Addiction Aftercare Research Paper

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Addiction Aftercare Akron What is addiction aftercare? Addiction aftercare is a post-treatment program of support and guidance provided to recovering addicts. Addiction aftercare is an essential part of any treatment plan, conceived to be a transitioning tool for the patient. The most difficult part of recovery begins when returning home and re-entering social and community spheres. Addiction aftercare offers support groups, counseling, follow-up meetings, and provides opportunity for the recovering addict to continue to learn new relapse prevention techniques, and new tools to develop and evolve coping strategies. Statistics: • Recovering addicts who attend therapy, 12-step meetings, and an aftercare program regularly are significantly less…show more content…
Programs offered include: Individual therapy – On-on-one counseling sessions to discuss any difficulties, triggers, cravings and urges, family dynamics, life changes, feelings of depression, anxiety, and continuing relapse prevention. Group therapy sessions – Peer group sessions that entail open discussion, reinforce coping strategies, share experiences, provide emotional support, and create a sense of community. NA or AA meetings – The recovering addict is encouraged to community AA or NA meetings. These 12-step meetings should become a part of the recovering addict’s life-long plan of recovery. Getting a sponsor is also suggested. Family counseling and education – Continued family counseling, emotional support, and education is offered as needed. Employment assistance – Aftercare staff assist recovering addicts in locating employment opportunities, and offering resources for training and education if needed. Intervention – Intervention with regard to aftercare is relevant if the patient relapses into use. Aftercare and lapse management staff immediately responds to relapse situations to get the patient into immediate counseling and therapy to quickly end the relapse event before it can turn into a…show more content…
Every program of treatment will talk about relapse prevention. Treatment centers educate and introduce the addict to the tools and training needed to recognize stressful situations, triggers, when environments are detrimental to their sobriety, and how to diffuse these stressors and triggers. Aftercare then builds upon these tools, constantly reinforcing appropriate behaviors and actions that will help the patient maintain their recovery status. Intervention: An intervention is a planned meeting, initiated by friends and family who are concerned about the addict’s health, actions, and emotional and psychological well-being. The addict is unaware of the meeting beforehand, and the intervention is likely to become confrontational. The ideal goal in intervention is acceptance by the addict that he or she needs help and an agreement to enter treatment. Interventions of this type are called direct interventions. Direct interventions are most often formal interventions due to the planning, set time and date, and inviting friends, loved ones, and others close to the individual to participate. An informal intervention is unplanned, and is more of an opportunity to have a conversation with a friend or loved one that is having problems with

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