The first step on the road to addiction recovery is admitting that the problem exists in the first place. Once this has been achieved, you can get started on your journey to sobriety, which will be a protracted process. You should remember that recovery from drug addiction will not happen overnight. There are several elements to a successful recovery programme, and for most people it begins with a detox and rehabilitation programme. But is that it? Does your journey end when rehab is finished? The answer is a resounding no. If you are wondering what happens, and where to go, after drug rehab, we have the answers for you in the below paragraphs.
What Happens After Drug Rehab?
Overcoming drug addiction is a challenge, but provided you have the right support and a treatment programme that works for you, it is entirely possible that you can beat your illness for good. With a detox programme, the physical issues associated with your illness will be addressed while with a programme of rehabilitation, you will be helped to overcome the emotional or psychological aspect of the addiction. But what happens when detox and rehab are over?
Your recovery programme does not end when your rehabilitation does; in fact, you should be prepared to commit to an ongoing programme of maintenance for the rest of your life. Addiction is an illness that cannot be cured, and you will need to remain vigilant to the threat of relapse for as long as you live. So, the issue of where to go after drug rehab is an important one.
For most, joining a fellowship support programme is the way forward. You will probably be encouraged to do so by your rehabilitation provider and you could even find that 12 step facilitation therapy forms a part of your treatment plan.
With a fellowship support group such as Narcotics Anonymous, you will have ongoing support and a place to go when you need it for the rest of your life. You will meet a host of new like-minded people who all have the same aim; to stay sober and help others to do the same.
What Are Fellowship Support Groups?
In the 1930s, Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Bill Watson and Dr Bob Smith. Their aim was to provide a support network that would enable alcoholics to get sober and stay that way. The group developed 12 steps that members work through, and by sharing stories and experiences, they can encourage each other to maintain their sobriety.
The success of AA led to the formation of many other such groups, with Narcotics Anonymous just one of these. These groups have all adapted AA’s 12 steps for their own members.
What are the 12 Steps?
According to NAs website, the 12 steps are as follows:
- Step 1: We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Step 2: We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Step 3: We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Step 9: We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Step 10: We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The first three steps are known as the decision steps, whereby you are accepting the need for help and are deciding to do something about your situation. Steps 4 to 9 are called the action steps, and during these you are working towards recovery. Finally, steps 10 to 11 are known as the maintenance steps, where you work on staying sober.
What to Expect from a Fellowship Support Meeting
Fellowship support group meetings are held regularly and give members a chance to come together for support and encouragement as these individuals try to maintain their sobriety. You may have heard about these meetings or have your own idea of what they are like, but you may be surprised to find that the reality is quite different from what you have seen on TV or in the movies.
For example, you should know that members come from all walks of life. There is no single type of person who is affected by drug addiction and members come from every different race, religion, culture, and background. At a fellowship support group though, everyone is equal.
Meetings are informal and there is no obligation on you to speak unless you want to. You will be given the opportunity to introduce yourself if you wish, but if you are uncomfortable with this in the beginning, you can choose to pass.
What you will find is that you are likely to be inspired by the stories of other recovering addicts. You might be able to relate to the experience of others and you may find that you really enjoy being in a setting where there is no judgement and where everyone wants you to do well.
The stories you hear may be emotional, insightful, and even funny, and there could be laughter and tears. Meetings tend to last for about an hour and they generally start on time; most members will arrive early so that they can chat with other members and help to set up.
What Will You Get from a Fellowship Group?
Many recovering addicts wonder where to go after drug rehab, and some of these do not like the idea of a fellowship support group, purely because they have a distorted opinion of what it will be like. Some believe it is a religious group and that they will not fit in. However, fellowship support groups are not affiliated with any religion and everyone is welcome. So, what will a fellowship support group mean for you?
Despite what you may have been led to believe, a fellowship support group will be a place where you can meet regularly with others who are in exactly the same situation as you. You will be able to form friendships with some of these people, all of whom have the same aims as you, and where there will be no strings attached.
You will also find that within a fellowship group, you can be yourself without fear of rejection or discrimination. You can be completely open and honest about your past and will find that there are many others who have been through similar experiences to you.
Listening to the stories and experiences of others can help you to learn from their mistakes. You might also find that certain stories inspire you to continue your quest for permanent recovery.
Above all, a fellowship support group will provide a place where you can learn about how to live successfully in recovery. Through your local fellowship support group, you can make contacts that will make your sober life easier and more enjoyable. You can become part of a recovery community where everyone is in the same situation that you are in.
A fellowship support group is often seen as a security blanket for those who are in recovery from addiction and is a place you can return to whenever you need to.
If you would like more information about where to go after drug rehab, or are interested in finding out about any aspect of the recovery programme, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us here at Addiction.org.uk.
