How to Adjust to Life After Rehab

It can take a while to adjust to life after rehab once you have completed a rehabilitation programme and are back at home.

Going to drug or alcohol rehab is one of the most transformative experiences, but your recovery journey doesn’t end after you leave. In many ways, it’s only just the start to a new normal.

The transition back to everyday life can be challenging, especially when surrounded by triggers and the prospect of facing old routines.

Adjusting to life after rehab takes time and self-awareness, but you must have ongoing support. This period of your recovery journey is all about building stability and applying the skills and techniques you have picked up in treatment to situations you’d find in the outside world. [1]

Below are some practical ways to make the transition from rehab to home smoother and support you in your recovery in life after rehab.

Establish a structured daily routine for life after rehab

Structure is one of the best tools you can yield in recovery after rehab.

During your time at a drug and alcohol rehab, you will likely follow a set schedule, with wake-up times, therapy sessions, meal times, group activities and rest periods. This predictable structure helps you to create a sense of balance and safety within your day.

It is important to try to maintain a similar structured day when you leave rehab. Without the structure and routine, it can be easy to get bored or stressed, which can increase the risk of relapse. [2]

5 tips for building structure and routine

To ensure structure in your everyday life, try to:

Wake up and go to bed at the same time.
Plan your meals and try to eat as healthily as possible.
Ensure you get enough exercise each day, such as having a morning walk, going to a yoga class or to the gym.
Find meaningful activities, including volunteering for a cause, studying, or returning to work when you’re ready.
Make time for resting and hobbies.

Try not to be too disappointed if every day doesn’t go exactly to plan, but having a structure in place means you have something to return to.

Build and maintain a strong support network

Recovery is not something you should try to face alone. The more people around you who can support you, the better. [3]

Your support network could include:

Close friends and family
Friends you’ve made at rehab, 12-Step meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or other online recovery communities
Therapists or counsellors

When you initially leave rehab, you may feel isolated if you’ve had to remove yourself from old social circles that enabled your substance use.

But use this as an opportunity to build new friendships and meaningful connections that can help you on your recovery journey.

Attending support groups in your local community or taking up a new hobby can help you to meet like-minded people and develop new friendships.

Identify your triggers

During rehab treatment and therapy, you should learn how to recognise your addiction triggers that make you want to use substances.

You might start to notice these in your everyday life, for example:

Visiting places where you used to use drugs or drink.
When you feel stressed.
Seeing old friends or family members who use drugs or drink.

You can’t always completely remove triggers, instead, you should create healthy coping strategies to help you deal with them.

Coping techniques might include:

Grounding or mindfulness exercises to help centre yourself.
Distraction and shifting your focus, for example, going for a walk, listening to music, or engaging in a hobby.
Speaking to a supportive friend or a helpline.
Reminding yourself of how far you’ve come and why you chose recovery.

At rehab, you will have a relapse prevention plan in place for when you leave rehab, so you must check this so you can maintain your recovery if any triggers arise.

Continue with Aftercare and Therapy Support

Aftercare is a crucial element for your recovery journey. While rehab ensures you stop addiction or dependence habits, aftercare allows you to have long-term independence once you leave treatment.

Many people find that they benefit from having ongoing therapy, group support meetings like 12-Step meetings, or other structured aftercare programmes.

These services provide a safe place to discuss any ongoing challenges you might be having after leaving rehab, and can help with reinforcing relapse prevention techniques. [4]

Types of aftercare include:

Individual, or one-to-one counselling
Group therapy
Relapse prevention planning
Family therapy
12-Step meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous

Even if you feel confident, it can still be helpful to continue therapy to ensure consistency after you leave rehab.

Focus on Physical and Mental Wellbeing

Addiction can leave a lasting impact on both your physical and mental wellbeing, so it’s important to rebuild these in recovery.

Physical health

Exercise is one of the best natural mood improvers as it releases endorphins, reducing stress and helping you to regulate your sleep. [5]

Any type of exercise can have a massive effect on your overall wellbeing, from walking and swimming to running or yoga.

Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of whole foods, fruit and vegetables will also help to improve your energy levels and general focus. You should also try to avoid consuming a lot of caffeine and sugar, as these cause spikes in anxiety, mood and concentration. [6]

Mental health

While you were at rehab, you likely came across techniques such as mindfulness. This can be great to continue after you leave rehab.

Meditation, journalling, or spending time outdoors in nature can help you manage any negative thoughts you might be thinking or emotional triggers you may be experiencing.

If you get symptoms of anxiety or depression, you should speak to your GP or therapist to ensure you have the support you need. Early support prevents these feelings from escalating and harming your recovery.

A Fresh Start: Life After Rehab

Adjusting to life after rehab can be challenging, but it provides you with the chance to create a new normal and leave your old life behind.

Recovery is an ongoing process as you rebuild your life with a new purpose. You’ve already proven your strength and resilience by completing treatment, now it’s time for you to apply what you’ve learned at rehab and continue this in your everyday life.