For most people, rehab is only the beginning. While a few are lucky enough to do well without post-rehab care, most others who complete residential or outpatient programs for substance use disorder will require months or years of additional therapy and counseling.
Regardless if individuals do have access to continuing care, most will find staying on the path to recovery to be quite challenging. This is especially true for patients with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring psychiatric conditions.
Co-occurring mental health issues are quite common among people with substance use disorder, and these often a primary reason for substance misuse. If contributory mental health conditions are left unaddressed, there is an increased chance of relapse, even years after an individual has recovered from a substance use disorder. Unfortunately, many common mental health conditions will require patient-specific lifetime care to mitigate.
For these reasons, dual diagnosis treatment centers in Dallas will often have individuals try a range of supplemental therapies alongside their standard therapy and counseling. These supplemental activities may not only help recovering individuals with cravings but also help them to better cope with their mental health issues in a constructive way.
Here are some of the post-rehab activities often recommended by clinicians for people with a dual diagnosis:
1) Community work
Doing positive work for the community not only helps patients relearn social skills that may have deteriorated because of their illness, but it can also bring a new sense of purpose, helping them commit to recovery. Community work can be anything, from taking care of other people with substance use issues to offering one’s unique skills to a preferred charity or nonprofit.
2) Keeping a pet
While people should not get pets so casually, having one can be a good way to help a recovering individual relearn responsibility. When properly cared for, pets can also offer love and support, which can be a great help in preventing serious relapses from happening.
3) Moderate exercise
Exercise is a well-worn tool in the substance rehab toolkit. It can help bleed off anxious energy, give a pleasant natural high, and help rebuild the confidence needed to become more active in mainstream society. Regular exercise can also be a contemplative mental activity that helps the individual reflect and better understand what they learned in rehab.
4) Yoga
Contrary to popular belief, yoga can be as strenuous an exercise as one wants it to be. However, the artform is also very welcoming for people of modest physical capabilities. Most approaches to yoga also tend to be more introspective than those of other types of exercise, which can aid in the individual’s self-examination — an important part of continuing cognitive-behavioral therapy.
5) Learning a musical instrument
Learning a new musical instrument can give the recovering individual something else to focus on as their brain continues to recover. The great thing about getting into something fairly challenging like learning a new musical instrument is that it also encourages the growth of new connections in the brain, which may help the individual recover faster from their substance use disorder.
6) Getting into a new hobby
People recovering from substance use disorder, particularly those that have a dual diagnosis, may benefit from having some kind of wholesome, productive, and pleasant distraction to keep their minds off drugs and alcohol.
Whether it’s poetry, gardening, cooking, or whatever other activity, hobbies can keep the brain stimulated and help keep people busy throughout the early stages of their recovery. Having a hobby can also help individuals connect with others who have the same interests, which can help them form new bonds separate from the ones that enabled negative behavior.
7) Finding a new means of self-expression
Expressive art therapy has long been used as a supplemental treatment for people with substance use disorders and other mental health issues. While not a magic bullet for mental health problems, getting into visual arts, dance, music, and other artforms that help one to express themselves can help with anxiety symptoms, which often contribute to continued substance use. It may even help patients achieve breakthroughs in understanding how their mind works.
Conclusion
Recovery from a dual diagnosis is a complex process that may take years of a patient’s life. However, things always get easier with time. Finding the right combination of post-rehab activities can be the key not only to a more sustainable recovery but also to a more complete and well-rounded life. This is especially important for individuals with a dual diagnosis, as the key factors that lead to substance use may remain even with access to quality mainstream treatments.
Good luck with your recovery. Be well!