Step one in overcoming your alcoholism or drug addiction is obvious – seek professional help at the best de-addiction Centre in India as soon as possible. But what about after you’re back on your feet and living a normal life?
It can be extremely difficult to recover from any addiction because it’s a journey that never ends. Furthermore, finding someone who has been through the same recovery program or is in the process of getting clean will help you stay positive and motivated throughout the entire process. These people are called “alumni” because they offer advice and guidance regarding your recovery as in-person mentors! [1]
24-hour hotlines and therapy sessions are only temporary, so many recovering addicts find hope and a feeling of belonging by joining an Alumni program that helps them to connect with others who have been through the same struggles they struggled with post-treatment. These people also serve as great role models for how to live well without alcohol or drugs, making the alumni component incredibly important in the recovery process. Read on to learn more!
It is true that establishing relationships with other recovering alcoholics and addicts can be beneficial in the addiction healing process. These alumni know, first-hand, just what struggles you may face on your road to recovery like how you can expect to feel or habits that you previously formed. These people can give you a better understanding of what is required to successfully overcome substance abuse. They can help you through those difficult moments by answering any questions that arise for you and giving you obvious examples of how others might have solved certain issues before. Additionally, they can serve as motivation so that when reaching low points of the healing process you may think back to former alumni who were able to work past similar obstacles.
A rehab Centre in India offers you access to alumni who have gotten better and are now on a healthier path. You can count on these seasoned alumni, who have already made it through the program, to step in when times get tough. These people share a common bond that serves as the basis for their support network. They are available to you both before rehab as well as after your initial visit or stay at a treatment center.
When those in recovery meet, play, volunteer, learn and socialize together, they have the opportunity to facilitate healing. Having a circle of people who understand and accept what you're going through is vital. People function as significant sources of support, something that helps battle alcohol and drug addiction. The sense of belonging and being surrounded by goodwill from others, including members of your support network builds up self-worth as well as provides additional motivation for everyone to continue pushing forward - something that's essential when fighting an addiction. The cycle continues with a positive feedback loop where everyone involved is constantly encouraged not just to do their part but also to contribute something positive so as to make the group stronger overall!
Benefits of an Alumni Program [2]
1. The Transition Back to Society
A good alumni program helps clients learn healthy and positive coping mechanisms and life skills that can be applied to real-world situations. Alumni programs are designed to help clients find resources to help them find structured events, 12-step programs, anonymous groups, sober sponsors, and other activities and pastimes that are safe spaces for those in recovery.
2. Access to Valuable Resources
After completing a treatment plan and returning to society, it’s important to engage in mental health counseling to encourage accountability and make sure that you stay on the right path. A good therapist will notice signs that you are struggling and help you make important decisions about possible therapies to try out or refer you to someone who specializes in a particular mental health issue or co-occurring disorder.
3. Social Events
Those who have gone through treatment at the best rehabilitation centres in India realize that post-discharge there are frequent social events arranged by these top rehab centres. Alumni receive invitations to these social gatherings, which are designed as opportunities to share experiences in recovery with a group of others who can relate.
4. Employment Assistance
Alumni programs often offer services to help those in recovery find employment or talk to their employers about the recovery process. We know it can be difficult to return to work after taking a medical leave of absence for addiction treatment.
5. Connecting with an Anonymous Program
Finding a 12-Step or related anonymous program with a group of individuals who treat each other with mutual respect can be a lifesaver for those in recovery. Anonymous programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are invaluable resources for accountability. These programs can help you stay clean and learn to navigate sober living. [2]
When those in recovery learn to support and rely on each other, they have a chance to facilitate the healing process. They are never alone and they can share their problems with others who understand how it is to live with sobriety in a world that doesn't. This is what family provides when overcoming addiction - a sense of belonging and purpose in the face of struggles. In group or communal settings such as programs, groups or this circle of people helps each other build positive reinforcement as well as improved mental health. In order to help, however, one has to rely on this support system - which is what family is all about, after all!
A social support network is one option for the recovering drug addict. Immediately after treatment, it's important to find a support group of people that have been through similar experiences so you can relate to their situations and vice-versa. The de-addiction centres in India have an alumni program that gives recovering addicts the opportunity to create valuable relationships which could prove invaluable when trying to make lifestyle changes. Alumni Services provide you with a sense of community as well as a structure that can help alleviate temptations when one might otherwise be struggling to stay on track in your recovery journey.
Some graduates feel the stigma of the experience they had in addiction recovery so they are hesitant to talk openly about it with their new friends and people at work. By sitting down with former addicts who have since been through treatment, you will make it easier for others to open up as well, and a domino effect may be set into motion.
Further, having mentors in the program who are living their lives sober helps people recover and offers them positive words of advice. Those who have gone through the recovery journey from addiction to healthier lives can help those still working on getting clean stay focused on their progress and can act as a solid network support system for them.
Giving back matters, too
Alumni programs aren’t just a form of therapy you have after rehab. Rather, they tend to be opportunities for former patients to come back and share their stories with others. Because they have walked in the exact same shoes as those currently in treatment, the insights these alumni have learned can be more encouraging than ones that someone else would hear over the course of regular counseling sessions. It's important for recovering addicts to see that there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. They need to know what it feels like to live in recovery if they are going to make any kind of lasting change and maintain their sobriety thereafter . . . You were once where your current clients are now, which means you understand them better than anyone else on staff or even potentially family! In short, the best people to help others work through an addiction are usually those who themselves have overcome one... [3]
The best rehabilitation centre in India would be offering its Alumni Services Program to graduates who successfully complete any treatment program from the rehab centre. The Alumni program is another step - a big step - after treatment that provides the social support network that is so vital to the road to recovery.
To find out more about the Alumni Services Program or any other program at the top drug addiction treatment centres in India, you can visit www.rehabsindia.in today. If you or someone you love is desirous to seek treatment for alcohol or drug addiction, learning about the wide variety of rehabilitation centers throughout India is the first step towards seeking effective help, be it rehab centres in Delhi, de-addiction centres in Maharashtra, or luxury rehab in Gujarat. Our reliable information on options available will be able to help choose the best rehabilitation center in India that's both affordable and efficient.
SOURCES-
- 1. The right step. The Alumni Program, An Effective Way To Help Beat Addiction. Retrieved on 20/04/2022 from-
https://www.rightstep.com/rehab-blog/the-alumni-program-an-effective-way-to-help-beat-addiction/
- 2. Fresh Start Recovery Center. 5 Benefits of an Alumni Program. Retrieved on 20/04/2022 from-
https://www.freshstartrecoverycenter.com/rehab-blog/5-benefits-of-an-alumni-program/
- 3. Serenity Light Recovery. What is an alumni program? Retrieved on 20/04/2022 from-
https://serenitylightrecovery.com/addiction-treatment-blog/what-is-an-alumni-program/
AUTHOR- Dr. Niharika Singh (MBBS, MD Psychiatry, MIPS)
Dr. Niharika Singh received her MBBS degree from Kurukshetra University, following which she went on to complete MD Psychiatry from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore. During her residency program, she pursued her thesis on psychosocial factors and the personality profiles of early and late-onset alcohol dependence syndrome. With a view to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of mental health, she then continued to train regularly with premier institutes such as Harvard Medical School - McLean Hospital (USA) in Mind-Body Medicine, Beck Institute (USA) in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, NIMHANS (Bangalore) in Addiction Psychiatry, Behaviour Medicine, Clinical Neurophysiology and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and has completed Fellowship in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation from Duke University (USA). After post-graduation, her goal has been to inform the public about addiction issues. Her mission is to help those in need of treatment find the best option for them.
Reviewed by Gauri Kapoor (Addiction Recovery Counselor)
Gauri Kapoor embarked on her journey into sobriety 7 years ago, which led her to her current career path as a Certified Professional Addiction Recovery Coach in Delhi, India. She works closely with facilities that provide residential addiction treatment such as 12-Step programs and other nonprofits to help individuals deal with their addiction.