Besides helping patients overcome their addiction, one of the main goals of rehab is to prevent relapse. At the Bright Futures rehab center Boynton Beach, we provide our patients the necessary skills to maintain their sobriety. This is achieved through programs which are separated into several stages of recovery. However, outpatient programs are probably the most essential in honing the skills needed for relapse prevention. We are going to explain how rehab functions in our treatment facility, and the best ways to maintain your sobriety. Hopefully, you will have a better understanding and learn how intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse.
What is Relapse Prevention
Going to a rehab center is, in its core, about getting better. However, since addiction is a complex disease there aren’t going to be any easy answers. Substance use disorder cannot be magically undone, and there is no cure for drug addiction. Although that may be true, it doesn’t mean that there is no hope for your situation. Addiction can be treated, and you can learn how to overcome your cravings. Most importantly, you can lead a drug free life and achieve long term sobriety. You should keep in mind that sobriety is something that you will need to actively maintain for the rest of your life.
Since addiction is always going to be a looming threat, even after your time in rehab, our goal is to teach you the skills necessary for relapse prevention. Any slip-ups can cause you to immediately backslide into your old habits and the cycle of addiction can begin again. Therefore, during your time in Bright Futures, you will learn how intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse. We can show you how to develop new, healthy habits which can serve as coping mechanisms in real word situations.
When you encounter stressors in your life, you’ll be able to fall back on the skills you’ve learned in rehab. Our goal is to empower you and give you the confidence to know that you can overcome any challenges. However, another important lesson that you’ll learn in rehab is that you don’t need to go through those ordeals alone. That is where outpatient therapy can step in as an additional pillar of support, and a way to prevent relapse. You can always turn to us when you are struggling to maintain your sobriety. You will never be met with judgment, only support and actionable help.
How Relapse Occurs
The general population, which knows little about how addiction functions, might thing that relapse is something that can happen overnight. While the act of consuming drugs or alcohol can be instantaneous, relapse doesn’t work like flipping a switch. On the contrary, relapse is a gradual process that goes through several recognizable and distinct stages. Individuals recovering from substance use disorder need to be on the lookout for the signs of the early stages. That’s when your chances of preventing relapse are the highest.
Unfortunately, there are going to be specific risks of relapse in every stage of your recovery. During your stay in our upscale residential housing, your recovery will be overseen by highly trained clinical staff. Our master’s level clinicians can help you overcome your cravings and avoid relapse. However, the end goal of your treatment in out Palm Beach rehab center is to help you maintain your sobriety. This means that during the later stages of your treatment, you will be encouraged to reintegrate into society. We will still be there for you, offering intensive outpatient treatment, but you’ll be facing a different set of challenges.
During the later stages in a patient’s recovery they may feel that they are progressing well. This can cause patients to attend fewer meetings, and to drift further away from their routine of self care. However, attending meetings during outpatient care is critical to your sobriety since they can help you stay on track. Intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse by serving as a reminder of the dangers of your addiction. It’s important to constantly revisit the basics of recovery and always work to strengthen the foundations of your sobriety.
What are the Stages of Addiction Treatment?
Patients who come in to Bright Futures for rehab initially need to go through the process of detoxification. This is one of the most physically challenging parts of the recovery. However, once detox is completed, things get much easier, and patients can move on to the next stages of treatment. This is where your true healing can begin.
Following detox, patients can enter our Day/Night with community housing. Their stay will be supervised by our highly trained staff. Patients will now progress to inpatient treatment and take part in therapeutic activities. Here you will learn the necessary skills to lead a healthy and sober life, and build a healthy routine. We find that sticking to a strict schedule helps patients stay on track and maintain their sobriety. For this reason we will work hard to educate you and help you develop coping mechanisms.
After patients have completed their inpatient programs, they can progress to intensive outpatient care. However, is patients are struggling and fear relapse, they can always move back to inpatient care. For most patients inpatient care lasts between 30 and 45 days. However, we always adjust our therapy to the needs of our clients and their level of progress.
When patients don’t feel confident enough to move from inpatient to outpatient care, we offer them a hybrid solution. For these situations we apply a transitional Florida model program. By doing so, patients can continue their recovery at our supervised residential housing. Our clients can take the time they need to build up their confidence before moving on to outpatient care. This has given us amazing results in preventing relapse and ensuring patients progress at their own pace.
How Intensive Outpatient Treatment in Florida Can Help With Relapse
By the time patients reach outpatient treatment, they will already have developed the necessary skills to integrate back into society. However, patients initially take part in Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), where they attend group sessions multiple times a week and see an individual therapist. Patients who are in the IOP Boynton Beach programs attend group sessions three to five times a week.
The main focus of this stage of your treatment will be to teach you about relapse prevention. Your therapists will work with you towards psychological healing and stress management. However, you will also need to learn to identify triggers and high risk situations. Oftentimes, the best form of relapse prevention is done by avoiding harmful situations.
As you continue to get better and to develop healthy mechanisms, we can help you integrate back into society. We guide patients through a 12 step program, and offer support through medication management if they are experiencing post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome. During this time patients are given vocational services and are encouraged to seek employment. Becoming a productive member of society can boost the self esteem of patients, and help them to avoid relapse. However, our experienced clinical staff will continue to be at your disposal to give you counseling and support.
The Most Important Programs for Relapse Prevention
Individuals who are struggling with substance use disorder have both their physical and mental health disrupted. This means that in order to fully treat our patients, we need to care for their bodies and their minds. Relapse prevention takes the form of treating physical cravings as well as a mental and emotional desire to use again. For this reason, Bright Futures employs a holistic approach to healing. We use the latest scientific techniques and uphold the highest standards and best practices in patient care.
Abusing alcohol or illegal substances often leaves individuals in a malnourished or a weakened state. Our patients are encouraged to take part in physical exercise which is intended to help them rebuild their bodies. During their programs, patients will be taught to prepare healthy and nutritious meals. These prove to be extremely helpful life skills, which can help you take care of yourself and your body. Intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse by preparing you for a self sufficient life outside of rehab.
We also believe that one of the most important forms of relapse prevention is learning to enjoy a sober lifestyle. Therefore, plenty of our therapeutic activities are focused on having fun. We organize regular outings for our patients and hold some of our therapeutic activities outdoors. Since our facility is in Palm Beach, Florida and we are just a mile away from the beach – this means that we can have frequent beach visits, and organize meditation and yoga classes there. On the other hand, we also love to organize paintball matches and go-carting for our patients. Learning that a sober life can be fun and exciting is a crucial lesson.
The Importance of a Good Support System for Your Relapse Prevention
One of the best ways that intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse prevention is through group therapy. Attending group sessions lets you connect with other patients who are going through an experience that is similar to yours. You can listen to them share their struggles, and then open up at your own pace. By sharing your experiences you will also form strong bonds. The friendships you create during rehab will last you a lifetime. At Bright Futures, we are proud to be able to facilitate those kinds of interactions. We do our best to help patients stay in touch even after they have finished their programs.
Bright Futures Alumni are always welcome at our gatherings, since we treat all of our previous clients as family members. We also love to invite our Alumni to attend group sessions to share their experience and serve as an inspiration. Hearing the success stories of our previous clients can be incredibly uplifting. Since they have already been through what you are currently experiencing, our Alumni can offer great insight and advice. Alumni also often join our monthly gatherings, and take part in our barbecues and cookouts.
Although therapy can help you overcome addiction, your support group is what will keep you sober in the long run. You can start creating that support group while you are in therapy. Intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse by letting you form strong bonds with our other clients. However, you will also be granted a sponsor, who can guide you through your 12 step program. It can be extremely comforting to know that you have friends there for you. Whenever you need to reach out to someone who will understand you without judgment, just turn to your support group.
Maintain Your Sobriety With Aftercare
We already mentioned that, as patients progress through their programs, they will be encouraged to reintegrate back into society. Some patients occasionally require additional support after leaving our rehab center in Palm Beach. Fortunately, our doors are always open for all of your previous clients whenever they are in need of support. However, to increase your change for a successful recovery and to make sure that the intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse; our therapists will work with you to create an aftercare program. They will do their best to help you remain sober even after you are no longer a client.
Aftercare often includes staying in a sober living house and keeping in touch with your sponsor. It is highly recommended that you continue with your 12 step program meetings. Since the needs of every patient are different, our therapists will create a personalized aftercare program specifically for you. Keep in mind that sobriety is a lifelong goal, and aftercare is your best means of achieving it.
If you remain connected to the Bright Futures Treatment Center and other Alumni, you’ll improve your chances of preventing relapse. This can be especially important during the early stages of recovery. That’s why we encourage our Alumni to attend as many gatherings as they can during their first year of sobriety. Being back in the world and facing stressful situations can be difficult. Thankfully, you can count on our aftercare program to help you get through those hard times.
How a Positive Environment can Help With Relapse
During the course of your treatment, your healing will take many forms. Healing can be anything from group sessions and talking about feelings, onto fun outdoor activities, and including peaceful yoga sessions. However, from our experience, all of those activities are significantly more effective when they are conducted in the right environment. Obviously, the best environment for your recovery is one where you feel safe and comfortable. That’s why we chose Palm Beach as the ideal place for our treatment center. We are sure that you will feel right at home in our luxurious upscale residential facilities. The residential housing is outfitted with all of the latest amenities to make your stay in rehab comfortable and relaxing.
However, there are a few additional benefits that come from having our treatment center in Boynton Beach, Florida. The surrounding area in Florida has a large number of weekly 12 step meetings you can attend. You’ll be able to meet others who are going through rehab and find a group that you’ll get along with. Florida also has plenty of employment opportunities, which will be important when you reach your outpatient program. You should also try to create a positive environment for yourself after leaving rehab. Apply the skills that you learned while you were in treatment and create a space where you feel safe.
The Most Important Skills Which can Help Prevent Relapse
While we’re on the topic of important skills for preventing relapse, there are a few important things you should learn. Make the most of your time in rehab; use those opportunities for healing, but also for growth and improvement. During your programs you will be able to learn healthy coping mechanisms which could help you overcome stressful situations. On the other hand, during your group therapy you can gain useful social skills and learn to trust others. In your therapy, we will work to build up your confidence and self esteem, so that you will be able to navigate complex social situations with ease.
At Bright Futures we also employ a vast array of different therapeutic techniques. Patients will be able to try many new activities for the first time. Besides being fun and exciting, this has also proven to be quite educational. There is a lot to be learned even from having fun. Some of those activities can help you discover new talents or hobbies, which you otherwise wouldn’t find. Getting totally immersed in a creative activity can be incredibly helpful for your recovery. For example, art therapy can give patients a creative outlet for the complex emotions they would otherwise have trouble expressing. Intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse by giving you an opportunity to exercise your new skills in a controlled environment.
How to Create a Stable Routine for Yourself and Avoid Relapse
One of the most commonly suggested relapse prevention techniques is to avoid harmful stressors and triggers. While that is definitely true, it’s not really the type of advice you can apply with a proactive approach. You should always avoid signs of potential trouble and try to remove toxic people from your surroundings. However, you should also actively try to establish a routine that helps you remain sober.
Create a consistent, healthy routine that you can always fall back on when you are dealing with stress. This can help you cope with cravings and thoughts of using again. For example, if you enjoyed art during your therapy, then you can continue painting even after you finish your programs. The same goes for kayaking, swimming or meditation. Practicing the same routine over and over will help you calm down and relieve stress. Additionally, doing something that you like can help the brain release endorphins. It is much healthier to turn to a natural high, rather than poison yourself with addictive substances.
The key to any healthy routine is consistency. Set up rules for yourself and adhere to a strict schedule. Practice healthy eating habits and prepare nutritious, protein rich meals. Go to bed and sleep at the same time each day. Above all, know that you aren’t allowed to bend or break the rules. Be honest with yourself, and ask for help if you realize that you are struggling. We are just a phone call away, and will gladly open our doors to you if you need help.
What to Do if You Fear That You Will Relapse
The biggest fear of individuals who are recovering from substance use disorder is that they will relapse at some point. There are very few guarantees in life, and the prospect that you could succumb to addiction again can be terrifying. Unfortunately, during your recovery you will need to face most of your fears head on. We will be there for every step of your journey, and you can contact us is you need support.
For most people, just admitting that they have a problem and asking for help can seem like an impossible task. Ruining all of that hard work, and then facing up to the fact that they are using again is disheartening. Therefore, it’s very understandable why the fear of relapse is so common among recovering patients. However, these are normal thoughts, and it’s common for recovering patients to have these fears. Even if you do relapse, we will still be there to help you without passing any judgment.
If you are having any thoughts of using again or fear relapse, feel free to reach out to us. Our therapists will gladly work with you and suggest an aftercare program. You can even enroll in our outpatient therapy programs and continue working with your support groups. Help is within your reach, you only need to be willing to accept it.
In Conclusion
Relapse is a realistic threat to anyone who is recovering from substance use disorder. However, with the proper therapy you can learn how intensive outpatient treatment in Florida can help with relapse prevention. We can teach you to avoid triggers and to notice the early warning signs of relapse. Additionally, we will aid you in creating a strong support network which you can rely on when you are struggling. With our help you can learn healthy coping mechanisms and develop a routine through which you can avoid addiction. Long term sobriety is an achievable goal, and we can get you there.