4 Tips to Stay Sober after Rehab

Becoming sober is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment and one that’s definitely worth celebrating when someone achieves it. However, staying clean after rehab is a whole new challenge. After all, rehab is basically a supported living environment and it promotes safety and comfort, which makes it easier for someone suffering from alcohol addiction to stay sober. Not only do addicts enjoy a strong foundation of security, but they also gain access to the tools they need for healing and coping with the addiction. When they are ready to move on from rehab, it can be exciting, but there is a new challenge waiting for them; learn how to navigate a new and sober lifestyle.

This is easier said than done and the first step is to recognize the fact that there will be temptations once you finally leave the rehab facility. It can be a tough transition to go from living in a supported environment to your regular life where there will be temptations. Once you have left rehab, there is a good chance that you will end up in trigger situations, which refers to situations that spark the thought of going back to your old habits. It might start off as only one glass and before you know it, you are once again drowning in alcohol addiction.

Things such as returning to your neighborhood, meeting your friends and family or even certain emotions might tempt you to go back to drinking. The key is to learn how to manage or avoid these triggers. Some of the tips that can help you stay sober after rehab are outlined below:

Have a solid support system

As mentioned above, staying sober in rehab is easier because you have a solid support system and this is exactly what you need once you go back to routine life. This means that you need to surround yourself with people who are sober or those who have your best interests at heart. Stay away from those who tell you to take a drink or wave one around in front of you to tempt you. At this point in your life, you want people who wish to see you succeed. These can be your friends or family or a support group in your area that comprises other recovering addicts.

Clean your environment

Before you return home from rehab, get in touch with a friend or family member or someone you can trust to get rid of any paraphernalia that you might have at home. It is also best if you try to avoid any of those places that might spark feelings of interest towards drinking. This means not going by any bars, pubs or even clubs as you might end up having a drink.

Go in for your appointments

There is a good chance that you will have follow-up appointments with your rehab center after you are done with your treatment program. In fact, rehabilitation centers now also use an innovative solution for remote alcohol monitoring and you need to opt for them. This allows them to check your progress and see how you are coping. Moreover, it can reduce temptations because you know there are a check and balance in place.

Set some goals for the future

Managing temptations becomes a lot easier when you have set some goals for the future. They give you a reason to stay sober and it will be easier for you to stay on track when you are aware of exactly how you can change and improve your life by not drinking.

Follow these tips as they can be immensely helpful in staying sober after rehab.