Just because detox is over doesn’t mean your recovery is guaranteed. While making it through the withdrawal process is surely a feat to be proud of, other obstacles are sure to come up, making continuing treatment essential to long-term success in sobriety.

In this article, we’ll explain the reasons to commit to all levels of care, plus the benefits you can experience when you invest in your wellbeing through treatment.

Committing to care

Long-term care is a big commitment to make, and the idea of continuing services for months or years can feel overwhelming. The dedication is well worth it though. When you start to care, services are generally more intense. As you complete detox or inpatient services, each level afterward becomes easier and less intensive.

Staying through all levels of services also becomes more comfortable as you learn about recovery, build bonds with staff and like-minded peers and gain skills to cope in the face of distress. The longer you participate in treatment, the more mental clarity you’ll have and it will be easier to regulate your emotions.

The skills you build in treatment will affect all areas of your life, too. Not only will your recovery become more effortless, but the rest of your life will also follow suit. Gains in treatment will correspond to gains in your career, your relationships and your happiness.

Benefits of long-term care

Long-term care can improve your interpersonal skills. While much of your treatment may happen one-on-one with a counselor or therapist, the relationship you build will be reflected in all of your interactions outside of treatment. In sessions, you’ll focus on self-awareness, emotional regulation and self-soothing. These skills will carry over to job interviews, making new friends and repairing relationships with family. 

Another major pro of long-term treatment is the dedication your friends and family are likely to notice. Sticking with care shows your loved ones that you’ve made necessary changes and are serious about your recovery. This allows for a new foundation of trust with all of them.

Long-term care can also help you build a life you can be proud of. You’ll be able to hold jobs you couldn’t while you were struggling with addiction. You can begin to invest in your future when you’re not wasting money on drugs and alcohol. You may decide to buy a house or pursue higher education with your financial freedom.

The best chance for recovery

According to the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, long-term care is linked to greater chances of life-long recovery from substances. The National Institute on Drug Abuse also states that remaining in substance use treatment for an adequate length of time is crucial to successful recovery. You owe it to yourself to make the commitment to staying through all levels of care.

Quick access to help

Recovery is a life-long process and triggers can pop up at any time, even if you’ve been sober for decades. When you participate in continued care you’ll have quick access to the aid you need. Professional support is only a phone call away, and many services can make accommodations when clients need additional sessions during stressful times.

Moreover, when you work with the same addiction counselor or therapist for several years, you’ll have the most personalized help available. A solid relationship built on a foundation of trust is something that grows with years of treatment and can be a major asset against relapse.

You reap the benefits

Struggling with addiction wears away at your personality and self-esteem. When drugs or alcohol have stolen away the best of your life, the best way to restore it is to put in the work in long-term treatment to get your best life back.

While your family, your therapist and others in your life may be urging you to work towards sobriety, the one who benefits most at the end of the day is you. You’ll feel better, look better and have greater success in relationships, your career and daily life. 

Taking the time to heal

Recovery doesn’t happen overnight, and although completing detox is one of the most difficult steps in a person’s journey to recovery, it doesn’t end there. Continuing through all levels of care can offer you the best shot at the life you’ve always wanted. Protect your progress toward sobriety and commit to all levels of care.

Pyramid Healthcare offers services for individuals struggling with addictions and mental illness, as well as support for their families. Staying past detox and into the next phases of treatment is essential, and Pyramid Healthcare can walk with you. Call 888-694-9996 today to schedule an appointment.