Aftercare is a key component of addiction and mental health treatment for long-term recovery. It means staying in contact with a care provider and continuing treatment after one has graduated from a recovery program.

Just because you have left treatment does not mean that you are cured.

Addiction is a disease. After recovering from Cancer or any other illness, you wouldn’t stop going in for check-ups, right? This is not something that just goes away after time. Addicts will continuously struggle with sobriety for the rest of their lives. There is no quick fix or magic pill otherwise people would not be dying on a regular basis these days.

Life is stressful.

There are very few people out there that will say they have ‘no stress’. Stress is a huge trigger for addiction and mental health. Who hasn’t wanted to ‘check-out’ when anxious or worried? Vices such as drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, etc. are coping mechanisms that we use when things become difficult in our lives. Most people can use these things briefly and not let them take over their lives, but that is not the case with addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. Grounding capabilities are needed and constantly need to be retrained for those who suffer from these types of crises.

Relapse will happen in over 90% of people trying to get sober.

Yes, I said OVER 90%.

That is a terrifying truth for most everyone in recovery. The numbers are not good. One of the reasons that this number is so high is due to the lack of aftercare treatment. Up until recently, the aftercare aspect was not a requirement in treatment facilities. Those of us who work in this industry know how bad the odds are without a lot of support. People are dying at 3 times the rate that they were before the pandemic. Fentanyl and Fentanyl laced drugs have become an overwhelming cause of death in addicts recently.

If you or a loved one are not receiving the aftercare that you need, please reach out to Tarzana Recovery Center or NoHo Recovery so we can find the right care for you. Our experienced team of professionals will provide you with the best resources for your situation.