The big day has arrived. It’s time for your loved one to come home from rehab. It’s only natural that you are excited and proud of their progress. Even so, it’s not uncommon to feel somewhat uneasy about their homecoming. What will life after rehab be like? Will you know what to do or say?
Supporting a loved one after rehab is likely to be a challenge, but knowing what to expect can make the process go more smoothly.
With that in mind, here are some suggestions to help you and your loved one adjust to life after rehab.
Life After Rehab: Expect Things To Be Different For a While
Expecting life after rehab to go back to normal may lead to disappointment. It’s important to remember that rehab isn’t a cure for addiction. Going through rehab is just the first step in a process that requires patience, understanding, and support. It’s crucial to accept that things may be different for a while.
Before your loved one entered rehab, life was often chaotic and unpredictable. But, your loved one made some changes while in rehab, so things won’t be the same.
The primary key to supporting your loved one after rehab is understanding that there will be good days and bad days. Your loved one learned things about himself that will result in positive changes with the right encouragement and understanding.
Your Role in Making the Transition to Life After Rehab
It may be tempting to think that since rehab is over, you can relax and forget about addiction and move on with your lives. In reality, supporting a loved one after rehab can be a complex process. It includes dealing with family dynamics, understanding triggers, making changes in daily routines, and learning to be open-minded and honest about your feelings.
Life after rehab is different for each person, but some common issues can occur. Supporting a loved one after rehab can be complicated, but here are some tips that can help:
- Attend family therapy sessions.
- Keep expectations low.
- Resist asking a lot of questions.
- Focus on the present.
- Establish boundaries.
- Take it slow.
- Have a plan for dealing with relapse.
Let’s examine those suggestions in more detail:
- Attend family therapy sessions – Family therapy helps family members understand their role in a loved one’s recovery process. Sometimes, family members can unknowingly hurt a recovering loved one. With therapy, they learn how to share difficult emotions such as fear, anger, stress, shame, frustration, and disappointment. Family therapy can include one-on-one and group counseling sessions that include identifying techniques to repair and strengthen the family dynamic. It helps family members learn better ways of relating to each other and how to regain healthy family functioning.
- Keep expectations low – Your loved one’s emotions after rehab are all over the place. The pressure to succeed can derail their success. Don’t expect them to accomplish too much right away. A gradual introduction of new experiences or a step-by-step return to a daily routine is the best approach. Remember, each day without relapse is a step in the right direction.
- Keep your questions to a minimum – When your loved one returns home, he will feel as if everyone is watching or judging their every move. It’s best not to ask a lot of questions about what they are thinking, what happened in rehab, or what he learned. Your curiosity can make your loved one feel stressed or pressured. He will volunteer this information when the time feels right.
- Focus on the present – Resist the urge to rehash the past. Supporting your loved one after rehab will be easier if you put the past behind you and focus on rebuilding family relationships. Remember, this is a new beginning for the entire family, so forget trying to change the past and work toward making each day count.
- Establish boundaries – While in rehab, your loved one lived within a structured environment. He knew what was expected of him. Therefore, returning home to a chaotic atmosphere can be overwhelming. Have a calm conversation with your loved one about what you and other family members expect and set some rules and boundaries. Agree to revise the rules as necessary.
- Take it slow – Adjusting to life after rehab can be difficult, so you don’t want to push your loved one to accomplish too much too quickly. Also, avoid inviting groups of people over until your loved one is comfortable with resuming social interactions. Allow your loved one to transition into social situations at his own pace.
- Have a plan for dealing with relapse – Relapse after rehab is not uncommon, but it’s important to know the warning signs and have a plan in case relapse occurs. Your loved one may need additional support in the form of outpatient programs, self-help groups, or therapy.
Life after rehab will present many obstacles, but look at it as a new journey for the entire family. Supporting a loved one after rehab is a learning experience that fosters growth, trust, and awareness for a better future.
Relapse Prevention Is an Integral Part of Our Program at Design for Change Recovery
At Design for Change Recovery, we want our clients to succeed in life after rehab to enjoy a happier, healthier future. To that end, we work with clients during their time with us to create a personalized aftercare plan that promotes relapse prevention.
Unfortunately, some people relapse after rehab despite everyone’s best efforts. If this happens to your loved one, don’t think of it as a sign of failure. Instead, look at it as a learning tool and take steps to help your loved one get back on track.
If your loved one relapses and needs to reenter treatment, reach out to our Lancaster, CA facility today. Our addiction treatment professionals will be happy to recommend a program with focus on relapse prevention strategies.
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