What Happens After Detox? Planning Your Next Steps in Tampa

For someone who has struggled with addiction, completing a detox program can be a significant step toward a healthier future.

But a person’s ability to maintain their recovery over the long term will depend heavily on what happens after detox.

Learn more about our Tampa detox programs or verify your insurance now.

What Happens After Detox: Programs and Therapies

The best choice for what happens after detox in Tampa can vary from one person to the next depending on factors such as the severity of their struggles with addiction and if they have any co-occurring mental health concerns.

Programming options

Transferring directly into a follow-on program after completing detox can help you gain a more solid foothold in early recovery. Options include:

Residential treatment: At the residential level, you will continue to live at the center while you’re receiving treatment. Your care, which should be guided by a customized treatment plan, may include a variety of therapies and support services. Residential programs usually offer full days of care during the week and partial treatment days on weekends.
Partial hospitalization program (PHP): A typical day in a PHP can be similar to what you would experience in a residential program, except you only need to be at the center when treatment is in session. PHPs usually offer about five or six hours of programming per day, five days per week. In the evenings and on the weekends, you can return to your home or to an alternative supported residence.
Intensive outpatient program (IOP): IOPs usually offer about three hours of treatment per day, with patients attending sessions two to five days per week. This can give you the flexibility to work, take classes, volunteer, or participate in other healthy and productive activities. During treatment sessions, you can process your experiences and get focused feedback from your therapists and fellow patients.
Outpatient therapy: Outpatient therapy or counseling sessions are often scheduled on a weekly or monthly basis, but you can set up appointments at whatever frequency is best for you. These sessions can be valuable sources of long-term support, helping you navigate the challenges of recovery and addressing smaller concerns before they morph into major problems.

Therapies and support services

Depending on your needs and the parameters of the program you’re in, the post-detox phases of your addiction treatment may include elements such as:

Benefits of Follow-On Treatment After Detox

As with determining what happens after detox, the benefits of follow-on programming can vary depending on your unique history, needs, and goals.

Generally speaking, though, three common benefits of getting additional help are building your relapse-prevention skills, addressing co-occurring mental health concerns, and learning how to respond in times of crisis.

Developing essential skills

Successful recovery involves being able to navigate challenges and deal with difficult emotions without falling into bad old habits. When you remain in treatment after completing detox, you’ll be able to gain valuable information and enhance your skills in areas such as:

Identifying your triggers, which are the situations or circumstances that could push you back into active substance use
Learning how to avoid your triggers or respond to them without resorting to alcohol or other drugs
Improving your capabilities in areas such as conflict resolution, problem solving, and self-advocacy
Discovering the benefits of sharing support with others who are also working to build healthier futures for themselves in recovery
Building an effective personal support network, which may involve connecting with community-based resources that can be valuable to you in the months and years to come

Addressing co-occurring disorders

According to a September 2022 report in the journal Psychiatric Research, about 36.5% of people who have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder (addiction) have a co-occurring mental health condition. Clinicians refer to this as dual diagnosis.

Disorders that frequently co-occur alongside addictions include:

Left untreated, these and other co-occurring conditions can undermine your recovery efforts. When you choose a post-detox treatment program that offers dual diagnosis services, you can reduce your risk of relapse while also improving your overall quality of life.

Responding to Relapse

While the bulk of your time in treatment will be focused on helping you resist relapse and progress in your recovery, part of your care should also involve learning what to do if you have a slip-up.

Here’s why this is so important: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has reported that an estimated 40%-60% of people will relapse at least once after receiving treatment for an addiction.

If you’re not properly prepared, a relapse can send you into a downward spiral of compulsive substance use. But when you know how to respond in a healthy manner, a relapse can simply be a minor setback or perhaps a wake-up call.

As is the case with so many challenges in recovery (and in life in general), the real problem isn’t what happens to you, but how you respond. In treatment, you can develop the courage, strength, and insights to handle relapses and other obstacles without sacrificing your commitment to your sobriety.

Learn More About Post-Detox Treatment Options in Tampa

Tampa Bay Recovery Center is a trusted source of life-affirming outpatient treatment for adults whose lives have been disrupted by addictions and co-occurring mental health concerns. Our rehab in Tampa, FL, offers personalized care at the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient levels as well as a virtual (online) option.

In each of these programs, you can expect to receive compassionate guidance and comprehensive support from a team of experienced professionals. Working together, we can help you find the path toward successful lifelong recovery.

Call us now at 813-733-8774 or verify your insurance.