After Care & Followup

Aftercare is an ongoing process that for most patients will last the rest of their lives in some form or another. Patients in aftercare participate in ongoing treatment programs such as therapy and 12-Step Groups to help maintain their sobriety indefinitely. The exact aftercare routine will depend on the patient and what options are available to them. The treatment facilities with the best results in helping patients maintain sobriety generally offer a wide range of aftercare options and they additionally help set patients up with third-party aftercare suppliers as well.

Like aftercare, alumni participation is an ongoing process that many patients engage in for years after leaving a treatment facility. During alumni participation, former patients engage and maintain relationships with others who have successfully completed rehab. Some rehab facilities maintain their own alumni participation programs, and even have alumni coordinators on staff. Former patients of facilities that don’t often band together to form their own programs. Each alumni participation program is different, but examples of activities that such programs conduct include 12-Step meetings, social gatherings, and ongoing education and support.

Sobriety is not a single action, but rather a continuous chain of actions and decisions made throughout a recovering alcoholic’s life. Many in recovery find that sobriety is hardest to maintain early in the process, and gradually grows easier as new habits, relationships, and routines are formed.

Here are some individual aftercare steps for an individual to take after leaving alcohol rehab, in a general timeline of when they should be made.

• Develop a recovery plan that includes goals and how to achieve them
• Learn how to recognize and handle negative impulses
• Find healthy and supportive living arrangements
• Organize and establish a daily living routine and schedule
• Find and attend at least two support groups to choose the best fit
• Find and attend a counselor or therapist
• Establish a support system that can be turned to when the urge to drink appears
• Incorporate physical activity and exercise on a regular basis
• Avoid taking on too much

• Continue regular involvement in support groups – at least once a week if not more
• Continue involvement in counseling or therapy – ideally at least once a week
• Maintain a recovery journal, including triggers and how they were overcome
• Discuss professional goals with a career counselor

• Begin repairing broken or damaged relationships
• Develop short and long-term goals with a financial planner
• Start focusing more on longer term goals
• Try out new hobbies, and ideally focus efforts on one or several

• Celebrate important recovery milestones, especially 6 months and 1 year marks
• Help others who are just beginning the road to recovery
• Develop five and ten-year plans, personal, professional, and financial
• Seek out new motivation and ways to occupy time

Aftercare Programs and Organizations

Many rehab facilities operate their own aftercare programs. The scope of these programs varies tremendously. Examples of aftercare services some rehab facilities provide include sober-living arrangements, follow-up therapy, medical evaluations, and alumni support groups. While most rehabs are very good at letting patients know what aftercare services are available, it is best to contact them if you are unsure.

A sober living home is a residential facility for individuals recovering from substance abuse. Some are affiliated with rehab facilities and government organizations, but the majority operate independently. Sober living homes are found across the United States, but are most prevalent on the West Coast, particularly California. Sober living homes have been proven to increase the likelihood that recovering alcoholics will remain sober, as shown in many studies. While most sober living homes are designed for temporary residence of less than a year, some offer longer-term options.

Some sober living homes have a leader who creates the rules and enforces them, while others operate more collectively and democratically. Both models have proven effective, and which one is “best” depends on the individual in question. While every sober living home operates under a different set of guidelines, most share some characteristics in common, including a promise by all residents to remain sober, abiding by certain curfews, and sharing certain expenses. Most sober living homes have stricter guidelines for new residents that are gradually lessened the longer the individual lives in the home.