Someone recovering from alcohol addiction will need ongoing support and aftercare to help them maintain their sobriety. If you are looking for an addiction treatment center in New Jersey that offers aftercare services, reach out to Next Wind Recovery online or call us at 844.939.1285 to learn more about our offerings.
Aftercare Services
Free Consultation with Our Experts
Contact us to schedule a consultation or to make a referral for a loved one. At Next Wind Recovery, we offer high-quality drug and alcohol addiction treatment in a comfortable, supportive environment.
Overview
What Is an Aftercare Program?
Going through detox and maintaining sobriety throughout a drug addiction treatment program is a huge accomplishment. However, the road to recovery doesn’t end there. An aftercare program provides an ongoing treatment service for recovering people after they achieve sobriety.
In general, an aftercare program is any follow-up treatment for substance use disorder that occurs after the initial detox and addiction treatment programs. The goals of our aftercare program are to:
Connect clients with community resources
Provide ongoing support and education
Prevent relapses
Offer a network of support
Our levels of care include partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, and outpatient programs. We offer these levels of care in order to provide the right kind of support for our clients no matter where they are on their journeys to recovery. Aftercare is another layer of support and accountability. If you relapse or are tempted to relapse, being connected to our aftercare services will help you know where to turn.
Why Next Wind
What Are the Components of an Effective Rehab Aftercare Program?
Many treatments and therapies can be included in rehab aftercare programs. However, they should all fit somewhere in these four components of successful aftercare:
Health
These services will provide treatment to reduce withdrawal symptoms or overcome relapse triggers. It can include mental health assessments and drug screens.
Home
These services focus on giving access to supportive and stable residences during and after the initial drug addiction treatment programs.
Purpose
Having a stronger sense of purpose can help to improve recovery. Helping people to find meaning through family, school, or work can also give them the motivation to stay sober.
Community
Building new and healthy social networks and improving current relationships also helps recovery. The community aspect of aftercare focuses on that sense of belonging and engaging in strong and loving relationships.
Know Your Options
What to Look for in an Aftercare Program
When evaluating aftercare services, the most important thing to consider is whether the New Jersey outpatient aftercare program emphasizes relapse prevention programs. Some rehab facilities in North Jersey claim to offer an aftercare program, but in reality, all they do is give you a list of nearby 12-step programs where you live and a website where you can apply for jobs. Better facilities will go above and beyond, integrating relapse prevention programs in actionable ways.
You also want to look for programs that best fit your needs. Maybe you need something at a local aftercare rehab center because it’s close by and on the way home from work, but you just can’t afford to travel any farther than that. Maybe, instead, you need something that offers an outpatient aftercare program with flexible hours so that you can schedule meetings and activities around your professional and personal obligations.
Good aftercare services will offer different relapse prevention programs geared toward ongoing therapy, ongoing skills building, and socialization. The more you are able to challenge yourself mentally, physically, and socially, the less likely you are to relapse.
Preparing for Life in Recovery
What are the Different Types of Aftercare Options?
An outpatient aftercare program can come in many forms. Some of the most common include:
12 Step Programs
Twelve-step programs are one of the most important. A lot of aftercare services help you connect with an outpatient aftercare program that includes 12-step programs in your area. Twelve-step programs are a great way to build self-confidence, remove stigmas, and gain a supportive proverbial shoulder when facing challenges along the road to recovery.
Ongoing Therapy
Just because you finish an inpatient or outpatient program doesn’t mean you should stop ongoing therapy. You can still attend an aftercare rehab center and complete therapy for holistic treatment that serves as part of an outpatient aftercare program. This can include:
- Family therapy is where you attend therapy with family members or close friends to help identify positive ways you can make up for the damage or stress that may have occurred and find ways to better communicate about addiction and what you need during your recovery.
- Yoga or meditation in your local area. Yoga and meditation are two of the most effective ways to handle the stress of cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. Yoga and meditation classes might be offered in your community, so you can find the one you like the most. No matter which type of class you pick, yoga helps you focus on your breathing, aligning different movements with inhalation and exhalation. Here you can learn to be present, aware of the temporary discomfort of holding a difficult pose while focusing on your breathing and knowing that all discomfort will inevitably pass.
Skill Building
Skill building is often an essential part of aftercare services. These can be ongoing education, learning how to use the computer effectively, writing a resume, or generic coping skills like learning to balance a checkbook.
Social Activities
Many of the skills you might use to help manage your cravings, stress, or triggers can be found in social and physical activities. Yoga and meditation are not the only sources for this. A good aftercare rehab center will help you find things like local clubs, hiking groups, or sports leagues where you can engage in physical exercise and social exposure in a supportive environment.
Alumni Programs
These are another important part of relapse prevention programs that don’t necessarily take place at an aftercare rehab center. With this type of program, you can foster a supportive social network of people who have similarly completed rehab and, through that organization, get moral support online or in person, at community activities, and volunteer together.
What Happens If You Relapse During Aftercare?
One of the main goals of rehab aftercare programs is to prevent relapses. However, studies have shown that many people recovering from substance use disorders do relapse.
If you’re on a rehab aftercare program and you relapse, it doesn’t mean that all your progress up until this point has been erased. I could mean that your rehab aftercare program needs a little tweaking and personalizing, though. Consider asking your treatment provider for support group recommendations or ask about options like living in sober-living houses or residential re-entry centers after you go through a detox program. Ask about other outpatient treatments you can access, too
