By: Mike Murphy, Manager of Alumni Services
“This is only the beginning.” I truly think this is something a person should remind themselves regularly after leaving a treatment program. Sure, you have just spent 30,60,90 (maybe more!) however many days of your life in a program working on yourself and learning an insane amount about your traumas/triggers/addictions etc. But the truth of the matter is that the real work won’t start until you step foot off the property and back out into the “real world”.
This may come as a surprise to some, but when I hear a client say before leaving, “I’m not worried about anything. I’ve got everything I need and know what to do.” I shudder. I would much rather hear them say, “I’m a little apprehensive. I’ve got some concerns.” The reason why, you ask? Because 9 out of 10 times, the person that has it all in the bag, in fact does NOT have it all in the bag. And are way more likely to try and white-knuckle it and not ask for help. The apprehensive person? Sure, might not always reach out and ask for help, but is definitely more likely to. Probably because a bruised ego won’t get in the way.
Coming to Treatment can only prepare you for so much. It is only setting a foundation for you to build off. This is why we emphasize the importance of meetings/therapy/med management post-discharge. Without these key components, you are more likely to slip back into your old ways and habits. And you would be surprised how quickly all that work that was made in your time away can be taken away from you if you revert back to these things.
When we say “Meetings” people are quick to think AA/NA. And rightfully so. These are the two most popular support group meetings people think of when they think of recovery. And if you did come to treatment for substance use, I would hope you know the importance of these, by now. But it doesn’t always have to be substance use oriented. There are tons of other support groups out there to help people out. Co-dependency, Gambling, and Overeating, for example. Having a community of people around you to help you through the beginning phases of your life post-treatment is crucial. Who better to have in your corner than others who have been in your shoes before you?
Therapy. Good ol’ therapy. If you have come to treatment, you have worked with a therapist. And maybe, it worked well for you and your mental health. Perhaps you were able to work through some things from your past that you had stuffed deep down. Maybe they were able to provide you with techniques to help regulate yourself in moments of panic. The list could go on and on. So, let me ask you this? Why stop? Whether or not you were provided with a therapist upon discharge from treatment, this is something you should always consider. I have now held the same therapist for the past four years and don’t know where I would be without him. Dude is a Godsend. And the craziest part? Four years later, he is still teaching me new things about myself and we are still working through some stuff.
Med management. For whatever reason, this one seems to be the most elusive of them all. And if you’re like me, you didn’t event start taking them until you got sober. I had gone pretty much my entire adult life without ever taking any prescription meds (legally). For a few reasons. First, I avoided the Doctor like the absolute plague (pardon the pun). I knew my health was in shambles and the less I knew about my self-imposed health shitshow, the better. The other, and most ridiculous, was “I don’t want to be one of those people that are slaves to their pills”. Meanwhile I am an absolute slave to alcohol. And killing myself in the process with it. The ego is astounding. When I finally made it into treatment, I decided to shutup and listen to the professionals and start taking the meds. And wouldn’t ya know it? They worked. Things started to change. From my sleep to my mood. And like a lot of people, I had the brainiac idea that just because they worked for a few months, that it meant I didn’t have to take them anymore, right? Thankfully, my therapist in his own eloquent way, informed me that was not the case and that we would need to continue monitoring my meds and adjusting as needed. And that hopefully, yes, I would one day get down to a minimal amount. But for no reason whatsoever, should I just stop taking them. You feel fine and you feel better and you are sleeping better because you are taking the meds. If you stop taking the meds? These things stop. I don’t know how to put it more simply without getting in trouble and called into my boss’ office. If you’re on prescriptions, maintain them. But also, maintain contact with your doctors to adjust and make changes when needed. This is literally what they are here for. If I were to tell you the top offenders for why people relapse or have mental health issues, not being med compliant is at the VERY top of the list.
At this point I can feel myself rambling and going off pretty tangentially. And don’t get me wrong, it’s largely because I have to hear about these things on a weekly basis with work and it makes me want to shout it from the mountain tops for others to hear in warning. But also, it’s usually a reminder to myself that I need to keep these things in practice. Afterall, just because I work in this field, doesn’t mean I am impervious to the many downfalls that can await me if I don’t remain active and vigilant in my recovery. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some appointments to book.
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