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Keep Coming Back to The Res for More Outpatient—It Works!
I have the best job ever. I get to work with women at all levels of outpatient care here at Residence XII. Women completing the Intensive Outpatient Program often have questions about our other treatment programs including:
“Why should I do Continuing Care?”
Research has shown that people who remain involved with a treatment program for a longer duration of time have better success than those who only take part in short periods of treatment.
“Why does Continuing Care go on for so long?”
Many challenges and transitions occur in early recovery. Some women have lost their jobs due to their addiction. Obviously looking for work is extremely stressful and treatment is one more support that can assist a woman in staying sober during that time. Other women are struggling to save their marriage during the first year of recovery, or may even be facing a painful divorce. Going to group through this process can help a woman deal with her emotions, fears and concerns, and help her remain focused on her sobriety.
Most women are working very hard during the first year of recovery to heal family relationships that were damaged during their active addiction. When women come to group they realize others are facing similar issues and can share their thoughts and concerns. Women also report that it is very useful to be in Continuing Care as they experience the many “firsts” during their recovery, like first sober holidays, sober birthdays, first time sober at children’s recitals or other events, or during anniversaries of sad or tragic events. It is also true that many women experience the consequences of their addiction on a delayed basis. For example, a woman may be clean and sober for a while before formal legal charges catch up to her, or a health issue may have been masked by alcohol or drug use and now needs to be addressed in early recovery.
In Inpatient and Intensive Outpatient Treatment women learn recovery skills and do a great deal of self-exploration through assignments and group discussions. In Continuing Care women receive the structured support they need to integrate what they’ve learned and apply it to the challenges of daily life. That is something that cannot be completed in just a three to five week inpatient stay or even an eight week sequence of outpatient treatment.
“Why shouldn’t I just go to AA after completing Intensive Outpatient Treatment?”
We expect that you will continue your 12-Step program involvement. As I often tell people, “That’s what put the twelve in Residence XII.” Thankfully, 12-step support will be available to you for the rest of your life and we definitely want you to find your place in the fellowship. That being said, there are important differences between group therapy at Residence XII and a 12-step meeting. Your highest likelihood of success will come from taking part in both. Continuing Care groups at Residence XII are professionally facilitated and allow you to have the support you need to keep improving your use of the recovery tools you have already learned. Additionally, at a 12-step meeting you cannot get feedback from other women who have gone to Residence XII. There are good reasons that self-help groups like AA do not allow for “cross talk” but to have the chance to get direct feedback from your peers and counselor can be invaluable in early recovery. The benefits of Continuing Care revolve around having a weekly touch point with Residence XII for an ongoing period of time. And I perceive it is so worth it. Why cheat yourself out of an opportunity to sit with your Res sisters and get that special women-specific support? We keep practicing the assertion script, calling out The Addict™ and summoning The Wise Woman™. Don’t miss it!