Does AFTERCARE work for everyone

[stilltrying1965]

First i would like to say im an addict bottom line no getting away from it. But i would like to know when you got Aftercare does it increase our chances of staying clean. I made a big mistake thinking i could do this all on my own. The easy part was getting of drugs the hard part was staying of drugs. Now i know different i have an addiction therapist, Dr bowes to help with other issues and i have MH for support and i also have Kim although i dont push Kim for support she gives what she can. Did AFTERCARE help you to stay of drugs or without them do you think you would have relapsed i did countless times the littlest thing for me was a trigger. I have now learned what my triggers are witch is a big help.Staying of drugs is the hard part i had 200 plus clean time but felt that low and deppressed i started to take cocain to make me feel happy. Big mistake it made me feel even worse and led me to relapse with heroin yet again. When i stoped using cocain i was so down suicidal infact. Thats why now i understand AFTERCARE is so important. Now i feel as i im getting somewhere in my life it will be a long hard struggle but iv come a long way after my first post PLEASE HELP ME. So did AFTERCARE increase your chances of staying clean or did it help you to stay clean. It took so many ppl to get through to me that i needed other ppl to help me or i was going to die i could not do this alone. I want to thank you all for pushing this home to me. As i said i thought it was get through the cold turkey and that was it.But now i have more ppl in place i really do think i can stay of drugs ( i will never say never again coz who knows whats round the corner.But i have learned so much here at MH I learned the most important lesson of all ( I COULD NOT DO THIS ALONE ) So as much AFTERCARE as possible i needed without it i would be using heroin again How many of you guys needed AFTERCARE to keep clean ,,,,James PS sorry if im boreing ya all but its something i need to know

[Htownnofrown]

Aftercare, which for me consists of AA/NA meetings, is the conrnerstone of my recovery. I can honestly say that had I not fully given myself to the twelve steps, I would undoubtedly have relapsed. It's not just about keeping me sober, however, it is so much more. it enables me to live the life I always wanted to, one that is happy, successful, and not run by my character defects. I strongly believe that aftercare works for everone who honestly works it. Some are not ready to give up the old idea that we can rely on willpower to keep us sober. I was ready to get out of the hell hole that I dug formyself , so I followed the simple suggestions of people in the fellowship. It is thanks to God and AA/NA that I have been sober over a year now.

[stilltrying1965]

Gnarly,Ga guy, Sara, TH, Avis,Worried,Ibkleen,and Kajama.I know now if we want to stay clean aftercare is a must Ibkleen im going to do that with the paper it will be aweful long but so worth it Thanks for the answers gys and gals yu are all awesome . With lots of aftercare this guy can and will stay clean. Just need to keep my appointments and not lose my head if i think they keep pushing me for answers Thats me somtimes i think the wholeworld is against me everyone,s the enemy,,,,,,,,James

[kajama]

Yes I think aftercare would work, of course I am not speaking from experience. I unfortunatly thought I didn't need much aftercare and I had a hard time with cravings. They were  not availble to me so it wasn't to hard to stay clean (of course my legal issues) But then almost 1 year later I found some and caved. Stupid I know. The funny thing is after talking to my psyc doctor he told me if I start to crave bad eat sugar, funny I know but it works. now back on the road to recovery and will def go to after care and just hope for the best

[IBKleen]

James,

The top 3 posts here are all yours, all the same subject. Members here have all but shoved the concept down your throat for the past year and a half. It is not that I would not talk with you about it until the cows come home, I am concerned as to why you still question it? It is like you have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each whispering in your ear.

How about this---a simple exercise: Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle to make two columns. Column #1 will be titled "Ways I have stayed clean with support (aftercare)" and Column #2 will be titled "Ways I have stayed clean without support". I think you know where this is going.

YOUR thinking and YOUR way does not work, yet you still question doctors, meetings, counselors and the people here. Every single member who is here and has time under their belt is participating in their choice of aftercare. It cannot get any simpler than that.

I wish I were there. I wish we were face to face. But we are not so it is the written word or nothing.

Please don't question it, don't even think about it, just DO IT. After 13 years of using what have you got to lose??? What have you got to gain???? I bet that would be one heck of a list.

I truly hope you get this hun and surrender. It can only get better from here.

[worried878]

Yes..Aftercare increases your chances of succeeding...it is really the only therapy available for an addict that is non-narcotic..it can be habit forming...but in a good way!  (:
Does it work for everyone...probably not..I cant speak for everyone but it worked for me...and if u think about it..why not try it if ur past ways have not worked?  it definitely can not hurt???  U will learn alot by attending...aa or na both r great and follow the same guidelines..addicts run from the one thing that could possibly keep them clean like the plague!  They will do all sorts of stuff to avoid making that huge step towards staying clean...I think most of us are in reality r very controlled people...and we think we can do everything by ourselves
and we cant...we just cant

[avisg]

We have discussed this alot lately . All I know is the first time I tried even with exercising eating healthy yoga and figuring out my triggers it still was not enough for me after 6 months a relapsed .The second time I did the same thing about I found an addiction therapist it worked for me . Now I am well over two years .....

[LeaAnn807]

Aftercare works for people who are serious about staying clean.  If you are getting aftercare because you want more than anything to stay off drugs, then it will work....PERIOD!  No question about it.  It has taken a burden off of me to have people to support me and to listen and relate to me.


I believe that nobody should bother going thru the WDs if they are unwilling to get aftercare!  Why go thru it if you aren't willing to give yourself a fair shot at staying clean???

That's just my opinion!!! : ))  

Love and hugs to you, James!

[dominosarah]

Aftercare has been the ticket for me.....I buried so many bad things so deep inside me that it dam near killed me.  With aftercare i have finally felt the freedom from the demons that lived in me........sara

[GA Guy]

James, I think you already know the answer to this. Every single person on here with a year or more credits aftercare. We all need it.

[gnarly_1]

HI James for me I would have crumbled many times already if it wasn't for aftercare
ive been seeing a substance abuse conslor for a little over 2 yrs now and I got to say where getting down to some root issues of why I abused ...its good to air out the dirty laundry and get some stuff off your chest...its also good they teach you skills and tools that you can use for things like triggers and cravings my aftercare comes thew many forms I also attend N/A meeting now a couple of times a month soon I think it will be weekly I get a lot of support there...I also have a mens bible study with 3 other addicts in it
so we can all share there also...I attend a small home group with my church and have shared my struggles getting off the methadone as well as my recovery with all of them that and sunday service at my church....all of this has become my aftercare program
I have go to people to call on when things get ruff my conslor is always available on the phone 24/7 if I cant get a hold of him right away he calls me back...right now for the first time I feel comfortable in my recovery but it takes a lot of avenues to do so
just stay involved James work a program get involved with a local church this has all worked for me...good luck and God bless your friend Mark