What To Expect in Early Recovery

Navigating Life in Early Recovery

Making the decision to commit to addiction recovery is undoubtedly a decision that will be life-changing one. Although the premise of drug rehab or alcohol rehab is something that can be scary for a person that is actively substance-abusing, the benefits of engaging in addiction recovery are something that can turn around the course of your life. One of the questions that an alcohol or drug addict typically asks revolves around what they can expect during the early stages of their recovery from drugs and alcohol. Although the recovery plan for a person struggling with substance use disorders is slightly different, the order of events in terms of treating substance abuse is usually similar. If you’re in the Los Angeles area and considering addiction recovery, it’s essential to know what to expect during the early stages of your journey. A drug detox facility in Los Angeles can provide you with the necessary support and guidance to navigate this challenging but transformative process.

The first step in alcohol or drug addiction treatment is typically detox. Regardless of whether you need to engage in alcohol detox, cocaine detox, or heroin detox, detox is a crucial aspect of your recovery due to the fact that within just a few hours from the last time that you consumed your drug or drink of choice, you will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms which will make it impossible for you to care for yourself on your own. A comprehensive rehab program will always include detox to ensure that you have the help and the care that you need during the week that you’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms. It’s strongly recommended that before you start to feel withdrawal symptoms from your drink or drug of choice, you reach out to an addiction treatment facility to set up the framework. There are many people who make the mistake of trying to detox at home. Trying to detox at home could put you in a potentially deadly position. Therefore, it’s something that should be avoided at all costs. If you’re in Riverside and in need of detox services, consider reaching out to a drug detox facility in Riverside for professional assistance.

Things To Expect in Early Recovery

You will come to a stage of recovery where you face certain challenges. Although you may feel physically and psychologically better after your time in drug detox, it doesn’t mean that you are done with your recovery journey. Instead, you will need to work through a comprehensive treatment program. Although feeling overwhelmed is understandable during this period of time, your addiction team will be there for you and with you every step of the way so that they can guide you regarding your recovery and common mistakes to avoid which could set back your recovery journey. For those embarking on this vital stage of recovery, the drug detox facility Palo Alto offers the necessary support and guidance to navigate these challenges successfully.

One of the most important decisions that you will need to make after drug detox revolves around the treatment program that you commit to. There are many people who decide to maintain the type of environment that detox offers and work through an inpatient treatment program. Inpatient treatment can help you to change the people, places, and things that may have negatively influenced your addiction in the first place. During inpatient treatment, you will be able to live in a safe and sober environment which can help you to exclusively focus on yourself and your recovery. 

If you’re unable to commit to an inpatient treatment program due to work, school, or personal preference, you always have the opportunity to commit to an outpatient treatment program. An outpatient treatment program such as an intensive outpatient program, a partial hospitalization program, or a general outpatient program offers more flexibility than an inpatient treatment program. A person who decides to commit to an outpatient program will still be able to see other important responsibilities in their life while still committing to their overall health and well-being through addiction recovery. 

Regardless of whether you decide to work through an inpatient or an outpatient treatment program, you will learn certain techniques which will help you not only during your early recovery but for the rest of your life. Here are some examples of what you will learn throughout the course of your recovery program. 

Dealing with Triggers After Rehab

It’s important to remember that just because you went through an addiction recovery program doesn’t mean that you will never face any triggers in your life. Stress management is key when it comes to overcoming addiction once and for all. As part of your recovery from addiction, you will learn what these triggers are as these are one of the common challenges that many people face not only during their early stages of addiction recovery but for the rest of their life. Once you’re able to identify these issues and learn how to manage them, there is a better chance that alcoholism and drug abuse something that will remain in your past. 

Mending Relationships in Early Recovery

While it’s understandable that a goal of your recovery may be to mend relationships in your life that were adversely affected by your addiction, this is something that you will be able to focus on in time. Your first goal during your early addiction is to heal yourself so that you have the ability to then adjust and focus on other aspects of your life. During the time that you’re in treatment, you will have the opportunity to participate in family therapy which is something that can be incredibly beneficial for you and your loved ones going forward. Although family therapy isn’t something that will happen until you come to a point in your recovery where you’re ready for it, family therapy can open the lines of communication between you and your loved ones so that you can begin to have a dialogue and come back together as a family. 

Managing Free Time

Managing free time is a challenge that many people who are new to their recovery face. Whereas their day may have been filled with engaging in their addiction, now that they are sober, they aren’t always sure what to do with their time. Learning how to manage their time is a wonderful way to learn more about who that person is now that they are sober. You may come to find that there are different venues you may want to visit, books you may want to read, or things in general that you would like to do now that you’re sober. A good rule of thumb is to write down all of your possible interests and organize them so that you can take advantage of trying out each one. This is also a great way to keep yourself busy. 

Emotional Challenges in Early Recovery

There are several emotional challenges that a person early in their recovery may face as well. For example, it’s not uncommon for a person that is struggling with addiction to also suffer from a mental health issue. In cases like this, you will work through a dual diagnosis treatment program so that these mental health concerns can be addressed in conjunction with your addiction treatment. Throughout the course of your recovery, you will participate in different forms of addiction therapy so that you can address any emotional or psychological concerns. There are a variety of therapies that you will experience throughout the course of your treatment including group therapy, behavioral therapy, trauma therapy as well as individual therapy. If you have specific concerns regarding these different forms of therapy, your treatment team will always be available to address them for you so that you feel comfortable throughout the process. 

Aftercare Resources for Early Recovery

It’s important to remember that your recovery isn’t something that ends when you complete your initial treatment program. There are numerous aftercare resources that will be available to you, particularly if you decide to partner with the Resurgence Behavioral Health team. For example, you will be able to participate in an addiction aftercare program, and sober living program and be encouraged to participate in Alcoholics Anonymous as well as Narcotics Anonymous programs. Your care going forward is an ongoing discussion that you will have with your team, however, if you feel overwhelmed at any point, you should always feel comfortable talking to your team about those uncertainties. 

Staying Sober After Rehab with Help From Resurgence Behavioral Health

Relapse prevention will be a critical part of your overall drug or alcohol program. The goal of our addiction treatment team is to provide you with the tools and resources that you need to be able to maintain your sobriety going forward. There is always the possibility that you could relapse back into addiction at any point in your life. However, by committing to a recovery program, you reduce the possibility of relapse. If you do relapse, though, you have the peace of mind of knowing that you have a team of individuals here to help you through the relapse and recovery process. Although it’s true that relapse is something that can be embarrassing, our team will always go the extra mile to ensure that you have the support that you need as you begin to work through this time in your recovery.

For more information about our recovery programs or to learn more about drug or alcohol addiction, we encourage you to get in touch with us today at (855) 458-0050 for more information.

Here is what you can expect in early recovery at Resurgence! #Resurgence #recoveryprocesshttps://t.co/pTSxtvuHgl

— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) July 11, 2022

Josh Chandler
After growing up in Chicago and North Carolina, Josh chose to get help with substance use disorder and mental health in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than five years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for four years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. Josh remains passionate about the field because he understands that one phone call can alter the course of a person's life.

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