversee the detox process as well as other medical and health needs during your stay.
Additionally, all of the amenities and services that are needed during treatment are all available in one location, which helps us to not have to worry about transportation or access. There are staff members who are licensed therapists, people to help oversee our exercise and physical health, maybe a chef who helps us to learn about diet and nutrition, and much more. There are also others who are going through treatment with us, to help us relate and share experiences with.
How Detox Works
Depending on the substances we used prior to treatment, detox can look different. For opioid and other drugs that have severe withdrawal symptoms, there is Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) Upon entering treatment, each individual is medically assessed and given appropriate treatment during their initial detox.
Detoxification, commonly known as “detox”, is the process the body goes through when substances are halted and the body begins cleansing itself of the substances. This typically creates withdrawals, which are different based on which substances were used, how long they were used for, and more. However, the initial detox is usually a few days. Detox is a process that can actually continue for much longer, but with less intense symptoms.
The Next Steps
Following detox, the next step is to enter therapy. This includes many types of therapy to help us to find the root cause of our addiction, and to help heal from that cause. We also learn about relapse prevention, about communicating more effectively, and about how to find or renew our self worth, amongst other things.
Recovery from substance abuse encompasses all facets of our lives, so there is also exercise, learning about nutrition, learning about self care, and many other skills. During our time in residential treatment we are mentally laid bare and then we learn to rebuild ourselves from the inside out.
Different Types of Therapy
There are many different types of therapy used within residential treatment. Therapeutic modalities range from talk therapy to experiential therapy. Some modalities are done most effectively in groups, others are better individually. Within a good residential program, we can experience many different types of therapies to help us heal individually.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Behavior Modification
- Motivational Interviewing
- Anger Management
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- Relapse Prevention
- Equine Therapy
- Art Therapy
- Music Therapy
Experiencing healing through many forms of therapy can help us to heal more thoroughly as well as more deeply. Experiencing a wide variety of activities while healing helps us to rediscover ourselves more completely.
Learning Skills, Tools, and More
In addition to the many forms of therapy, during our time in treatment we will learn important coping skills and gain crucial tools for living life in recovery. For example, we will learn skills like mindfulness, meditation, and yoga, which will improve our mental and physical health and can be used going forward in our lives to provide us with health and cope with cravings.
We will learn tools for coping with cravings, as well as other relapse prevention techniques. We will learn skills for better communication, as well as how to better manage our emotions, including anger. We will learn to set and achieve goals, how to build a support network, and so many more tools and skills to help us have success within recovery.
Transitioning After Treatment
Following our residential treatment, we may transition into a sober living community for a while. Moving into sober living after treatment is determined on an individual basis and our involvement in that decision is imperative so that we can feel successful after treatment. There are various different types of post treatment independent living arrangements and generally your clinical team will help determine what is best for your individual recovery process. Life after treatment looks different for everyone. Having the best supportive living environment for our transition back into life is something that will help us to be the most successful in our recovery. Recovery is an adventure that is difficult, but well worth the effort.
What happens after detox? Our path to healing begins. As our bodies begin to recover from substance abuse, we also cleanse our minds. We learn about the why of our substance abuse and we learn about how we can change our lives going forward. We learn the tools and skills necessary to heal and to stay firm on the recovery path. We learn to communicate, we learn to cope, we learn to live a healthy life mentally and physically. At Rancho Milagro Recovery, we help you learn all of these things and more. With the assistance of our rescue animals in our beautiful ranch setting, you have the peace to heal, the tools to heal, and the compassionate staff to help you heal. Call us at (951) 526-4582 to talk to our compassionate staff today. We can help you get through detox, then we can help you get through treatment as well. After detox, your life is just beginning. Take that first step today.