How do I hold myself accountable after rehab?

When you spend time in rehab and obtain the help you need to obtain treatment for addiction, it can be easy to stay clean when you’re spending time in a positive environment. The support you obtain can allow you to feel empowered and equipped to continue the recovery progress and continue to meet each milestone after becoming sober.

Although may have a lot of accountability in rehab, it can be difficult to know how to keep yourself accountable after rehab. Some people are intimidated by leaving rehab because it means they don’t have access to the same team of professionals each day. Fortunately, there are still ways to keep yourself accountable and utilize the tools and knowledge that you were provided in the treatment program to ensure you have long-term success with your efforts.

Tell Your Family Members and Friends

Although you may no longer be surrounded by a team of medical professionals once you leave rehab, you can still have a support system with your family members and friends. Share your story and discuss your addiction to ensure they understand the help and support that you’ll need moving forward. When your loved ones have a better understanding of your life, they can prepare to help you succeed and offer their encouragement. Finding an accountability partner or meeting regularly with your sponsor can also help you to remain connected with someone who has your best interest in mind and can assist you in staying on track.

Create a List of What You Have to Lose

One of the best ways to keep your focus after leaving rehab is to remember what you have to lose and everything that you’ve gained after becoming sober. When you write a list of what you’ll have to give up if you relapse, it can provide you with enough motivation to continue your sobriety. This may include your marriage, relationship with your children, job, home, and other factors that you’ve gained back after going to rehab. It can also be effective to write down what your goals are moving forward and what you now have to look forward to in life. You may want to go back to school to further your education or start a new business, depending on what you want to achieve. You may also look forward to paying off debt or finding new hobbies to enjoy, which can provide you with a new lease on life.

Stay in Tune With Your Emotions

Stay in tune with your emotions to ensure you can understand when you’re more at risk of being vulnerable to relapsing. If you’re starting to feel stressed and anxious, don’t wait to act to ensure you can find relief through meditation or exercise. If you find yourself sad or having a lack of hope, make an appointment with your therapist to process your emotions and find effective ways of boosting your mood. Checking in on yourself will make it easier to maintain your sobriety and reach out for help when you start to notice a change in how you feel.

Know Your Triggers

While spending time in rehab, you likely discussed some of the most common triggers for your drug or alcohol use. This may include spending time with certain friends who are also addicted to substances or becoming stressed and depressed. Knowing your triggers can help you to be aware of when you’re most at risk of relapsing. You can act quickly and take the necessary steps to diffuse the situation and avoid the temptation of relapsing when you avoid you avoid triggers. There are a few changes to make to work around the triggers, which may include getting more sleep at night or avoiding situations that can put you on edge. You may need to have boundaries with some people from your past who tempt you to use drugs or alcohol.

It may also be necessary to find a new place of employment or even relocate to a new area to avoid returning to familiar settings where you struggled with substance abuse. We invite you to reach out to us at 833-846-5669 to obtain support for addiction and receive treatment.