Long Term Drug Rehab - 7 Things You Need to Remember

By Ara Rubyan

Long term drug rehab can seem hopeless. But if you are someone who has just been released from a drug rehab program, there are some things you need to do to make sure your recovery stays on track.  

Here are some things you need to do to continue to be successful in long term drug rehab:

1. Your Counselor is Your Friend By engaging in outpatient counseling treatment, you increase your chances that your recovery will be permanent. Listen to your therapist or counselor: they are there to help you stay focused on long term drug rehab success.
2. Take Your Time Long term drug rehab means that your recovery doesn't happen overnight. You will have plenty of thoughts about alcohol and drugs. You simply must recognize and accept that you have to take each day -- each hour -- as it comes. There are no shortcuts. Think of long term drug rehab as a process that is time-consuming but rewarding.
3. Stay Busy Many former addicts find that it is all too easy to slip back into old habits. So fight that urge and stay physically active. Get yourself out of the old way of doing things. Find new activities and interests. Seek out new acquaintances who are positive and successful. Stay busy and avoid getting bored. Try not to be alone a lot of the time.
4. Progress is Measured One Step at a Time It's true that success is defined as steady progress toward a worthy goal. Long term drug rehab works the same way. You may find that if you can stay focused on recovery one day -- or half day -- at a time, you can be successful. Sometimes it might even be one-quarter of a day, or even one hour, at a time. Be aware of your frustration level and fight it one minute at a time if necessary. Staying sober is hard but you can make it one inch at a time if necessary.
5. Develop New Habits Long term drug rehab involves examining at all your behaviors, including the ones that make it easy to abuse drugs. What this means is that one set of habits reinforces another. When you remove one habit (drugs) you find that others are displaced as well (associating with certain friends, for example). What will you do now if you are no longer hanging with the same old crowd, doing drugs? If you can find new friends, new activities to engage in, you will find that your long term drug rehab will be more successful.
6. Build Yourself a Support System You might think that you cannot tell your family or close friends about your long term drug rehab challenges. But the opposite is true: you must rely on them to give you the emotional support you need to successfully recover.
7. Be Persistent You'll have plenty of temptation to give up and throw in the towel. But don't give in and don't give up. It really works when you are faced with long term drug rehab. Don't beat yourself up for making the mistake. Simply move on and keep going. No matter how frustrated you get, you don't want to ever give up or give in. The difference between winning and losing is sometimes simply being the last one standing.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help you get through long term drug rehab successfully. Surround yourself with positive role models and stay with it. You will find that you will be successful in the long run.

For more info on long term drug rehab [http://www.drugrehabchoices.com/2008/05/long-term-drug-rehab/], visit Ara Rubyan's Drug Rehab Choices [http://www.drugrehabchoices.com/] blog.

Ara Rubyan isn't a doctor or a counselor. Instead, he is like you: a consumer who has tried to educate himself on the full range of drug rehab choices available today. Now, he's put all his research (so far) in one convenient location and he's sharing it with you, no strings attached. Visit his website. You'll find:

• Lots of articles on various drug rehab topics;
• Videos;
• Interactive polls;
• Latest news on drug rehab resources;
• Your questions, answers and suggestions.

As always, consult a qualified professional when looking for drug rehab. In the meantime, go on over to Drug Rehab Choices http://www.drugrehabchoices.com/ and have a look.

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