The goal of any drug treatment program is to help a person who had a substance abuse problem to resume the life he led before addiction changed it. This, however, can sometimes be the hardest part of drug rehabilitation.
A good drug treatment program would have held relapse prevention sessions as well as provided aftercare information, such as locations and meeting times of outside support groups, hotline numbers to call for additional support, and other services. All of these would be designed to help the person once he leaves the drug treatment facility.
Many family members may ask themselves what they need to help the person who is able to leave a treatment program and re-enter the work and social environment they had to temporarily withdraw from. They may worry that something that was once considered a normal part of life may lead to relapse.
Those who are involved with a recovering substance abuser need only to be slightly more vigilant than before to ensure that deliberate obstacles are avoided as much as possible. It may not be possible, for one reason or another, to keep a recovering alcoholic from having to be in situations where alcohol is served; however, alcohol does not have to be present in the home. That can be a safe haven for a person who has recently finished drug rehabilitation.
Similarly, friends and others who interacted with the person before he entered the drug treatment program may also share concerns. They may even be reluctant to resume relationships because they are afraid they might inadvertently do or say something to cause the recovering person to relapse.
Rather than worry about that, they can look for ways to provide help and support. This can be as simple as fixing a meal for the person who has just left a drug treatment program, particularly if he lives alone, or offering to provide transportation to a support meeting.
For information on how to help one who has recently undergone drug treatment, please log on to http://www.drugtreatments.com/ or call 1-800-559-9503. We can give you suggestions and advice on how to help.
