Why Moving After Rehab Might Be Good for You
Struggling with an alcohol or drug addiction is one of the most difficult conditions for a person's physical and emotional well-being. Getting sober or off of narcotics is a challenging and life-changing process that usually demands complete devotion, strong will-power, and in most cases, requires spending some time in a rehabilitation center. Getting your life back together after rehab can be tough since you have to start thinking about making comprehensive changes in your life. For this reason, we have written this short article on why moving after rehab might be good for you.
Essentially, going to rehab is a great way to turn the page finally. This event should be considered a foundation for the beginning of an entirely different lifestyle. Essentially, you have to be mindful of the fact that setting down the foundation does not mean that the house is built. This means that the battle in which you finally take control of your life starts after rehab when you leave your comfort zone and go back to the reality that brought about your addiction problem.
What happens after rehab?
So, you must have clear expectations about what your life may look like after rehab. After rehab, the relapse rate is alarmingly high for people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. This means that going to rehab is only one step on the road to recovery. Rehab is not, unfortunately, a panacea for problems with addiction.
The skills and counseling you received in rehab should give you the strength to make a fresh start.
Why do people relapse after rehab?
Many behavioral and situational factors lead to relapse even after professional consultations and treatment at the rehab clinic. Working on revitalizing your liver after long-term alcohol abuse is one thing, but working on your motivation and will to bury your old habits requires more than a few weeks at the clinic. This is especially difficult when you go back home and stand face to face with the fact that it was this environment that was one of the biggest causes of your problems with addiction.
Unfortunately, this realization is an inextricable part of your post-rehab life. All the demons you had temporarily escaped from might come back stronger than ever to haunt you and tempt you to return to your old ways.
All of the physical and emotional progress you have made in rehab might give way to the temptation to escape back into drug or alcohol abuse. Once you return to the world in which your problem started or proliferated, all of the moral and practical support and guidance that you’ve received in rehab might be insufficient to help you remain clean.
Going to rehab is the first step in the process of recovering from drug or alcohol addiction.
For this reason, many specialists working with addicts suggest moving to a different neighborhood or city as a way to curb the seductive call of addiction. In essence, physically removing yourself from the presence of negative influences in your surroundings allows you to see your situation from a different perspective.
Why moving after rehab might be good for you and your outlook on life?
Many people find that resisting the urge to relapse is much more realistic and manageable when you relocate to an entirely new environment. Moving to a place far away from constant reminders gives you a chance to ruminate on your old habits and work on redefining who you are. Remodeling your outlook on life is a much easier process when you can preoccupy yourself with something as simple as remodeling your new bathroom.
For this reason, be sure to figure out which way is the best to move to a new home. Do you need help from professional movers? Or you can DIY the whole thing? Planning how to transport your belongings to your new place in the first few weeks after rehab is a great way to distract you from the harmful influences and relationships that probably linger on in your old neighborhood. The key to recovering from addiction lies in finding the strength and motivation to resist both physical and emotional cravings that are part of your addiction.
Admittedly, the prospect of moving into the unknown can seem terrifying, especially after you return from rehab with a constant feeling of shame and vulnerability. Addicts often feel that moving away will indicate that they are too weak to face their addiction. However, it is precisely this misconception that can cause them to relapse.
Finding the motivation to resist addiction after rehab
The key to recovering from addiction lies in finding the strength and motivation to resist both physical and emotional cravings that are part of your addiction. This is a challenging task but a necessary one.
Recovering individuals often relapse precisely because their old environment and old routines tempt them. It is also crucial to recognize that these negative influences can be very subtle and seemingly insignificant. Unfortunately, they are enough to trigger the return to the old coping mechanisms, which most often involves returning to substance abuse.
Staying sober is more difficult when you return to your old life after rehab.
However, you must keep in mind that when there is a will, there is a way. Living in your old home can make moving on with a different mindset extremely difficult. Addiction is a mental disease, and battling this disease requires setting a new foundation upon which you can build your strength, commit to new routines, and leave your old patterns of behavior behind you.
Therefore, moving after rehab might be good for you in that you will be able to work your motivation to escape addiction. A fresh start offers plenty of chances for you to find new interests and forget your old life. So, with a little courage and a proper mindset, you will surely find your place in the sun after you move away from the surroundings that have taken such a toll on your life.