Life after rehab – What happens after rehab

Leaving inpatient rehab can feel a very scary prospect, not only for the person leaving but also for their family and friends. Knowing what to expect and how to support a friend or family member after leaving rehab can help you to prepare for what lays ahead.

Delamere’s inpatient residential treatment is deliberately immersive and focused on getting the individual well. In order for this to happen, face to face contact with family and friends is limited to weekends.

This has been found to be absolutely necessary. Outside distraction and problems can cause patients to leave treatment early, especially if it involves loved ones.

Whilst contact with family is encouraged, an inpatient rehab patient will have become accustomed to a certain regime as they undergo treatment within the safety of the residential recovery ‘bubble’. After rehab they do not have the safety of this bubble, this is why continued support is so important.

Delamere’s purpose built addiction treatment and behavioural wellness facility provides a very safe and secure environment. Our guests stay within our facility at all times whilst they undergo intensive medical and therapeutic treatment.

On occasions, excursions from our facility for additional support or therapy are always accompanied by a professional member of our team.

Delamere’s transitioned reintegration for peace of mind

Delmere’s GROW component of treatment full proofs each of our patients recovery. We focus on re-socialisation and reintegration, supporting each and every one of our guests every step of the way.

Whilst a couple of months within a residential treatment facility may seem like a long time, in the grand scheme of things, it is a short snippet out of a person’s life and is often a life saving intervention.

It can, however, be difficult to adjust to life on life’s terms newly clean and sober. This is why we at Delamere place a great emphasis on assisted transition from inpatient to living in the community.

The first weeks and months of a person’s recovery is when they are most vulnerable. Each of our guests support needs after rehab will differ.

The levels of support required after rehab depend on the individuals circumstances back at home and the progress they have made whilst they underwent treatment. The duration of their stay can also affect this.

At Delamere we have found that a transitioned reintegration works best. We therefore remain available at all times for our guests who have completed treatment. This provides them with the reassurance of a ‘safety net’ should they require our assistance at any point.

For more information on how we at Delamere uniquely assist our patients in life after rehab please call and speak with a member of our team.

What to expect after rehab

It is perfectly natural to have some anxieties around leaving the safety of a rehab environment. We would be more worried if a person didn’t!

Residential rehab provides a safe, temptation free and stress free environment where a person can wholeheartedly concentrate on their recovery.

Real life is very different from rehab. It is unstructured and unpredictable. Life changing events can happen at any time; for a recovering alcoholic or addict this can prove extremely challenging. They may well be tempted to resort to their old methods of coping with unmanageable emotions or stress.

At Delamere we prepare our guests for dealing with everyday life whilst maintaining their recovery. We instill in our guests new healthy coping strategies and show them ‘recovery tools’ that they can use at any given time. We also remain in contact with our guests and work with their families to ensure their transition runs as smoothly as possible.

In addition to regular aftercare sessions held here at Delamere, our guests can also benefit from accompanied visits home, family support & therapy and a renewal retreat.

We are very much led by what each of our guests needs in terms of returning back home and staying clean and sober, we do all we can to help them individually with this process.

Helping a family member after rehab

If a family member or someone you love needs rehab or has recently returned from undergoing rehab treatment, we understand this can be a very distressing and frightening time.

Naturally you are going to want to support them in the best way possible and prevent them from becoming unwell again. Depending on the person, what you can do to help support them can vary.

Many individuals will leave rehab and hit the ground running. They will be focused on their recovery and go to whatever lengths are needed in order to maintain it.

This may mean that they appear distant and spend a lot of time with others in a similar position. Certainly in the beginning, this is vital to their recovery, it may feel like sometime before you feel like you actually have your loved one ‘back’ and present.

Attending aftercare, fellowship meetings and support groups are all l necessary aspects of maintaining recovery from addiction, not just in the short term but also in the long term.

Addiction never goes away, so a person suffering from addiction needs to stay connected to like minded individuals who understand their difficulties and can uniquely support them in a way family and friends cannot.

Prepare for change

As a partner or family member of a person who has undergone rehab treatment, you may not initially recognise your newly sober and clean loved one. This is especially true of those who have suffered for a long time as a result of their loved ones illness.

Positive change in your loved one is all perfectly normal and to be expected. Your loved one will have learned new ways of coping and should respond differently to everyday life and events.

Whilst undergoing rehab treatment, it is not only essential that patients stop alcohol and drugs safely but that they also undergo a profound change in their mindset and behaviours. This is vital to continued recovery from addiction.

The best way you can support them after rehab is to encourage them in their recovery, take an interest and not stand in their way.

Seek support for yourself

Being the partner or a family member of a loved one with a long standing addiction, you will also have suffered tremendously and perhaps struggle to adapt to not being ‘needed’ so much. We at Delamere urge our patients’ families to seek help and support where this is an issue.

You may find one to one counselling or attending a mutual aid support group such as Al-anon (or similar) very helpful to adjusting to the change in your loved one.

Undertaking counselling or support for yourself will not only help you to better understand the help your loved one needs, but will also show you how to live your life independently from addiction once again.

What do I do if my loved one relapses after rehab?

This is a question we are frequently asked and we understand that this is every family member and partner’s worst fear.

Whilst we will do all we can to help prevent relapse in our guests, it does unfortunately happen for some. Addiction is a chronic and progressive relapsing brain disease and can only be arrested and treated, not cured.

If your loved one does relapse after rehab, please understand that it is not your fault. Do not blame yourself.

Ultimately, every person who undergoes treatment for addiction has to take responsibility for their own recovery. Just as a person with a heart disease will need to change their lifestyle and attend appointments, your loved one will also need to do the same.

In the event of a relapse, you should initially contact the rehab they attended for advice. They will have come to know the person throughout the treatment process and should be able to best advise you on how to broach the subject with them.

If they have undergone treatment at Delamere, we are here for you to contact us at any time regarding ANY concerns you may have. Relapse can be prevented! If you spot a change in your loved ones behaviour that worries you, you should raise this with them immediately.

What if they don’t want help after rehab?

If your loved one relapses and either refuses to acknowledge they are struggling or refuses to accept help, Delamere offer professional drug and alcohol interventions. It may be necessary for your loved one to return to rehab for further treatment or a detox, depending on how far into a relapse they are. Needless to say, the earlier it is caught the better for everyone concerned.

Relapse can prove fatal, this is not something that should be ignored, especially if your loved one is not taking any action to help themselves to reestablish their recovery.

Delamere can also help those who have undergone treatment with a different treatment centre. It could well be that your loved one was not treated comprehensively or that the rehab wasn’t right for them.

Our uniquely bespoke programmes ensure that no stone is left unturned. We have a vast range of evidence based, innovative therapies to offer and can often help where other rehabs cannot.

Delamere’s unique and bespoke Renewal Retreat

Delamere uniquely offer a renewal retreat, held here at our facility. This is available to any of our previous guests who feel their recovery is on shaky ground, or who need assistance in kick starting their recovery following a relapse.

This service is also suitable for those who have previously completed a comprehensive residential programme at a different rehab facility.

Suitability for our renewal retreat very much depends on the person and their individual circumstances and struggles. If you would like more information on how to access Delamere’s renewal retreat please call our team.

We are also here to support and answer any questions you may have regarding supporting a loved one following rehab