After Rehab: Living as a Recovering Addict

Rehab is an important step in recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, but it is hardly the

last. Like diabetes, heart disease, or any other chronic disease, living with addiction is an

ongoing process that a person has to manage as part of their daily life. For those suffering from

addiction, recovery never ends – it is a journey; one full of triumphs, temptations, and setbacks.

"What will my life be like after rehab?" is one of the biggest questions that patients at our

Orange County drug rehab center have. While the journey of recovery is different for each

individual, there are some things that all recovering addicts can expect to face.

Rebuilding Your Social Life

Addiction is more than just a dependence on drugs or alcohol; it is a lifestyle that encourages

harmful behavior and which enables bad habits. Before they enter recovery, many addicts are

surrounded by other substance abusers and people who enable their addiction. In order to stay on

their path of recovery, an addict needs to remove themselves from situations where they will be

tempted or pressured to go back to their old bad behaviors, even if that means cutting old friends

and even family members out of their life.

If an addict does end up having to leave behind their old social circles in order to maintain their

health, it's important that they find a new social support system. Friends and family give people

strength and support, something that recovering addicts need to stay healthy.

Finding Support

After leaving rehab, an addict needs the support of the people around them as they rebuild their

life and establish new routines not based around feeding their addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous provide addicts with a

safe space to discuss their problems and get emotional support from other people with the same

condition, which can help them identify the emotional stressors that made them turn to substance

abuse in the first place, and the triggers that might cause them to relapse.

Friends and Family

Addiction is a disease that doesn't just affect the person afflicted with it. It also affects their

family, friends, and everyone around them. The same is true of recovery, which requires the

support and understanding of the people in an addict's life. Supporting a recovering addict means

finding ways to reduce the stress in their life that may cause them to relapse, and may require a

lifestyle change from the people around them, as well. If the people around them are frequently

using alcohol or drugs, or making it easy for them to be obtained, an addict is likely to relapse

and return to their old habits.

Just like being an addict, living with an addict can be difficult and cause a great deal of

emotional stress. Spouses and family members of addicts may need support from the people

around them just as much as an addict does.

Moving On …

The most important part of recovery is getting on with one's life. A recovering addict should

focus on building a successful life for themselves, from their family to their career. When they

have a life outside of drugs and alcohol to live, a recovering addict is less likely to relapse, and

he or she will have something to hold on to outside of their addiction, if they do.