Relapsing is a severe worry for those who have dedicated themselves to overcoming addiction. Sadly, relapse is not always easy to avoid, and sometimes it can be difficult for family and friends supporting you to know what they should or shouldn’t do during that time. Creating an aftercare plan ensures you are well prepared to cope with relapse and reduces potential danger in your recovery. These are some of the things to help you make an aftercare plan.
Identify Your Fears
What are you most afraid of if you relapse? Do you worry that you might start taking your old drugs again? Do you think that it will be hard to get back up again? In order to make a successful aftercare plan, it is crucial to identify what is most worrisome to you so that you can take the proper steps to prevent any relapses. Knowing and understanding your fears will make it easier to create a plan to help you overcome them. In the end, you will realize that your fears were based on nothing and that you are ready to take on a new phase of life once you can address your fears correctly by creating a plan.
Identify Your Strengths
Most people with an addiction have more than one fear, so knowing what you are good at and what scares you is essential. When making your aftercare plan, try to write down what you are good at and what you do well. If there are any hobbies or talents that can help you through your relapse and recovery, try to write those down as well. During those hard times, you will fall back to your core skills, which will help you reconnect and deal with the issues that got you addicted in the first place.
Identify Boundaries
Boundaries are the lines you draw in your aftercare plan that tell others what they can or cannot do while you are recovering. They are also essential to protect your privacy. Your aftercare plan should have at least three sections a section for yourself, a section for your family, and a section for your friends. These boundaries will ensure that everyone is trusted and respected.
Identify Your Support Network
It is not just about family. It also includes all of your friends, those who care about you, and those who want to see you succeed. As you write down your support network, remember to include doctors and therapists as well as friends or family members who can provide emotional support or have experience supporting an addict during recovery. Everyone plays a vital role in your recovery, especially family and friends.
Identify Your Plan for the Future
Once you have written down all these things, you need to figure out your plan for returning to a normal life. It can be the hardest part of an aftercare plan because there are no rules on what should happen when you are back on track, and there is no way to know how long it will take. That’s why it’s crucial to have a plan that keeps you motivated throughout your recovery. Looking into the future and writing down your hopes can help you stay on track and get your life back on the right path.
Identify Triggers
One of the biggest struggles in overcoming an addiction is dealing with triggers that cause cravings and urges to relapse. Knowing your triggers makes it easier to avoid them and resist their influence when they come around. Try writing down a list of things you know trigger relapses. It will help you to prepare for the relapses and make them easier to deal with when they occur. In conclusion, creating an aftercare plan is vital in recovering from an addiction. Knowing your fears, strengths, boundaries, support network, and intentions, you can create a recovery plan that works best for you. The road to recovery is long and complex, but you can start taking steps in the right direction by making a plan. Creating an aftercare plan is about having faith in yourself and believing you will succeed. To get help making an aftercare plan, call 833-497-3812.