Thousands of people seek out rehabilitation and detox in San Diego every year because a professional rehab can offer people the psychological skills and medical support to overcome their addiction. Residential detox and rehab can offer a community of support, certain luxuries, and benefits that you wouldn’t find in your local community or amongst your traditional support network. An echo-chamber of positivity, however, doesn’t foster the right mentality for recovery. Rather, long-term recovery often means developing a number of skills to not only identify the sources of addiction but also how to transition out of rehab, back into the very environment where you first became addicted.
How Rehab Prepares You to Get Out of Rehab
The world doesn’t change while you’re in rehab. The elements of your life that may have encouraged you to rely on drugs and alcohol will still be in place until you develop the inner strength and fortitude to overcome or change them. Outside the comforts of a rehab facility, you will not have around the clock support and while you may have providers to help you, there are no doctors, nurses, or staff dedicated to your care 24 hours per day to make sure you stay abstinent. The responsibility has to shift back to you as you reclaim your independence from drugs and alcohol. Rehab prepares residents for this in one of three ways: establishing an internal locus of control, providing therapy tools, and building your recovery network.
Dependencies and Locus of Control
In behavioral health, there is a term called a Locus of Control (LOC). In less technical terms, the LOC is whether we feel that our life is controlled by outside forces, such as family, government, or social circles, or whether we feel responsible for the outcomes of our own lives. A large part of rehab focuses on developing an internal LOC and helping you feel comfortable and confident in making consistent positive changes to your life that will encourage recovery from addiction.
When we’re dependent on a substance our LOC is focused on the factors that provide us with that substance. If we can’t find or afford a hit, it can trigger stress, frustration, and a number of other negative emotions. If our LOC is internalized, however, we can manage our own emotions, monitor our feelings, and make smart decisions independent of physical cravings.
The Transition Out of Rehab
Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are essential tools for managing our own cravings as we exit a rehab and recovery program. Mindfulness is the ability to be present and to accept yourself as you are, with all the emotions, the physical pains, cravings, and thoughts that come with addiction and the human condition. CBT, is a therapeutic process that can be done on your own or supervised, that helps you interpret the many messages your body is sending you. Through sore muscles, cravings, nausea, and a host of other experiences, your body is reacting to chemical changes. Understanding these imbalances, and being able to process them calmly is essential in managing cravings and abstinence.
Lastly, AToN Center promotes the use of community support programs such as, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery, and Life Ring. Alumni find that developing sober support networks post-recovery is critical to their success. Support networks can provide accountability, dependence, and guidance when you need it most.
If you’re in the San Diego area and considering rehab, we strongly encourage you to call us directly at (888) 535-1516 to find out more information.
