Going Back To School After Treatment

• If you don’t have your own therapist locally, make use of your school counseling center: Most campuses offer a counseling center where there are counselors and therapists to support the mental health of students. You can form a relationship with a counselor who you can see regularly throughout the academic school year. Having someone on campus who is aware of your experiences and commitment to recovery is helpful in keeping you accountable and helping you continue to work on yourself.
• Create a manageable and reasonable schedule for yourself that includes time for recovery: Time for recovery doesn’t just include going to meetings, talking with a sponsor, or working with a therapist. Recovery is about more than the basics of staying sober. Your time for self-care through exercising, cooking, taking time for yourself, meditating, and having fun are all equally as important. First, make your class load manageable so you don’t create too much expectation from your academic schedule which could trigger high levels of stress. Second, leave time throughout your day to participate in self care and make sure that your needs are being met.
• Find campus recovery groups and if they don’t exist, create them: The great thing about the academic environment is that self-expression and specific interest are celebrated. There’s a decent chance that you aren’t the only person on your campus who has already gone to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction then come out sober on the other side. It is said that a successful meeting of AA only requires two people and a “Big Book”. All you need is to make time for that person so both of you know you are supported in your sober efforts. If your campus doesn’t have an active recovery scene, start one. Sometimes sober activities are shunned in college. Make sober cool again. Show everyone how.
• Make your cafeteria work for you: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can feel difficult when you’re living in a dorm or have limited resource for food. Every cafeteria offers a healthy selection and an unhealthy selection of food. You can make the best of your cafeteria’s offerings by practicing the different methods of balanced nutrition you learned in treatment. Now that you are back in school, your brain needs more food power than ever to support learning, memory retention and growth. Make sure to continue giving your brain the omega 3 fatty acids, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables it needs.

Lakehouse Recovery Center knows that there is a solution to the problem of drug and alcohol addiction. If you are struggling to quit drugs and alcohol, call us today for information on our residential detox and treatment programs in Southern California:  877.762.3707