أبريل 19, 2025

Staying the Course: How to Avoid Traps in Long-Term Recovery

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If treatment and recovery have been successful up to this point, some may choose to relocate to a new facility that encourages sober living, while others may transition back to their home life. It involves engaging family members in the treatment process, which can help heal relationships affected by substance use. This form of therapy not only improves communication within the family but also addresses underlying issues contributing to addiction, fostering a supportive environment which is vital for maintaining sobriety. Relapse is a common occurrence along the path to sobriety, with many individuals experiencing it multiple times—often as many as five or six instances—before achieving lasting recovery. This rate is particularly evident in the first year, where about 40-60% of individuals with substance use disorders relapse.

For many, reaching a state of long-term recovery can feel like a hard-won victory after battling addiction, mental-health struggles, or other personal challenges. However, maintaining that recovery can often be just as challenging as the initial process itself. As life begins to normalize, it is easy to fall into subtle traps that can derail progress. At the heart of Sportiv is the belief that proactive, not reactive, treatment is essential to enjoying life to the fullest.

  • Discover the difference between Suboxone strips and pills for effective opioid treatment.
  • In most cases, long-term rehab is when a person stays at a facility for an extended period, typically more than 90 days.
  • In fact, the residences are often peer-led and offer recovery support networks and a strong sense of community.1291 Additionally, some recovery residences that offer higher levels of support also provide life skills development and, in some cases, integrated clinical services.
  • At the one-year mark, most people feel a sense of accomplishment that they have gone a whole year without using drugs or alcohol.
  • Regular dental care, such as visiting the dentist every 6 months, is important to supporting oral health.

Take The First Step Toward Recovery

Recovery residences are divided into levels of support based on the type, intensity, and duration of support that they offer.1292Exhibit 4.5 contains more information about recovery housing levels of support. Access to safe and stable housing supports a person’s recovery from problematic substance use. Housing instability, or the inability to pay for housing and the threat of losing housing, results in significant stress that can trigger recurrence of substance use. Additionally, problematic substance use can increase a person’s risk of homelessness or housing instability. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) have outlined effective treatments for SUDs during pregnancy, including the need for early universal screening.

They may include care coordination, recovery coaching, spiritual counseling, group support, job training, transportation, and assistance with accessing recovery housing. https://thecinnamonhollow.com/a-guide-to-sober-house-rules-what-you-need-to-know/ Recovery support programs are person-centered and self-directed, allowing for the individual in recovery to choose their provider. This is a major milestone, and many people recovering from substance use disorder feel accomplished once they meet the one-year mark.

  • Activities like yoga and mindfulness meditation are particularly beneficial, helping individuals develop coping strategies while reinforcing a connection to their body.
  • For clients with poor oral health issues, fluids are again important for hydration, along with encouraging proper oral hygiene, and possibly considering softer foods.
  • Whether you look at recovery as a series of stages or simply consider the changes you experience during the first year of recovery, what are your options for pursuing it for yourself?
  • The process of change often starts at an addiction treatment facility, such as a residential program for 30 to 90 days, and can offer a good foundation; however, long-term recovery requires a long-term approach.
  • Seeking and maintaining recovery from problematic substance use not only gives individuals the opportunity to improve their physical well-being, but also provides them with a chance to positively establish (or reestablish) their identity, or personal narrative.
  • Unlock the facets of substance abuse treatment plans for a successful journey to sobriety.

Clients should not forget about mental and physical well-being, and should make time in each day for therapy, self-care, and/or exercise. Clients may need help in obtaining state identification and a Social Security card, including specific steps, materials that they need to bring, and the location where they may obtain the identification card. Clients can visit their local motor vehicle department or Social Security office to get information about the steps necessary to obtain an identification card or Social Security card.

long term recovery

The role of a supportive community in achieving recovery goals

Our team of compassionate admissions navigators understands where you are at and can quickly help you check insurance coverage at AAC facilities, answer questions about treatment, and provide additional addiction resources. While having supportive family members or friends is beneficial, building relationships with individuals who have also gone through addiction recovery can majorly assist in your recovery process. Additionally, practicing self-care and learning how to manage stress—especially during early recovery—can improve A Guide To Sober House Rules: What You Need To Know mental health, further decreasing your chances of turning to substance abuse.

Los Angeles County Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD)

To be eligible, housing agencies review an individual’s or family’s annual gross income; whether they qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and whether they are a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status. Financial assistance in the form of rental housing subsidies to help individuals and families cover housing costs. Offer resources that clients can use to inform them about the benefits of exercise and how to get started.

Addiction can cause alterations in the regions of the brain involved in executive functioning, such as decision making and self-regulation, leading to difficulty maintaining sobriety despite motivation to change. Outsourcing this type of accountability and structure can help individuals in early recovery who are vulnerable to relapse. Research proves that an individual in recovery is highly vulnerable to relapse during the first 90 days and that success during this time is correlated with long-term success.

  • Viewing relapse as an opportunity for growth rather than failure increases your chances of long-term recovery.
  • One of the reasons some people hesitate to go into treatment is that they don’t actually believe they can have a fulfilling life as a sober person.
  • For example, social support has been found to buffer stress (e.g., Taylor and Aspinwall, 1996).
  • Unlike visits to a treatment program, affiliation with 12-step groups, when it develops, “is often measured in hundred of meetings and spread over years” (Vaillant, 1995, p. 257; also see Humphreys et al., 1997).
  • Long-term substance use remission is a great achievement, but it is not a panacea for all our issues.
  • Timely –  Setting a goal date for sobriety is a great way to maintain focus and momentum.

Could I Benefit from Long-Term Addiction Treatment?

Funding for these grants is provided through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s State Opioid Response (SOR) IV grant program. The SOR program aims to help reduce unmet treatment needs and opioid-related overdose deaths nationwide through state-by-state allocations. Changes in sleep patterns over time and their relationship to substance use.

RESOURCES

With the passage of time, the raw emotions that fueled your early recovery efforts may fade. You might forget the full weight of why you started this journey in the first place, leading to a sense of disconnect from your original motivations. As your recovery stabilizes, you may feel less inclined to reach out to your support network, assuming you no longer need as much help. This can lead to feelings of isolation or disconnection from others, which can be harmful in the long term. In the meantime, both Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg will soon have websites dedicated to the CDBG-DR grant’s action plans.

Recovery-oriented Systems of Care

Uncover the impact, resources, and strategies for overcoming emotional eating. Discover eye-opening heroin addiction statistics and insights on treatment approaches and comorbidity factors. “Is detox right for me?” Explore the importance, benefits, and types of drug detox programs to make an informed decision. Many organizations, however, are small and not as familiar with how to collect and analyze data. Building relationships with some of these groups takes persistence and patience, toward improving their impact on people’s lives, he says. As part of the Consortium on Addiction Recovery Science, two HEAL-funded research teams are laying the groundwork for current and future science-based community participation in recovery research.

How to stay connected with supportive networks post-treatment

long term recovery

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced an investment of more than $8 million to expand or enhance recovery support services for individuals in recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD). This opportunity is part of the Shapiro Administration’s efforts to strengthen the SUD treatment system and empower sustained recovery throughout Pennsylvania by investing more than $100 million in SUD-related supports and services since Governor Josh Shapiro has taken office. One of a counselor’s roles is to connect clients with the healthcare resources they want and that meet their needs, including a primary care provider who can support them in developing a plan to manage chronic illness or receive preventive care. Outlined below are steps counselors can take to help clients receive healthcare services that meet their personal needs.