adapting to a sober life while in outpatient addiction treatment

8/13/2019 Adapting to a Sober Life While in Outpatient Addiction Treatment

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Adapting To A Sober Life While InOutpatient Addiction TreatmentOutpatient drug and alcohol programs are designed to allowindividuals to remain in a real world environment whilbeneting from a structured therapeutic program. Outpatien

programs and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) are parof the continuum of care that recovering substance users catake advantage of as they break their physical, habitual, andpsychological dependence on drugs or alcohol.

There are three ways that a person can enter an IOP:

Entry point into substance abuse treatment:After an evaluation, clinicians recognize that individualswould benet most from an Intensive Outpatient

Program as their rst step towards recovery.

Step down in continuum of care: Clients aretransitioning from a program with a higher degree ofintensity, namely a residential inpatient program.

Step up in continuum of care:Clients are referredto an IOP after an unsuccessful attempt at anoutpatient or community care program.


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Goals of Outpatient AddictionServicesWhile specic program goals may differ, the main goals of alloutpatient programs are to achieve:

Abstinence/sobriety

Behavioral changes to support sober living

Participation in community support groups

Meeting fundamental needs andobligations (housing, employment, probationrequirements, etc.)

Developing a positive support network

Improvement in problem-solving and copingskills


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Transitioning from a Residential ProgramShifting from a residential inpatient program to an outpatient program represents a moreextreme change than if the outpatient program is the entry point into treatment. Continuedtreatment is one of the most important factors for sustained recovery. However, only 1 in5 people who have gone through residential treatment continue with a recovery program.It is important for people transitioning from residential programs to outpatient recovery toquickly:

Understand and improve family dynamics:When a family member develops anaddiction, other family members may develop their own unhealthy behaviors inresponse, such as codependency, enabling, lying, sabotage, and more. Recognizingthese behaviors and actively contributing toward a healthier family dynamic will bean important part of establishing a positive home environment.

Identify and cope with high-risk situations:Moving from an inpatient to anoutpatient program will mean renewed exposure to high-risk situations. Being ableto minimize exposure to these situations will help avoid the temptation to use.However, sometimes these situations may be unavoidable, in which case an

individual will have to rely on his or her resolve, coping strategies, and support network

Develop and reach out to a positive support network: If a person feels a lack ofcontrol over a craving despite coping strategies, its important to have a system inplace for people to rely on others beyond themselves. A support network, includingfamily, recovery group members, sponsors, and even professional service providersare crucial in helping a person through recovery. It is just as important that a personfeel comfortable reaching out to his or her support network so that when the timecomes, the person will actually utilize the network.


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Changing HabitsOutpatient programs have the potential to allow for environmental triggers that can inuenceclients to relapse and begin using again. To prevent this outcome, a number of changes musttake place in a persons life and home environment.

Remove all drugs and alcohol from ahome: The rst step is to limit exposure todrugs and alcohol as much as possible. Aperson has the most control over this in hisor her home environment.

Engage the family in recovery:If someonein recovery lives with a spouse, children, orother relatives, these others will all be greatlyaffected by the changes that come with drugand alcohol addiction treatment. IntensiveOutpatient Programs should engage otherfamily members in therapy to educate themon the disease of addiction as well as createmore constructive channels of communication

within the home. Not only does this helpsupport the family member in rehab, but italso helps prevent other family membersfrom developing a drug dependence as well.

Structure personal time: Unlike in aresidential inpatient program, a personsday in an outpatient program will be largelyunstructured. In an IOP, participants will beexpected to attend program sessions 2-5 daysper week for about 4 hours at a time. The restof a persons week is up to them to organize.As individuals transition out of the programand into community support care, more andmore of their time will be freed up. This givesthem the opportunity to cultivate new hobbiesand start healthy activities that engage themand give them something to look forward toother than using.

Continuing aftercare: Addiction doesnthave a cure. There is no point where aperson will suddenly be free of addiction.Committing to a healthy life means a life ofmindful abstinence. To help adjust to this newlifestyle, it is important for people to continueaftercare. Aftercare may change over time, butit is important to carry on with it. For example,perhaps a person attends AA meetings fora few years then switches to having coffee

with a sponsor once every couple weeks andattending alumni events.


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Develop a Relapse Prevention PlaWhile relapse isnt inevitable, it remains a risk while in alcohoand drug recovery. Throughout addiction recovery, individualare faced with challenges, confusion, vulnerability, and tensionA person is at the greatest risk for relapse after leaving acut

care. To help prepare for the additional challenges a persofaces in the world rather than a sober living setting, individualshould develop a plan of action for addressing relapseIndividuals should write down:

Their feelings about abstinence and relapse Constructive ways to manage and respond to stres Strategies to manage and respond to cravings Resources available during recovery High-risk situations

Likely reasons for a relapse Warning signs of a relapse How to respond to relapse

While having a list of coping strategies and personal resourceon-hand is denitely useful, recording a persons feelings abourelapse and identifying personal reasons for and warning signof a relapse helps dene a persons perspective on where thdanger is for them. By having a more complete understandinof where a person stands with a support network, copinmethods, available recovery resources, and more, people cabetter prepare themselves for the changes that will come ovethe course of their recovery.

People in formal recovery treatment are 4 times more likely tachieve lasting sobriety than those who are not. After makinthe decision to stop using, individuals should give themselvean honest chance at recovery by seeking professional helwith overcoming their addiction.


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adapting to a sober life while in outpatient addiction treatment

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