Addiction doesn’t end once people get out of rehab. Unfortunately, recovery is a lifelong battle. Thankfully, this battle gets easier with the right coping skills. In order to make a smooth transition from rehab to home, they must participate in discharge planning.

What Is Discharge Planning?

discharge planning from rehabBefore getting into the ins and outs of discharge planning, people need to know what it is. The name says it all. It’s a program that helps people plan or prepare for their release from rehab. With proper planning, the transition from the rehab center to the outside world is less stressful.

Why Do People Need to Plan for Discharge?

It’s common for people to think that switching from rehab to home life is easy. In fact, they believe that they’ll experience nothing but joy when they get out of rehab. While that’s true on some level, a lot of stress and anxiety can accompany their release.

While living at a rehab facility, people have access to 24-hour support. They lose this level of support when they leave and are thrown back into the world or situation that led to addiction in the first place.

Oftentimes, the fear of relapse causes so much stress that people end up relapsing. Stress, anxiety, and fear are some of the most common reasons why people relapse. However, discharge planning from rehab can limit their anxiety and prepare them for everyday life.

What Does Planning for Discharge Involve?

The first step of discharge planning is actually planning for release. While this step may sound like a no-brainer, some people put off the planning part until the last minute. The planning involves not only them getting out of rehab but also their family providing support. The last week of rehab needs to include meetings with family members and rehab staff to prepare for discharge day.

During the planning phase, the rehab staff generally proposes a few discharge plans. It’s up to the family and those in recovery to carefully review these plans and choose one. The goal is to make sure that the discharge plan is safe and viable.

However, why does the family have to get involved with discharge planning from rehab? One reason is because they need to assess and evaluate the home before release. Removing triggers and temptations from the house is important. As time passes, people learn to handle triggers, but it’s a slippery slope to deal with when they initially return.

Next, those in recovery set a time and place to join support group meetings. In order to continue to enjoy drug-free lives, they need support from like-minded people.

However, the best case is that the rehab center has an aftercare program. Such a program continues to offer support long after treatment ends. This extra support helps people avoid relapse as they adjust to living on their own. After all, they’re more likely to relapse within the first few weeks following discharge.

Pillars Recovery Can Help With Planning Your Discharge

At Pillars Recovery, we don’t just want you to have a successful rehab stay. We also want you to continue that success long after treatment. For that reason, we offer discharge planning for all of our clients. Together, we can create a better tomorrow for you.

Beyond discharge planning from rehab, we have several programs that teach you how to manage addiction. We’ll create a custom treatment plan that puts your needs first. To that end, your plan at Pillars Recovery may include services such as:

Don’t let your addiction recovery end with your rehab program. Let us help you prepare for the future with discharge planning. Reach out to Pillars Recovery at 866-782-0247 to learn more.