At Changing Tides our clients can begin to experience new freedoms in a “real world environment” while beginning or continuing in their treatment and recovery process.  The professionals at Changing Tides have many years combined of experience. One aspect that these professionals all note is the high amount of failed attempts at achieving sustained sobriety after a 30 day treatment program. The individual with newfound recovery experiences an alarming level of regression and eventually relapses due to losses that occur after leaving the treatment setting.  The client experiences a first, second, and third loss in their recovery effort in the transition.  The three losses that we see occur are peer support relationships, structure and accountability.

Peer support relationships in treatment have healthy impacts on individuals and strong bonds with peers assist in the recovery effort.  This “closeness” between peers often is more impactful than the relationship with the clinical staff.  The problem that we see is the transitioning from a 30 day addiction treatment program back home and the loss of those relationships and support which can be devastating to an individual in early recovery.  In a typical PHP, IOP, OP or Sober Living Environment, clients live off-site and report to an office and spend time with their peers and staff for a total of 2-4 hours a session.  They do not have the camaraderie that they once had in treatment and therefore lack that connection to their peers.  Peer support relationships is the first loss when transitioning from inpatient treatment.

The accountability provided in a 30 day treatment gives individuals who are recovering a new found outlook on life, thus a sense of self-confidence emerges.  In a 30 day treatment setting, clients may receive accountability checks around the clock, 24/7, and to quickly lose that can be devastating to a person’s recovery.  We see at this time that spouses, friends and family attempt to become their loved ones accountability person. Generally this attempt fails due to their lack of experience, training and knowledge of the disease of addiction.  This can destroy or damage the relationships, and we see issues arise such as judgement, boundaries being crossed and disappointment. This all leads to a regression in the family unit, reverting back to destructive behaviors and can lead the individual to relapse. 

Transitioning from a strictly scheduled day in a 30 day treatment to being solely responsible for structuring your own day is difficult and overwhelming. Structure provides many different aspects that are vital to recovery such as, healthy sleeping habits, healthy eating practices, healthy self-discipline and self-respect.  When this structure is lost so quickly, this leads to a lack of accountability, excuses to not participate in recovery, unhealthy sleeping patterns along with the deterioration of all aspects of life. Substance use disorder relapse occurs due to the lack of healthy structure which promotes recovery.