Recovering After Intensive Outpatient Program – The Real Struggle Begins

Life after IOP radically changes as your enter society as a sober person. However, the world around you is still involved in addiction. The real struggle begins after your IOP is over because now you are on your own, so you need to develop your own care plan. In this blog post, we discuss how you can continue your addiction recovery after successfully completing your Intensive Outpatient Program. 

Life After IOP 

Intensive Outpatient programs are a crucial part of your recovery process. Patients are educated about life after IOP and how they can stay sober. If you have recently completed your IOP, here are things you can do that’ll keep you sober for longer and altogether remove the need to go back to your addiction. 

Enroll in An Aftercare Program 

You think you can manage independently, but most addicts who relapsed also thought this way. Life after IOP is very different. You are no longer a dysfunctional part of society. Therefore, you should seek help from an aftercare program. These programs are designed to help ex-IOP patients stay sober. Groups like AA, NA, or SMART offer the resources and support you need to fight the urges of your substance abuse. As a result, these groups help you stay sober. 

Make a Plan of Action 

The National Institution on Drug Abuse reports that 40-60% of people relapse after completing their IOP. This goes to show that it’s common for your urges to strike back. What makes a difference is how you go about yourself when these urges kick in. 

The best way to stay sober and prevent yourself from falling into addiction is to make a plan of action. List down the name of people you can call when you feel a lapse is likely.

Don’t be ashamed of calling these people because they are ready to help. Keep yourself busy and mitigate negative thoughts. This way, you’ll adjust to your new life and completely rid yourself of your addiction. 

Remove Toxic People From Your Life 

This is the most essential part of staying sober, and it might seem irrelevant at first. However, toxic people always try to bring you down to make themselves feel better. Removing such people from your new life will make you more confident. As a result, you’ll break free from depression and keep away from drugs. If these people try to make their way into your life, don’t give them an opening. Because if you do, you’ll risk yourself going back to your old self. 

Create a Healthy Lifestyle 

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the key to staying sober. This is because excise and eating healthy keep your mind alert and active. Addiction is an illness that embeds negative and destructive behavior in an individual. 

Keeping yourself mentally and physically healthy will increase your chances of staying sober. During IOP, patients are taught about emotional and physical triggers that might leave you craving for a hit. 

Mitigating these triggers will keep you on the safe side. One of the most common triggers of addiction is “stress.” Although stress is not avoidable, it can be managed. Through meditation or an early jog, you can relieve stress and focus on solving the issue causing this emotion. As a result, you become self-reliant and independent, removing the need to resort to substance abuse. 

Start Socializing 

Now that you have recovered from your addiction, it’s time to re-enter society with a new face. Think of it as a second chance at life, so choose your friends wisely this time. Socializing re-builds your confidence and makes you seem normal. 

However, the pitfall of socializing is hanging at the bar. This can be a red flag if you are a recovering alcohol addict. Therefore, be honest with your new social circle and tell them about your recovery. That way, your new friends will avoid places that might trigger a relapse. But if they don’t, it’s time to make new friends. 

The Bottom Line 

Life after IOP is not easy. Now that you are sober, you have to fight your urges, rejoin society and make new friends. All of this can be overwhelming for some people; that’s why they join support groups. Moreover, you need to immediately create a plan to keep yourself busy and away from your addiction. At Sands Treatment Center, we provide specialized care and help our patients make a plan of action before they re-enter society. You can contact us for more information.