Aftercare in Addiction Treatment is Now Online!

Since addiction is relapse-prone, aftercare is an important element in addiction treatment. It extends the treatment post-discharge and helps in relapse prevention. Now, online aftercare makes it all the more accessible for clients, wherever they might be.

Continuing care is a critical component of any good treatment program. Just prior to discharge, the clients and their counsellor prepare a Relapse Prevention Plan, which identifies the unique relapse triggers of the individual and agree on an aftercare regime that will ensure a smooth and safe transition from the rehab to home.

Aftercare is important because:

• It is a way of gradually stepping down the level of treatment, while carrying forward therapeutic care.
• It helps the client maintain sobriety.
• It is a support resource while meeting ongoing challenges in early recovery.
• It reinforces the Relapse Prevention Plan which has been worked out by the client along with his or her primary counsellor.

Aftercare is especially critical during the first few months post treatment. The client goes out from a protected environment and has to deal with family and work with a renewed perspective. Along with this he or she has to deal with potential cravings and relapse triggers that do arise in early recovery.

Aftercare is usually conducted one-on-one between the client and his or her counsellor. For therapeutic reasons, a different addiction professional may be assigned to the client for the aftercare sessions. Sometimes, family members may also be invited for the therapy sessions.

Online Aftercare – accessible anywhere

Since Hope Trust (est. 2002) gets clients from all over the world, aftercare may not be possible in-person. For this the rehab has online video after care so the client and his or her therapist can chat via Skype. This way, geography is not a limiting factor in accessing the aftercare program of Hope Trust. Thus aftercare becomes accessible and convenient – in fact, the client can reach out for support from anywhere in the world – from home, office or even a hotel room.

Rehab is not the end of treatment

Actually, a rehab is the just the beginning of a new life. A treatment facility can aid in detox and teach the tools of getting clean and sober – and this life-changing journey of continued change and progress has to be continued for the rest of the client’s life.

The therapeutic resources of a rehab should ideally be available throughout this exciting, sometimes slippery, journey. So that relapse is prevented with the help of professional support. For those who wish to continue their therapy, the aftercare program can be indefinitely extended.