So You’re Sober, Now What? How to maintain and make the best of it?!
by Michael Walsh
Taking Ownership of Your Recovery Post-Treatment
While it’s probably not what you want to hear if you (or someone you love) just completed a formal treatment program, the truth is that the real work starts here, outside the treatment bubble. [updated March 2023]
But, let me explain.
Treatment programs can be great.
They give you the opportunity to press pause on your day-to-day life while you prioritize recovery and get clear on your goals. And, they equip you with knowledge, training and resources to help you move forward.
But, there’s only so much that can happen within the sheltered walls of a treatment center, where you aren’t exposed to real-world triggers and stressful life situations.
Recovery is a process, and it takes time.
It doesn’t happen in 30-60 days.
Your emotions take time to recalibrate, your central nervous system needs to heal, and it takes a lot of real-world practice to master the tools and strategies you learned in treatment.
While relapse statistics vary widely in clinical studies, some estimate them to be as high as 60 percent, even for those who have completed a treatment program.¹ In part, this is due to the fact that many people don’t follow the aftercare recommendations provided at discharge.
But even for those who do follow the aftercare guidance, they’re usually not enough.
So, how the heck do you set yourself up for success after treatment ends?
The truth is –– it’s time to step up to the plate and become the expert on your own recovery.
Becoming the Expert After Treatment Ends
Recovery is not some formulaic process. It’s highly individualized, which is why you are the best person to take charge once treatment ends.
Becoming an expert on your own recovery doesn’t mean you don’t need support.
In fact, it’s the exact opposite!
It’s about taking ownership of your needs in early sobriety, and hitting the ground running with an actionable support plan.
Unlike treatment programs, where all you have to do is pick one and get yourself enrolled, this stage is a little different. It involves piecing together support from many different places in order to create a comprehensive system that helps keep you sober.
So, what are the components of a successful support system in early sobriety?
Your mental health, relationships, and environment are all affected by drugs and alcohol, and they all matter in recovery. The goal is to establish practical support (for things like battling cravings), but also for much more complex things, like the root causes of why you used substances in the first place.
Ideally, your system will include:
- A safe supportive place to live (this is going to look different for everyone)
- Ongoing peer-based support and connection with others on a similar path
- Ongoing professional support (mental, physical, emotional health)
- Ongoing specialized recovery support and accountability (recovery coaching)
The great news is that you have a number of solid options when piecing together your own custom plan.
So, let’s review some of them to get your wheels turning.
Places to Find Support After Treatment
Sober Living
A sober living home operates as a great bridge between a residential inpatient facility and the “real world.”
Sober living facilities provide more structure than you would have in your regular home environment by requiring that you be “home” by a certain time, and follow other supportive house rules. For many people this added level of structure along with being surrounded by others on a similar path is exactly what’s needed to keep them engaged with recovery.
Sober living homes are especially helpful if you’re concerned about returning home to a partner who still uses/drinks, or other unhealthy living arrangements, because they provide you with an opportunity to strengthen your resolve and practice new coping skills before returning home.
Recovery Coaching
One of the reasons recovery coaching has become so popular over the last decade is that a recovery coach is uniquely positioned to be able to meet you exactly where you’re at, and work with you over time as your needs evolve.
This type of consistent and flexible support honors the often winding road that recovery takes, providing a source of stability along the way.
As a recovery coach, I give practical advice (like how to identify your triggers and handle cravings), but I also help you get to the root causes of why you drink in the first place. I give you honest feedback about self-destructive thought patterns and behaviors, and help you develop new routines and habits that strengthen your resolve.
I also provide ongoing accountability which is a pretty big deal in early recovery. It’s the ingredient that really glues everything together as you bring forth the “new you”.
Live-In Support & Accountability
Breaking established behaviours and building new ones is one of the hardest challenges we as humans face. But change is possible. And with continuous, direct support, it is that much more achievable.
Change is hard, and changing the behaviours that we’ve developed to cope with stress or seek solace, comfort, or entertainment in is even harder.
Sometimes the fastest way to lasting change is constant, direct support in your own home or environment.
The Sober Companion service offers short-term, transitional, and 24/7 live-in accountability. Your Sober Companion is a Certified Recovery Coach who brings support directly to you, wherever and whenever you need it.
Group Support Meetings
If you were discharged from an inpatient or outpatient program, they likely gave you the option to continue with a weekly group meeting within their own programs and also in the community.
These meetings are a great way to stay connected with others from the program and to make new peer connections. They’re typically led by a recovery professional who provides helpful topics of discussion each week, and helps to moderate the meeting.
Sometimes timing and/or location of the aftercare recommendations doesn’t work out for your schedule. Or, perhaps you give it a try and it doesn’t feel particularly supportive. The good news is that there are tons of community-based peer group programs available. I usually tell clients to be open-minded, and check out several groups to see what they like best.
Here are some great options to get you started, and many of these offer online sessions too:
Mental Health Support
Addiction and substance misuse often involve underlying or co-existing mental health issues. If you struggle with something like depression, anxiety, obsessive thinking, or a potential mood disorder, it’s definitely worth meeting with a licensed mental health provider.
It’s not uncommon to have been self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, and then to be faced with these underlying issues once the drugs and alcohol are removed. Sobriety gives you the opportunity to face these things with more clarity and stability so that you can truly heal and experience more peace with yourself, and within your life.
Creating an Empowering Recovery Plan
It can be overwhelming trying to decide what’s best for you and how all the pieces fit together into an actionable support plan.
Having someone with personal and professional experience as your guide makes the whole dang process a lot less overwhelming. As a recovery coach, I help build an empowering recovery plan that supports you in building a substance-free life you love.
If you’re ready to explore the potential of working together, I’d love to chat. Michael is based in Victoria British Columbia Canada. The other Recovery Coaches on the team are based in Nanaimo, Vancouver British Columbia Calgary, Edmonton Alberta, Toronto Ontario, Montreal Quebec, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Because we all work virtually — we can work with anyone no matter what city, province or country around the world. We have clients all across Canada and the USA, Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, New York City, Denver, Nashville, Berlin, Tel Aviv, London, Singapore and Australia.
Phone or Text: 250.896.8494
Email: Coach@MichaelWalsh.com
Chat: Start a WhatsApp chat
Connect On Social
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
References
About the Author
Michael Walsh
When I say I’ve been there, I mean it. I am a different person now, and I am fired up about helping other people get to the place where they, too, are living better, healthier, and bigger lives.
