During the addiction treatment process and beyond, structure and goal-setting are more important than ever to ensure lasting success and sobriety. A solid structure provides you with a consistent schedule, allowing you to stay accountable, while short- and long-term goals will keep you focused through the big transitional periods in your treatment journey.
Why Is Structure Important for Addiction Recovery?
When you are struggling with substance abuse disorder, most of your time might be devoted to your addiction. The cycle of acquiring substances and using substances can continue day after day, leaving little time for daily activities that are healthy and fulfilling.
When so much time is devoted to the addiction, a void can form in your daily life as you begin to undergo treatment. The cycle switches from using to recovering, and without a solid structure in place, it can be easy to slip back into old habits and overall negativity.
Structure in Outpatient Programs
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, decrease their criminal activity and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning. A big reason for this success is the fact that quality addiction treatment programs provide high structure in your day.
Structure in a Partial Hospitalization Program
A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is a program that is usually designed for the most intense level of outpatient treatment. A quality PHP should include an intensive treatment schedule, with at least 20 hours devoted to the program throughout your week. PHPs incorporate various therapy modalities into their scheduling, including group therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, and psychiatric care.
During the hours when you are not in treatment, a quality PHP will help you cultivate the necessary life skills to re-enter daily life, including assistance with education and employment. The type of structure found in a PHP will help fill your day, hold you accountable, and guide you as you rebuild your life without the use of substances.
Structure in an Intensive Outpatient Program
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is the next step down in treatment after the completion of a PHP. The IOP offers similar therapy and treatment modalities as the PHP, but with less time spent in programming throughout the week. According to Psychiatric Services, IOP services offer a minimum of 9 hours of service per week in three, three-hour sessions.
A quality IOP should offer a variety of treatment modalities that are customizable to your unique needs. Like a PHP, treatment can include individual, group, and family addiction therapy, with the ultimate goal to set you up for long-term success as you re-enter the “real world.”
Structure After You’ve Completed Outpatient Treatment
Once you have successfully completed an outpatient program, you may feel a bit nervous to enter the world again without the structure of treatment taking up a lot of your day. Since addiction recovery is an ongoing and long-term process, there are many opportunities for you to continue finding support and structure long after a treatment program is completed.
Sober Living
Even though Sober Living is an option while you are still in a treatment program, it can still be a strong method of support in the immediate time that follows the completion of your program. A quality sober living facility will help you reintegrate back into work, school, and daily life, while providing the right structure and support system for accountability and long-term success in your sobriety.
The structure of a sober living program can include in-house, community-based programs, along with recreational activities, life-skills training, and peer support that will allow you to rebuild your confidence in your sobriety and in yourself.
Recovery Coaching
Recovery Coaching is another treatment element that can be strongly utilized after the successful completion of an outpatient addiction treatment program. Your recovery coach can be your go-to person to lean on in times of hardship or stress, and they can keep you accountable as you transition back into daily life.
Recovery Coaching will help you build the solid structure that is necessary to achieve your short- and long-term goals. It will also help you alleviate the stress that often comes along with navigating early sobriety on your own.
Goal-Setting for Long-Term Success
While undergoing treatment for substance use disorder, setting fulfilling goals will help you achieve long-term success. Having both short-term and long-term goals is important as you create a new life of sobriety.
Short-Term Goal Setting
While you are in a treatment program, or even after you have completed it, short-term goals will provide a structured way for you to continue sobriety and transition into daily life without treatment programming. Short-term goals can include your plans for the immediate future after treatment. They can be simple steps you can take as you continue on your road to success. Some ideas for short-term goals might include things like incorporating more exercise into your life, going to meetings, researching employment options, or completing your journey with a recovery coach.
Long-Term Goal Setting
Long-term goals should feel exciting and fulfilling. They can include all the things you want to do in your life beyond addiction treatment. A great idea is to take some time to think about your passions, your dreams, and everything you want to accomplish.
Long-term goals can include things like getting or finishing your education, finding a career that you love, traveling the world, writing a book, or maybe even someday helping others through their own addiction recovery process.
When it comes to any type of goal-setting, the purpose is to dream big. Anything is possible, and once you have completed treatment, these goals will keep you accountable as you navigate the world with lasting success and sobriety.
A highly structured day, and exciting and fulfilling goals, will help individuals transition from treatment back into daily life with a sense of confidence, accomplishment, and fulfillment. At Lighthouse Recovery Texas, we incorporate a strong structure into every step of the recovery process. Our PHP and IOP Dallas are designed to help give you the tools necessary for lifelong recovery. Our Sober Living program operates at a one-to-three staff-to-client ratio, the highest of any sober living program we’ve seen, and our Recovery Coaching program will help you build the solid foundation necessary to achieve short- and long-term goals in your own time frame. The comprehensive Extended Care Program at Lighthouse is designed for every step of your recovery journey, and it will give you the right tools, knowledge, and support to help you build confidence in your recovery and beyond. Give us a call today at (214) 396-0259.
