No one envisions their lives becoming a struggle with substance abuse. But it happens, and what matters is what you do next. The process of drug and alcohol detox, rehab, and recovery can seem long and arduous, but the opportunities are there to emerge a better person, especially by applying leadership tools in recovery to other parts of life.
Don’t let the popular portrayal of rehab impact your journey through rehab. Once you are stabilized, it’s a moment where you can work on yourself, inside and out. The leadership tools in recovery are a start.
The Importance of Aftercare
Substance abuse treatment has a certain popular portrayal in the media. What you rarely see is the work that follows the intense initial period of treatment. That stage is referred to as addiction aftercare. It’s a crucial element in the course of treatment as a defense against relapse.
Aftercare aims to prevent that from happening. It can involve programs for further assistance, either on an outpatient basis or in counseling sessions. One big part of aftercare is 12 step peer-to-peer programs.
Leadership Tools in Recovery
The initial stages of addiction recovery and rehab take a lot of work and consume a lot of energy. They typically involve undoing mistakes of the past — where you may have responded to stresses and strains of life by turning to drugs or alcohol.
Once you get into the stages of addiction counseling and of aftercare, it is a moment when you can and should begin to look forward. It can be an excellent moment to take leadership tools in recovery and apply them to your own life.
Though recovery is different for every individual, it comes with a common set of organizing principles that can be useful in life after recovery. An academic paper from the University of San Francisco, based on the writer’s personal experience, shows how this can unfold in real life.
Some of those principles, as articulated by SAMHSA, include:
- Recovery is at your pace and is based on your decisions
- Recovery addresses the whole self — physical, mental, and spiritual
- Recovery won’t be a straight line — expect ups and downs
- Recovery requires support from others in your life
- Recovery provides hope
- Recovery creates conditions of self-respect
The important part is that recovery can lead to important periods of introspection. What you learn from the leadership tools in recovery can make a significant difference in life.
Stages of Treatment
The treatment process is different for everyone but has distinct stages. Typically, your journey begins with a thorough assessment and evaluation, so doctors can understand your physical and mental health. Based on that assessment, your care team will develop a treatment plan.
The plan will normally start with a period of detox. It’s impossible to complete recovery successfully while still using drugs and alcohol.
After detox, counseling or dual diagnosis treatment begins. You work with trained counselors and psychotherapists, on an individual and group basis, to explore the factors in your substance abuse and to build coping skills. It’s at this stage, and the next, where you might begin getting exposure to leadership tools in recovery.
The final part of treatment is the aftercare stage which is designed to help lower the risk of relapse.
Moving Forward with Life
Tackling recovery from drug and alcohol abuse represents a major challenge in life. It takes courage and commitment to admit you have a problem, and then to work through it. Recovery is not one-size-fits-all, and more tools are added every day. The use of leadership tools in recovery has become an effective part of treatment.
The clinical experts at Wellness Counseling Vida Entera apply evidence-based care across all treatment services from residential addiction treatment to addiction therapy services.
Contact us today at 951.400.0082 for help during any stage of addiction.
