There are many routes you can take to reach a recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction. Some people opt for community healing through mutual support groups such as AA and NA, some thrive with a home detox, and some rely on the support of loved ones to get them through.
However, the most effective and safest path to a substance-free life is via a residential rehab programme in a drug and alcohol rehab in Wyre – and OK Rehab can help you get there.
We are a recovery advocate service, ready to guide you throughout the process of seeking out suitable treatment, being admitted to rehab, participating in therapy and counselling, and even as you adjust to life back home after rehabilitation.
To start your recovery journey, call us today on 0800 326 5559, email us, or fill out our online form.
How to prepare for rehab
The prospect of rehabilitation can be daunting. You may be nervous about treatment, meeting other people, speaking out about your addiction, or even just leaving your own life behind as you heal in rehab.
To help ease some of these worries, there are a few simple ways you can prepare for your time in a drug and alcohol rehab in Wyre:
1. Tie up any loose ends
We suggest tying up any loose ends at home to ensure you begin your recovery journey in rehab with as few distractions as possible.
This could mean small tasks such as asking a friend to visit your home every so often to check mail and water plants, or it could be more important tasks like arranging care for your pets for the time you will be away and setting up payments for bills that will need to be paid in your absence.
These simple preparations can mean less stress for you as you are admitted to your chosen rehab and more time to focus on the treatment at hand.
2. Mentally prepare
Rehab is not a quick or easy fix for an addiction. To succeed with recovery and ensure you are making the most of your time in rehab, you must be willing and ready to put hard work, effort, and time into your treatment journey.
There will be times when you will need to get uncomfortable or speak openly about yourself, your past and your addiction, and by understanding that this is necessary and will only further your progress, you are more likely to gain more from therapy and counselling.
Maintaining a positive attitude whilst entering rehab and receiving treatment can go a long way – it may seem cliché, but it’s true, just like having a negative or unwilling outlook on treatment can significantly hinder your recovery journey.
3. Tell the people in your life
Though it can be nerve-wracking, letting the people in your life know about your plans for rehabilitation can be extremely helpful.
Telling friends, family, and other loved ones can lead to an unexpected supportive network being available to you, and some family members can even join in with family therapy sessions at rehab.
It is also highly important to tell any employers or bosses about your plans. Having a job to come back to after rehabilitation can be a great way to motivate you and provide a much-needed sense of purpose, so make sure to enquire about whether or not you will be able to return to work when you are ready. If so, you can help arrange cover for the workload you cannot fulfil during your time in rehab.
How to stay sober after rehab
As your time in rehab draws to a close, you may begin thinking of ways to remain committed to your recovery journey, and what could help you stay sober and substance-free.
As well as fellowship groups such as AA or NA, there are other simple things you can do on your own to stay on track, including:
1. Changing your social group
If you wish to turn to friends and other loved ones for support during your adjustment to life back home, you will need to ensure that the people you are putting your faith in are the right ones.
Take a step back and look at the people in your life, and make sure that those you are choosing to be around are supportive and understanding of your recovery journey, rather than detrimental to your health. If you do find that someone is using around you or forcing you to use again, it may be time to end that relationship for the good of your recovery.
2. Starting something new
Getting stuck in a new hobby, craft, sports team or club can be a great way to positively impact your general mental health, which can improve other aspects of your life and your recovery journey. These things can also offer a necessary distraction and deviation from your usual routine.
3. Staying vigilant
It is important to not be lax with aftercare and relapse prevention as you leave rehabilitation. Though your journey in rehab may have ended, you will still need to be on the lookout for the warning signs of a relapse approaching, or other things that could damage the progress you will have made so far.
Remember, we are always only a phone call away if you need us once more.
The 12 steps to a recovery
Another popular way to remain sober after rehab is by following the famous 12-step programme, created and popularised by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) when it first began in the early 1900s.
The programme is often referred to as a simple set of instructions or spiritual directions for reaching a substance-free life and maintaining this recovery, but for some, it is a way of life.
Though a few of the steps and their definitions have changed slightly over the years to keep up with ever-changing modern life, they are largely the same now as they were when they were created. They are:
- Honesty – starting your journey with an admittance that you are powerless over your addiction
- Faith – trusting that a higher power can help in your journey
- Surrender – realising that you will not be able to complete this journey alone or without help
- Soul-searching – identifying problems in your life that stem from your addiction and may have hurt loved ones and yourself
- Integrity – admitting these wrongs to another person
- Acceptance – accepting any ‘flaws’ within yourself and learning how to change them
- Humility – being humble and always recognising the bigger picture throughout your journey to recovery
- Willingness – making a list of those you may have harmed
- Forgiveness – acting on the list you have made by seeking forgiveness and mending relationships
- Maintenance – ensuring you are maintaining all aspects of your recovery
- Making contact – seeing what a higher power may have planned for you
- Service – offering yourself to others who may need the same help that you once did
