Extended Care

The purpose of extended care is to transition back into society as easily as possible. It should facilitate someone in recovery becoming productive, while improving their self-respect, confidence and a sense of responsibility. Extended care is an ongoing process of addiction recovery that follows primary care, and can last for 1 to 12 months, depending on the circumstances of the individual.

Extended care programmes will encourage participation in activities beyond the confines of the treatment facility. Rehabs in Asia offer unique experiences with outdoor pursuits like hiking and wilderness excursions. Recovering patients are encouraged to engage in sports, learn skills and try out new experiences with a focus on health and fitness.

The first phase of extended care is secondary care, which provides a similar level of guidance and support to primary care but takes place in a more relaxed and less structured environment. This allows patients to develop their own routines and take greater responsibility for their treatment while gradually reintegrating into the community.

The next stage is tertiary care, which offers a supportive network within a sober living environment. This stage encourages patients to take greater responsibility for their daily routines and maintain their recovery with increasing independence.

Secondary Care

Secondary care is important because it encourages a recovering addict to take full responsibility for their treatment and is conducted in a disciplined environment, away from temptations, so that there is a reduced risk of relapse.

During this phase of the treatment, your will be encouraged to integrate with the community, away from rehab. You will be more exposed to factors that could lead to a relapse, and will be expected to make your own decisions regarding your future. This could be joining a professional course or college, preparing for a new career, upgrading your skills, or finding a job to keep you occupied. You will be given spiritual support as well.

Tertiary Care

Tertiary care may involve staying at a sober living facility and is usually provided after secondary care. Here you will have the benefit of a support network and will be encouraged to do voluntary work for charities and participate in various training courses. Tertiary care is suitable for those who have completed their primary care at rehab, but have no support back home, so there is a higher risk of relapsing.

Extended Care at Home?

Once you complete a residential rehab programme, you can continue with aftercare once you return home. This could include a one-to-one interaction with an aftercare counsellor on a regular basis, as well as participation in group therapy and discussions. So you will be able to continue with the recovery process at home while having access to quality support from addiction experts.

12 Step Programmes

There are many self-help groups based on the 12-step programme that you can join, such as the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. The 12-step Fellowships give you a chance to meet others who are going through the same problem as you and are in various stages of the recovery process. You will be able to meet a sponsor; a mentor who will support and help you through your journey towards full recovery. You can also continue treatment with a private counsellor or therapist you trust.

Twelve-step facilitation therapy is an effective active engagement strategy that improves the chances of a reformed addict becoming a part of 12‑step self-help groups. It leads to sobriety over the long term and reinforces abstinence.

This approach is based on the acceptance that addiction is a chronic problem and that it is a dangerous disease over which the addict has no control. 12-step works on the basis that willpower alone cannot overcome the problem. The only solution is complete abstinence from drugs or alcohol.

This approach involves acceptance of and a surrender to a higher power or God, and accepting the fellowship of other recovering addicts and benefiting from the support structure created by them.

12‑step facilitation therapy has been found to be highly effective for the treatment of methamphetamine and cocaine addicts. Some of the primary and secondary care programs in Asia operate 12-step programmes that exclude a reference to God and work on an entirely non-religious basis.

Know the Facts: Addiction Recovery and Treatment Services