What Happens After Drug Detox?

Drug detox is a critical component of addiction recovery. It rids your body of the substance while safely managing your withdrawal symptoms with the guidance and supervision of medical professionals.

Detox may be the most physically intense part of recovery, but rehab and treatment are lengthy processes. You might be the most apprehensive about the discomfort that comes with drug detox. Still, once that step is over, the emotional and practical aspects of recovery begin, and they are lifelong stages.

Diverse people in a supporting group session

What Drug Detox Prepares You For

Without follow-up care, the purpose of detox becomes moot. Detox is only the first step to the rest of your addiction treatment. Both substance abuse and addiction affect the brain. Once the substance is gone via detox, the brain is still affected by the disease of addiction.

Minimizing painful withdrawal symptoms by detoxing with medical supervision in a safe facility sets you on the right path … but isn't the end by any means. 

Without continued treatment after detox, relapse and overdose become increasingly risky. Detox without further treatment is a temporary physical fix. When the problems that led to drug use in the first place aren't addressed, urges to use take over.

There is no cure for addiction, but full recovery is the closest there is. Detox itself only leads you there. 

After detox, your facility should help prepare you for life without drugs. Some behavioral therapies used to help patients include:

• Modifying attitudes and behaviors related to drug use
• Increase healthy life skills
• Continue with other forms of treatment, like medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Group therapy
• Stress management 
• Participation in a group like Narcotics Anonymous

A lot of these methods would have been discussed before or during detox. Your doctor's treatment plan likely included goals, steps you need to take to achieve those goals, and even a timeframe for reaching your goals. This will change as your recovery continues.

Options After Drug Detox

It is essential to understand that your treatment after detox is up to you. There are options that best fit your needs and lifestyle. The length of your stay in any rehab facility will depend on you and your doctor's decisions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when considering where to receive further treatment, too.

If you have a safe and stable home environment, you might benefit from outpatient care where you participate in treatment during the day and go home to your family in the evening. On the other hand, inpatient rehab and treatment would be a better option for you if you are in a dysfunctional household. For most people, a long-term treatment plan seems to produce the best results.

It is best to discuss these options with your care provider, your family, and anyone else involved in your treatment so you can make the right decision for your future.

Both options tend to be equally successful depending on your history and severity of drug use as well as any co-occurring disorders. Inpatient and outpatient rehabs offer a variety of therapies to prepare you for life after rehab.

These programs all vary, but many will focus on:

• Nutrition and exercise
• Mindfulness
• Art therapy
• Drug testing
• Group therapy
• Treatment for co-occurring disorders
• Relapse prevention

The recovery process is usually between 30 to 90 days, but as we said, the longer one stays in treatment, the more successful their recovery tends to be. The more knowledge gained, therapy received, and preparations taken, the better the odds are.

A study on residential substance abuse treatment for women showed that despite differences in treatment programs, client profiles, follow-up intervals, data collection methods, and other factors, women who spent six months or more in treatment had greater success in long-term recovery.

Maintaining Recovery After Detox

While in treatment after detox, especially inpatient treatment, there is no access to the substances you are tempted to use. However, once treatment is completed, and you are released to work on your recovery in the real world, stressors can be heightened.

Throughout drug treatment and rehab, you'll learn methods for eating healthily, exercising, and communicating. Living a balanced life is an integral part of remaining in recovery after detox and treatment.

You will need to avoid people or places that trigger you to use. Building healthier habits will help you stay busy while being creative or productive. Attending support meetings and continuing with counseling is another crucial aspect of remaining in recovery. 

It isn't just about sobriety but committing to all the other coping mechanisms and therapies you learned during treatment. Applying what you've learned to real life situations will help you improve your confidence and continue your motivation in recovery.

The more fulfilling your life is without drugs, the less likely you will feel the need to use them. Recovery is a lifelong process but continuing to focus on your sobriety and mental health will improve your odds.

Drug Detox Is The Critical First Stage Of Recovery

It is the start of your journey to sobriety, but without follow-up care, it often leads to relapse. The therapies and treatments that take place after detox may not be as physically intensive but are just as important, if not more so. The things you learn during rehab motivate you to stay sober and keep working on yourself.

Working through trauma, understanding your addiction, and learning coping mechanisms push you forward in your journey to recovery. Recovery is about more than not using drugs but learning how to live without them and find a new focus in your life. Being a functioning and happy member of society starts with detox but ends with you.

At DetoxNearMe.com, we are here for you every step of the way. Let us help you begin your journey to recovery with the right detox center now. Start searching on DetoxNearMe.com today!