Third Time’s a Charm at Addiction Treatment

  I had been to two other addiction treatment centers prior to my final visit to treatment. In my previous to trips/attempts at getting sober from drugs and alcohol I was able to stay sober for maybe a couple weeks after treatment ended and then I would relapse. My relapse would always start with having a couple of drinks and then quickly progress to my drug of choice and before I knew it I was right back where I started. Prior to deciding to give an addiction treatment center another try I did some research. While I was in treatment I did not have that hard of a time staying sober and managing my cravings. The structure and support that I got in addiction treatment was always great but I needed to find a drug rehab that was going to offer me more support after my stay was complete. I needed to find a treatment center that had a reputable relapse prevention program as well as aftercare planning so that I would have a chance to stay sober. At Lakeview Health Systems I found both. The relapse prevention classes there were more than I expected. I learned about my behaviors and warnings to recognize that would hint to me that a relapse wasn’t too far off. I learned what I had to do when I started to feel like using. The aftercare planners played a crucial role in helping to set me up for success. Instead of just going home after addiction treatment my aftercare planner arranged for me to go live in a halfway house for a while so that I could implement what I had learned in addiction treatment. It took me more than one try to get sober but after I found an addiction treatment center that had what I was looking for the pieces started to fall into place. Slowly but surely I have been able to put together four plus years of sobriety. For individuals who have had failed attempts at addiction treatment I urge you to not give up on sobriety. Find an addiction treatment center that teaches you about relapse prevention and has aftercare planning to help you make the best decisions to give you the best chance of staying sober after treatment.