So much is said about the process of rehab but what about life after rehab treatment is over? It is important to bear in mind that recovery from a life of drug or alcohol abuse is not something that happens overnight but rather, it is a lifelong process. In order to help you  keep in control of your life and to abstain from using drugs or alcohol, here are some helpful tips:

1. Make meetings and aftercare an essential component of your life. Through committing yourself to aftercare therapy you will reap all of the necessary benefits such as finding the support and encouragement you need to get on with your life. It will also help you to stay centered, focused and grounded in your new reality. Two of the most common causes of relapse include a lack of aftercare and being overconfident.

2. Keep yourself as busy as possible. You have left an unhealthy lifestyle behind and now need to find new healthier ways to spend your time. Increase your belief in your self by finding gainful employment. Ask your sponsor and/or your new friends you have met through the program what sort of activities and hobbies they can recommend.

3. Take good care of yourself. Be determined to get yourself into a healthy routine of eating well balanced meals. Get plenty of exercise and plenty of sleep. When you are feeling discouraged or upset, reach out to others who know you, love you and are there for you. Do not let stress push you to the point where you start using again. Remember the H.A.L.T. theory, do not get to Hungry Angry Lonely or Tired.

4. You have a relapse prevention plan for a reason. Use it. Do not ignore the recommendations of the plan, especially in the first year. Follow the plan to the letter. Constantly refresh your mind with what the plan is made up of. This is an essential element of your healing and recovery. Do not dismiss it.

5. If you slip once, don’t allow yourself to fall back into the black hole of drug or alcohol use. If you slip up once, don’t automatically assume that it is all over and that you are hopeless. Fight the urge to fall back into the habit. Be strong with yourself. Call your sponsor and talk the situation out with him or her. Figure out what caused the slip up and how it can be avoided in the future. One small mistake does not constitute an abandonment of the program or a life of sobriety.