Aftercare
The early days of recovery can feel overwhelming, and we completely understand how daunting it is to leave rehab, especially after four weeks of structure and support. It’s important to remember that you’ve made great progress on your recovery journey, and re-entering the real world is the next big step. It’s normal for this transition to feel overwhelming and you may be worried about familiar triggers and stressors that were absent during your time in treatment.
At Step by Step Recovery, we understand these concerns and want to reassure you that you’re not alone. Our addiction specialists will work with you to develop a solid aftercare plan to provide you with the support you need to navigate any new challenges and maintain your sobriety.
We know your journey doesn’t end when you leave treatment. Recovery requires ongoing support, guidance and connection. That’s why we offer free lifetime aftercare to all our clients who complete at least four weeks with us. Most clinics have time limits on their aftercare services but we believe recovery is a lifelong process and our commitment to you doesn’t stop when you complete our programme.
Why Is Aftercare So Important?
Addiction is a chronic condition and without the right support, there is always a risk of relapse. Your brain’s response to addictive substances doesn’t disappear after detox or therapy, which is why aftercare is so important. Aftercare is an ongoing support system that helps you apply the skills and strategies you learned in rehab to your everyday life to prevent you from reaching a point where you feel the need to engage in substance misuse or problematic behaviours.
Aftercare isn’t just about avoiding relapse; it’s about helping you manage triggers, cope with stress and continue your recovery. By staying in our aftercare programme you build resilience against the temptations and challenges that might otherwise lead to a lapse. Our aftercare program. It aids in strengthening your ability to resist temptations and overcome obstacles that could potentially trigger a setback. Maintaining these practices and shifting your mindset are components of your path, to recovery.
Five Reasons Aftercare is Important in Addiction Recovery
- Relapse Prevention
Aftercare gives you the tools you need to identify and manage triggers, cravings and high-risk situations, reducing the risk of relapse.
- Accountability
Regular check-ins, group meetings or individual sessions help you stay accountable to your recovery goals and feel responsible for your ongoing sobriety.
- Emotional Support
Recovery can be emotional and aftercare gives you the emotional support you need, whether through therapy, support groups or peer connections.
- Skill Reinforcement
Aftercare reinforces the coping strategies and life skills you learned in treatment so you can apply them in real-life situations, from stress management to healthy relationship building.
- Community and Connection
Aftercare offers you a sense of belonging by connecting you with a recovery community. These relationships combat feelings of isolation and remind you you’re not alone in your journey
Free Aftercare at Step by Step Recovery
At Step by Step Recovery, we are committed to your long-term success which is why we offer free lifetime aftercare to all our clients who complete at least four weeks with us. This means you will have continued access to our support services, giving you the tools and guidance to stay sober long after you leave us.
Our aftercare programme is designed to help you navigate the emotional and psychological challenges that come up after treatment. We’re here to support you in managing your emotions, avoiding relapse and making healthier choices as you continue your recovery journey. We believe recovery is a lifelong process and our philosophy of continuous support means you’ll never have to face these challenges alone. Our support extends beyond your stay with us, so you have a safety net whenever you need it.
What Does Our Aftercare Programme Include?
Our aftercare gives you the tools and support to succeed in recovery. One of the main parts of this is our weekly in-house aftercare sessions here at The Lighthouse. These are run by a therapist specialising in addiction recovery so you get expert guidance tailored to you.
In these sessions, you’ll have a safe and confidential space to share your struggles, get feedback and learn from others. We focus on solution-focused discussions where you can work on strategies to overcome obstacles and stay on track with your recovery goals. Whether you’re feeling stressed, managing triggers or just need some encouragement these sessions will give you valuable insights and support to help you live a happy sober life.
Relapse Prevention: Staying on Track
Staying in aftercare is key to preventing relapse and long-term success in your recovery journey. Aftercare gives you ongoing support to help you navigate the real world without falling back into old habits. Life after rehab can be full of unexpected stressors and triggers but by staying connected with your aftercare program you’ll be better equipped to deal with these challenges in a healthy way.
Make recovery a priority by making the most of the support available to you. At Step by Step Recovery, we’re here to support you, we’ll guide you through any obstacles that come your way. Remember recovery is a lifetime commitment and using aftercare is a powerful way to stay sober and grow.
Ongoing therapy: One-to-One Counselling
For those who prefer more personal support Step by Step Recovery offers one-to-one aftercare counselling at an additional cost. This is suitable for clients who may feel uncomfortable in group settings or need more intense therapy tailored to their individual needs. One-to-one sessions allow you to go deeper into specific issues so you get the focused attention you need to work on your challenges and support your recovery. One-to-one counselling sessions give you a more private and tailored approach to aftercare so you can continue to build a strong foundation for a sober life.
Long-Term Recovery Support
At Step by Step Recovery, our support doesn’t stop when you leave rehab. We are committed to supporting you throughout your entire recovery journey providing continuity of care including phone support and ongoing encouragement to help you not relapse. We want to make sure you have all the tools and resources you need to live a life free from addiction forever.
Recovery is challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our team is here for you, we offer hope, guidance and unwavering support every step of the way. With our aftercare services, we want to help you live a happy sober life where you can thrive and go for your dreams.
If you have any questions about our aftercare programme and how we can support you when you leave treatment, get in touch with us today.
FAQs
What is Aftercare?
Aftercare refers to any ongoing support you receive after leaving rehab to help you stay sober and continue with your recovery.
We also have access to a wealth of resources including coping strategies, mindfulness techniques and sober living advice to help you navigate the challenges of life after rehab. Aftercare aims to give you the support to stay sober and thrive long after you leave our programme.
How Long is Aftercare?
At Step by Step Recovery, we offer free lifetime aftercare. Unlike other clinics, there is no time limit and our commitment to your recovery is ongoing, whether you need support a few months after rehab or looking for help many years later our aftercare services are always available to you.
What Types of Aftercare Support Do You Offer?
We offer several types of aftercare support so you can decide what works best for you. We provide one-to-one counselling with a dedicated therapist to help you work through any ongoing issues and reinforce the coping strategies you learned in treatment. Group therapy sessions provide peer support where you can share your experiences, gain insight from others and stay connected to a recovery community. If you can’t attend in person we have virtual therapy.
How Does Aftercare Prevent Relapse?
Aftercare prevents relapse by giving you the tools to manage the triggers and challenges that come up in your daily life. Regular therapy sessions help you stay aware of your triggers and develop ways to overcome them. Group therapy provides peer support so you see others navigate similar challenges. With relapse prevention planning we work with you to create a personal action plan that includes coping strategies, stress management techniques and long-term sobriety strategies.
How Do I Access Aftercare?
Aftercare is available to all clients who have completed at least four weeks of treatment at Step by Step Recovery. You can access aftercare in person at our facility, online or over the phone for remote support. To get started with aftercare just get in touch and we will guide you through the process of continuing your recovery journey with our lifetime support.
How Can Family and Friends Support Me?
Family and friends can be a big part of your recovery journey. At Step by Step Recovery, we encourage family involvement in aftercare to add another layer of support. Through family therapy sessions and education programmes, we help loved ones understand addiction, set healthy boundaries and offer encouragement in ways that support your sobriety. This collaborative approach helps to strengthen relationships and makes sure your support network is aligned with your recovery goals.
Step By Step Recovery knows how difficult it can be to adjust to life without substances and addictive behaviours. After all, it was what you relied on to help you get through each and every day, or to cope in certain situations or with difficult emotions, right?
Naturally, the early days of recovery can be very scary, and you may feel fearful of returning home. We completely understand how afraid you might be to leave the safe environment of our residential rehab centre in Essex.
This is why we are different from many other residential rehab centres. Our addiction aftercare has no time limit, and it’s completely free!
Complimentary Addiction Aftercare
You have lifetime access to our addiction aftercare programme, providing you complete four weeks of treatment with us. During your addiction rehabilitation, we will show you proven ways of managing your emotions and making healthier choices. Using these new healthy coping strategies will help you avoid relapse and live a rewarding and fulfilling life.
Being newly clean and sober in the early stages of recovery can leave you feeling very vulnerable to start with. We believe in supporting you right through the entire addiction treatment process. That means ensuring you never feel alone when facing inevitable challenges after returning to your normal life and home environment.
To avoid relapse, you must implement what you have learned from our addiction treatment program into your daily life. Research shows that rehab aftercare is critical and essential to the ongoing recovery process. Not only does it help to buffer stress, but addiction aftercare also helps you continue using the skills and techniques you learned in residential rehab.
Our brand promise
At Step by Step Recovery, we are dedicated to providing the best care for every one of our clients. Our ultimate goal is to provide the tools you need to maintain a clean and sober life free from addiction.
Why Is Addiction Aftercare so Important?
Addiction is a chronic brain disease due to your brain becoming hardwired to seek alcohol and drugs or addictive behaviours. Typically, addiction is characterised by repeated attempts to get clean, followed by repeated relapses. And although a rapid drug detox is effective for some people, in our experience, it rarely prevents relapse in the longer term. More often than not, a substantial period of professional rehabilitation is required to acquire the firm foundations necessary for ongoing recovery.
Addiction has a very high relapse rate, as does substance misuse and alcohol and drug abuse. Those fortunate enough to undergo detox and rehabilitation must stay committed to their recovery. Addiction aftercare helps you stay on track and grow in your recovery to live your life purposefully.
Healing the body is usually a simple process of abstaining and learning self-care. Healing the mind, however, takes a lot longer and tends to be an ongoing process that requires awareness. Addiction sufferers usually possess deeply entrenched behavioural problems, belief systems and perceptions that will have empowered active addiction. Rehabilitation and rehab aftercare aims to reform these belief systems, perceptions and behaviours and bring the mind, body and spirit back into a healthy balance.
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Addiction Relapse Prevention
Once you return home from rehab, you can easily cast aside all you have learned and resort to your old coping methods. But this will only result in relapse if you do. Committing to addiction aftercare is vital, which is why it is included in our comprehensive addiction treatment programme.
By attending aftercare, you will learn how to adapt to challenges on the outside without resorting to old behaviours and suffering from a relapse following addiction treatment. We will do our utmost to keep you focused on your recovery and encourage you to put it above all else. Without recovery, only addiction and a slow and painful death are ahead. This is the brutal truth of this disease.
Although it’s not your fault if you suffer from addiction, it is your responsibility to take full advantage of all the help and support you are offered and stay focused on your recovery.
Ten Benefits of an Addiction Aftercare Programme
Attending an addiction aftercare programme after residential rehab offers:
- Connections with people who will stand behind your recovery at every step.
- The opportunity to meet with your peers and like-minded people who understand the challenges you face.
- Help to build a new network of supportive and recovery-focused friends.
- Help to stay committed and focused on your recovery and living life with goals and meaningful purpose.
- An opportunity to learn from shared experiences.
- A safe and confidential space to talk about the things that are troubling you and receive feedback and solution-focused support.
- Support implementing and applying essential changes to your life that will safeguard your sobriety.
- Assistance in your continuing growth in recovery.
- Professional guidance and direction from qualified addiction counsellors.
- Help to maintain complete abstinence from alcohol and all mood and mind-altering drugs and behaviours.
What Is Addiction Rehab Aftercare?
Step By Step Recovery holds weekly in-house rehab aftercare sessions at the Lighthouse rehab clinic in Essex. A qualified therapist facilitates sessions. During the session, you will have the opportunity to discuss anything troubling you. You will receive solution-focused feedback. The therapist and peers will also share their own relevant experiences and challenges, and explain how they overcame them using the tools of recovery.
Our addiction aftercare programme is completely solution-focused and aims to:
- Motivate you in your recovery
- Inspire personal growth
- Help you find your own answers.
- Guide you in your recovery and relationships with others
- Foster behaviours and beliefs that are helpful to your recovery
- Show you how to reduce stress and resolve conflict healthily.
- Educate you on how to use the recovery tools in your everyday life.
Our rehab aftercare is an extension of the intensive treatment delivered by our residential rehab facility in Essex. At Step by Step, our commitment to your recovery doesn’t change after you leave rehab. Our rehab aftercare is tailored to your personal treatment requirements. We are also available to support you over the phone to help you to stay focused and avoid relapse.
We will do everything possible to provide you with continuity of care and ongoing reinforcement whenever you need it. We make it our mission to ensure you succeed in your recovery and never experience the pain and misery of active alcoholism or addiction again.
One-to-One Rehab Aftercare Counselling
We know that not everyone can stay with us for as long as they would like to or need to; this is why Step by Step Recovery also offers one-to-one aftercare counselling, available at an additional cost. Although this treatment is not free, it is particularly beneficial to those who feel uncomfortable discussing their problems in a group environment. This service is available to anyone requiring more intensive therapy – the whole session is dedicated to your individual treatment needs.
Step By Step Recovery strongly advocates our addiction aftercare following residential rehab. This is an integral part of ongoing rehabilitation and helps to safeguard you against relapse. If you would like to know anything else about our rehab aftercare service, please do not hesitate to call and speak to a member of our team, who will be happy to answer any questions.
At Step by Step Recovery, we want to help individuals live a life free from addiction permanently. Please complete our online assessment form or call our free phone number on 0800 170 1222 for free, confidential advice or to discuss addiction treatment in London or at our residential rehab in Essex for yourself or a loved one.
Page revised in March 2023, by Danielle Byatt, a Level 4 addictions counselling, Level 5 in Leadership & Management, BA applied social work. and Treatment Director at Step by Step Recovery.
Why choose Step by Step?
- Fully Residential
- Around-the-clock care
- Medical detox unit
- Extended family support
- After care support service
- Nutritional food cooked by our chefs
- Outstanding quality of care
- Highly experienced team