Continuing Care/Recovery Management service is used as a lower level of continuing care available for clients who have completed the residential or intensive outpatient programs (IOP). Continuing Care/Recovery Management focuses primarily on relapse prevention and the maintenance of a comprehensive recovery program, not just abstinence. This service would also be appropriate for someone at risk for returning to substance use, who may be in need of a “refresher” in order to get their recovery efforts back on track.
In an ideal world, a person could go through treatment for a substance use disorder one time and be fully assured that they were cured forever. But unfortunately, none of us lives in a perfect world—and so we are left to face the reality that a substance use disorder is a disease without a cure.
While it is certainly the case that substance use disorders can be effectively managed, they cannot be wholly eradicated. That means the danger of relapse is ever-present.
To deal with that danger, it can be extremely useful to have access to a system of support that can encourage a person in recovery to keep putting one foot in front of the other on their continuing journey. Temptations, cravings, stressors, and more can trip up a person in recovery if they are not prepared to handled challenges in a healthy and sustainable way. Even with the best of intentions, it is possible to let good habits slide and find oneself sorely tempted to return to drugs or alcohol.
Waypoint Recovery Center’s continuing care/recovery management service is designed to help those in recovery stick with sobriety in those moments when it might seem hard to do. These services are available to clients who have completed Waypoint’s residential treatment program or the intensive outpatient program (IOP).
While the continuing care/recovery management program is not as intensive as other Waypoint programs, it is still an excellent resource. The primary focus is on relapse prevention and the maintenance of a comprehensive recovery program—by which we mean an approach to recovery that takes into account the mind, the body, and the spirit and supports overall wellbeing. That holistic approach to recovery tends to be far more effective than a singular focus on abstinence from drugs or alcohol.
The truth is that it can be easy for a person to leave inpatient treatment or the intensive outpatient program with either a sense of overconfidence or a sense that treatment should be completely finished even it has not led to a sense of confidence about the future.
In the first instance, the person in question might be experiencing what is sometimes called the “pink cloud” effective—a feeling that all is right in the world and that they are not in danger of relapse because they feel happy and sobriety seems nothing short of amazing. But the pink cloud effect is nearly always temporary, and it can quickly be replaced by negative emotions and a desire to take up drug or alcohol use again.
In the second case, a person might convince themselves that they simply must make it on their own. They have been through detox and rehab and intensive outpatient treatment and so they feel strongly that they should be able to move forward on their own two feet without any additional help. But the fact of the matter is that maintaining sobriety is seldom a solo activity. A network of steadfast support is a key aspect of a successful recovery journey.
Our continuing care/recovery management services are perfect for those who find themselves at risk for returning to substance use (perhaps in the aftermath of experiencing the “pink cloud” or due to some other challenge) or who may be in need of a refresher in order to shore up their recovery efforts. As is true of all of the services at Waypoint Recovery Center, the continuing care/recovery management program is grounded in evidence-based approaches to recovery.
At Waypoint Recovery Center, we are wholly focused on supporting those who need help reclaiming and maintaining their sobriety. We pride ourselves on offering continuing care that is free from judgment and grounded in compassion and expertise.
