According to Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that some disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature.” Additionally, “Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment.” Now, while this statistic can come off as discouraging, it can also be reframed to remind us how crucial it is to have a comprehensive plan for our daughter after she returns home from a residential recovery center.
Acknowledge All of the Hard Work You Have Already Put In
First off, it is important to take time and remind yourself of all of the hard work that you as a parent or caretaker have put in thus far in your daughter’s treatment and recovery. This has most likely been a tiring and emotional journey, so take a moment to remind yourself how strong you are.
Now, utilize this acknowledgment to strengthen your resolve moving forward, because the journey doesn’t simply end after your daughter leaves a residential recovery center. Still, before your daughter even leaves the recovery center, there are steps you can take to prepare yourself for their eventual return. Also, remember that this preparation is not just for her recovery, but also for your health and stability as well.
Remember, poor life choices does not just affect the individual that is struggling. Rather, it is a disease that affects the entire family. This explains why life-controlling issues is often referred to as a “family disease.”
Maintaining Forward Momentum While Your Daughter Is Still in a Residential Recovery Center
Understandably, much of your focus and attention will be placed on how your daughter is doing at the residential recovery center. For example, you may be asking yourself the following questions:
- “Is she ok?”
- “Is she making progress?”
- “What will she be like when she leaves?”
Although pondering these questions is normal, it should not take up all of your thought space. You need to reserve some space for yourself.
While your daughter is in residential recovery, it can be very helpful to reach out for some therapeutic support for yourself and your family. This may include individual psychotherapy in addition to family therapy sessions. These sessions can help address any underlying issues that may have manifested due to your daughter’s behaviors.
There are also many community support groups that you may want to consider participating in. For example, if your daughter was struggling with poor life choices, there are support groups available for loved ones known as Al-Anon. This group can help connect loved ones to other individuals that have gone through and are going through similar experiences. At Clearview Girls Academy, we also have family workshops that can help get the healing process started for everyone involved.
Steps You Can Take To Help Your Daughter After She Leaves a Residential Recovery Center
Some of the steps that you can take before your daughter returns home include addressing what is known in 12-Step recovery as “people, places, and things.” These highlight the three primary categories of factors known to trigger a relapse in recovery.
For instance, it is important to let people that have been toxic in her life know that they need to keep their distance (and potentially get help themselves). Furthermore, it is vital to note any specific place that should be avoided once she returns home from rehab. For instance, consider the places where they often used substances or use to gather with said toxic people.
Lastly, it is necessary to also eliminate “things” that can be triggering from the household. A prime example of this would be getting rid of life-controlling items that is in the house. Taking these steps in the right direction can help build a positive foundation for an effective relapse prevention plan.
Having a Relapse Prevention Plan
A relapse prevention plan is something that the entire family should be aware of and involved in. Oftentimes, a relapse prevention plan includes a lot of vigilance over the individual, especially right after treatment. Also, it highlights the importance of communication, especially when something seems off. Remember, protecting or otherwise enabling bad behavior is a disservice to your daughter and can jeopardize her long-term recovery.
Being vigilant and keeping “people, places, and things” are great ways to help avoid relapse. However, it is important to remember that relapse is possible and it is not a failure of anyone.
Having an Emergency Post Relapse Plan
As the introductory statistic pointed out, relapse is simply a very real part of recovery. Does it have to be part of your daughter’s recovery journey? Absolutely not. However, being prepared for relapse can be the difference between a one-time “slip” and slipping back into old substance-using habits.
One of the best ways to address a relapse is to have a support community on “speed dial” so you can connect with them at a moment’s notice. Also, at Clearview Girls Academy, we have representatives that are still available to help our students after they leave our residential recovery center. We will work hard to connect you to the positive “people, places, and things” that can help stop a relapse right away and prevent another one.
Our recovery mission at Clearview Girls Academy is to light the path of your daughter’s recovery journey, and that light doesn’t dissipate once they leave our residential recovery center. We are here to help you and help them achieve the long-term recovery you both deserve.
If you are a parent of a daughter in residential treatment, you should be proud of all of the work you did to help get her there. This is no easy task, but it also only represents the beginning. It is certainly the beginning of a much healthier future for the entire family. Having some infrastructure in place after your daughter gets home from residential treatment can be crucial. This may include having access to community recovery, potentially including a 12-Step program, creating a safe and sober home environment, and connecting with family therapy. For more information on steps to take after residential treatment is over, please reach out to Clearview Girls Academy today at (888) 796-5484.
