4 Things To Consider When Returning to Work After Rehab

Drug rehab is tough. If you can make it through to the end, then you’ve done something that not everyone could do. But as you doubtlessly heard in your group and individual therapy sessions, rehab is only the beginning. Given that most residential rehab programs last much shorter than 6 months, you may still be months or years away from achieving a complete recovery.

Unfortunately, this brings us to the uncomfortable subject of money. While there are certainly plenty of affordable residential drug rehab programs in Dallas, most individuals who enter rehab will face a significant loss of income, simply because most rehab programs leave little or no time for work. This means that most people who complete rehab will want to rejoin the workforce as soon as they’re able.

Naturally, recovering individuals will be apprehensive about returning to work or finding a new job after rehab. If you’re fresh out of rehab, you may still feel shame about your condition and find it awkward to face old bosses and colleagues. You may also wonder if the stress of working will make it difficult to avoid drugs, later on. These are all valid concerns. However, it’s good to know that millions of people have been in your place and have successfully reintegrated into regular professional life. Below are a few things to consider should you choose to return to work after rehab.

1.) Consider entering a transitional home

Transitional homes are a good option for recovering individuals who lack a stable support network to aid their post-rehab recovery. These facilities allow residents to seek and engage in productive employment while giving them the benefit of a temporary drug-free home. In addition to providing a drug-free recovery environment, many transitional programs also offer professional training, continued drug treatments, and other services that can help individuals better cope with life after rehab.

While not all recovering individuals need to go to a transitional home, these facilities are well worth considering if one needs more time to recover or has an unstable home environment that may impede their full recovery.

2.) Plan your re-entry

Work with your therapist and trusted loved ones to create a work reintegration plan. It’s important for this plan to have specific goals that fit with your unique recovery challenges.

Be sure to address different eventualities such as:

• How to answer coworkers who ask about your absence.
• How to handle stress and potential substance use triggers.
• Whether you should come back to the same job or workplace.
• How honest or forthcoming you’re willing to be if asked about your rehab experiences.

By preparing for these situations and knowing how to answer common questions in advance, you can remove some of the stress and uncertainty that comes with going back to work. Make sure to write down your goals and to keep a daily journal so that you’re better able to track your success at following your plan.

3.) Try to start as fresh as possible

Your old routines before and after work are a likely contributor to your previous drug use. It makes sense to rebuild your routines from the ground up so that you won’t re-experience those old triggers that led to your problem. You can use your rehab routine as a starting point for building healthy routines that conserve your mental energy and aid your recovery.

It’s important to avoid having too much idle time on hand, as boredom can often trigger a relapse. Some things to consider filling your free time with can include:

• Focused morning meditations
• Daily exercise
• Taking care of a pet or rescue animal
• Reading through a book
• Learning a new hobby
• Checking in on your loved ones

Avoid overly passive activities like binge-watching shows or too much social media as these can lead to mental health problems that could impede your recovery. Keep these kinds of activities to a minimum and try to indulge only at scheduled times.

After a few months, your healthy routines will feel completely natural and you’ll have plenty of mental and emotional energy left over to excel at both work and recovery.

4.) Practice your rehab learnings

While you are usually free to do what you want after completing rehab, it’s important to keep applying what you have learned in the program. Most rehab programs are not long enough to see individuals through to their complete recovery, which means that you will have to keep practicing what you were taught by yourself.

You will have doubtlessly been taught basic post-rehab recovery strategies like trigger avoidance and the application of psychotherapy approaches. It will also be critical to keep seeing your therapist and to regularly attend your group therapy sessions. This will help ensure your best chance of overcoming the challenges that are sure to come your way.

What’s next?

If you’re having problems reintegrating into your old job or if you feel you’re nearing a relapse, please get in touch with your therapist immediately. Get in touch with our team at Dallas Drug Treatment Centers to find transitional home programs and other services that can better help you reintegrate into society after rehab.