Guest author, Javier Fitzgerald, writes about counseling, addiction and education. His most recent work is entitled “How Do I Become A Substance Abuse Counselor?” Making the decision to go into rehab is a huge one, and you should be commended for it. You’ve taken the first step to starting fresh and new. Still though, you must continue to attend substance abuse counselling afterwards for the following reasons:
A New World
A New WorldWhen you are in rehab, the purpose is to help you recover from whatever addiction you had. An environment is set up that is conducive to such a purpose, but when you enter back out into the real world, you do not have the same structure in place. Substance abuse counselling will help you understand how to put what you learned in rehab into practice at work, at home and in other “real world” situations.
Support Network
Furthermore, you cannot feel as though you are alone when you enter back out into the world. If you do feel immense amounts of solitude, it might be easy to slip back into your old patterns. Family members and friends might still need some time to forgive you for any wrongdoings you’ve committed in the past. As a result, of all of these mixed emotions, it’s important to have a steady support system in place to help you out. When you attend these meetings, you’ll be in a safe environment where you can discuss what you’re going through.
Making a Mistake
Now, once you are out of rehab, the hope is that you will never pick up that drug again. Sometimes, even the most strong willed of people make a mistake. In the event that this occurs, you need to speak with a substance abuse counsellor as soon as possible. Letting the problem linger only opens up the door to more issues with substance abuse. When you make the decision to talk to someone right away, you will work on figuring out why the incident happened, what made you get out of control and how the problem can be avoided again in the future to maximize your health and strength.
Hearing and Sharing
Hearing and SharingSubstance abuse counselling could be individual, but you might also be part of a group. People can be a little frightened by this situation at first, but, ultimately, it can really be an excellent experience. It’s a totally different situation when you hear a success story told from the mouth of someone who has lived through substance abuse. You can feel incredibly inspired to follow that person’s example and go on to be very happy and successful. Additionally, you’ll also have the opportunity to share your story. When you share these tales of both pain and triumph, you never know who you are affecting and inspiring to lead a better, substance abuse free life.
In Summary
Substance abuse counselling after you have left rehab is a really important part of the recovery process. No longer need you feel as though no support network exists; you can call up your counsellor to schedule an appointment when you need to. Going to these meetings is a part of following the rehab all the way through.
Bob Brotchie is a counsellor, life coach and creator of Conscious Living by Design™. He writes for Anglia Counselling, is featured on various other websites and introduces us to many guest writers all covering topics related to mental health and wellbeing.
Bob provides bespoke counselling services to clients in the privacy and comfort of a truly welcoming environment at his Anglia Counselling company office, located near Newmarket in Suffolk, England. Bob also provides professional online counselling, for local, national, and international clients. The therapeutic models offered are bespoke to the client’s needs, especially those in receipt of 'childhood emotional neglect' (CEN), whilst integrating a mindful approach to psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) principles. For clients experiencing trauma and/or phobia, Bob offers EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).