For anyone seeking freedom from addiction, entering treatment is a powerful first step, but it’s only that, the first step. It is not the finish line. Real recovery happens day by day, long after you or your loved one completes a program.
Whether you’ve just finished PHP treatment in NJ or are currently attending an NJ IOP, what comes next can make all the difference in staying sober, rebuilding your life, and preventing relapse.
Aftercare planning isn’t a formality, it’s your roadmap to success. Without one, it’s easy to lose direction.
In this article, Tribe Intensive explores how to prepare for life after treatment and offer practical, proven steps to help you build a strong, fulfilling recovery long after you leave a structured treatment environment.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Foundations for Success
PHP and IOP programs are designed to get those addicted to drugs through the worst of their detoxification process as well as learn the foundations for a sober life. These foundations can include therapy, group sessions, psychiatric care, skill building, and learning healthy recreation strategies among others.
What is a PHP?
PHP stands for Partial Hospitalization Program. In terms of “levels” of care within drug and alcohol treatment centers, it is the highest level of outpatient treatment offered. Outpatient means patients are not living full-time in a residential facility.
In New Jersey for example, PHP’s usually meet five to seven days a week for up to eight hours a day. Participants also often live in sober living housing during this time as well, often separate from the facility they are being treated in.
What is an IOP?
IOP stands for Intensive Outpatient Program. It is one step down from a PHP when it comes to outpatient care. If a PHP is a full time job, these are more akin to part time jobs, with treatment taking place for 3-4 hours multiple days a week. This allows for patients to still attend work, school, or other activities of daily life with less disruption.
Both of these outpatient programs serve not simply to get patients over the initial hump of quitting drugs or alcohol. They are designed specifically to help patients build new habits and thought processes for living a drug free life for years to come.
Aftercare: Relapse Prevention in NJ
Finishing one of the programs above is an immense accomplishment. But life after these programs brings new challenges. Staying sober is not simply a matter of luck and willpower, but of planning.
This planning, called “aftercare planning”, is essential in making sure the hard work done in outpatient programs sticks over time. Some key components include:
Follow your Discharge Plan
At the end of your PHP or IOP, your treatment team will give you a discharge plan. This is a personalized guide to making your sobriety work and maintaining your progress. This plan may include recommendations for sober living, support group schedules, therapists appointments, and other relapse prevention strategies.
It is always best to follow this plan as closely as possible.
Consider Continued Outpatient Treatment
You may also wish to consider a lower level of outpatient therapy. This might include some kind of weekly and monthly counseling, group sessions, family work and treatment for co-occurring disorders such as mental health issues.
Enrolling in continued outpatient treatment can allow you to process deeper trauma that may be contributing to your addiction, deal with life stressors, and stay connected to professional support in a semi structured manner.
Sober Living
Sober living homes are one of the best tools for staying safe long term. These group homes help relieve some of the stresses and temptations to use again in a supportive but casual environment. In these homes you are surrounded by others in recovery, have high accountability, and help to avoid boredom and loneliness.
Many people choose to live in sober living situations during outpatient treatment, and some choose to live in these homes for months or years afterward.
Beware of Idle Hands
As the saying goes, idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Keeping busy after treatment is the key to staying sober. After weeks or months or scheduled days in treatment, you may find yourself with a lot of time. It’s best to fill this time with positive activities such as exercise, volunteer work, school, hobbies, and explorations of new sober activities.
Your PHP or IOP will help you learn what activities may be best for you. It’s up to you to stick with them after treatment.
Avoid Triggers
For many people, just understanding what to do on a Friday night can be a challenge as previously this time was filled with drugs or alcohol and influences that were less than positive. Avoiding triggers as simple as avoiding certain neighborhoods or people is essential to staying sober.
Your outpatient treatment and therapy will help you identify what these triggers may be. Aftercare is the time to put them into practice.
Don’t Isolate
For some, after drug or alcohol treatment the tendency can be to isolate oneself from the outside world. This is a natural reaction, as the outside brings temptation and can bring pain. However, addiction thrives in isolation. But recovery thrives in connection.
Finding connection with sober living housemates, sober friends, in a faith community, in sober groups, with supportive family members, and more can make the difference in staying sober and relapsing.
Pursue New Healthy and Positive Influences and Friendships
For many in recovery, one of the most difficult parts of remaining sober is building new friendship and mentorship circles. Reassessing relationships can be hard, but supporting yourself with people who support your recovery will make success that much more possible.
One of the hardest lessons in recovery can be learning to let go of what does not serve you and your sobriety. Building a new group of friends and a supportive community is the antidote.
One Day at a Time
It’s a simple phrase, but nonetheless one of the most powerful truths in recovery. You must take your recovery, you must take your life, just one day at a time. Mountains may seem daunting to climb, but are nonetheless climbed with one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. Staying present in the moment will help you stay sober for good.
Remember, you are enough. You can do this. One day at a time.
You’re Just Getting Started: Tribe Intensive Can Help
Completing your outpatient drug treatment in New Jersey is a huge step. The next is staying sober among the greater world outside. A good IOP or PHP program can help set you up for success.
If you’re looking for this success for yourself or a loved one, give us a call at (856) 666-2484
We can help you both during the outpatient process and set you up for a continued lifetime of success.
