Alcohol and drug addiction is one of the most prevalent social problems in New Hampshire. In a recent survey, 12.15 percent of New Hampshire residents reported using illicit drugs in the past month, which was higher than the national average of 8.82 percent. The path to recovery begins with a voluntary act to seek help.

Live Free Recovery Services has been at the forefront of helping patients recover from chronic and alcohol additions in New Hampshire for decades now. At Live Free Recovery Services, our highly skilled team of professionals provides around-the-clock multi-level care designed to help every patient experience a safe, long-term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Four Stages of Alcohol and Drug Rehab Recovery in NH

Stage 1: Treatment initiation

Your treatment starts when you reach out for help and register for professional alcohol and drug rehab programs like those offered by Live Free Recovery Services. During the early hours and days of your treatment, you will most likely encounter ambivalent feelings regarding whether to give up the drug of your choice permanently. You may also try to convince yourself that your substance use is not as bad as other addictive substances. Be wary of this attitude as ambivalence and denial are the worst enemies in the early days of your recovery.

At Live Free, we understand the struggles and dilemmas you are going through at this point. Our goal is to help you actively participate in the treatment and become motivated to recovery. During this stage, our professionals will take your alcohol and drug use history before introducing an ideal treatment program. We understand no two patients are the same, and our experienced team will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan that meets your specific needs.

Duration: This stage takes a few days or weeks

Stage 2: Early abstinence

After committing to continue your treatment, you are entered into the second stage of rehab, commonly referred to as early abstinence. Early abstinence can be a challenging stage to cope with due to several factors, including continued withdrawal symptoms, physical cravings, psychological dependences, and triggers that can tempt you to relapse. During the early abstinence stage, our trained addiction counselors will equip you with coping skills to help you sustain your sobriety for a longer period. Our treatments are uniquely designed to ease your anxiety and minimize the symptoms of withdrawals as you take the first step to recovery. Some of the strategies that can help you maintain your abstinence for long includes:

• Participating in healthy activities
• Participating in self-help groups that provide support and understanding
• Developing healthier alternative behaviors other than drug and alcohol use
• Recognizing environmental triggers, including things, places, and people that could tempt you to relapse

Duration: This stage takes 90 days

Stage 3: Maintaining abstinence

Once you complete 90 days of continuous abstinence, you will move from the early abstinence stage to maintaining abstinence. The main goal of this stage is to sustain abstinence to avoid a relapse. During this stage, you will learn how to identify triggers and the habits that can send you back to relapse. You will also learn how to put into practice the skills you learned in early abstinence so that you continue leading a genuinely sober life. Some of the new coping skills and tools that you learn in this stage include:

• Building healthy relationships
• Managing anger
• Developing drug-free lifestyle
• Utilizing exercise and nutrition

Duration: The maintaining abstinence stage starts at about three months into your rehabilitation and lasts until you reach five years of living a clean and sober life.

Stage 4: Advanced recovery

Once you complete five years of abstinence, you will move to the fourth and final stage of rehab, commonly referred to as advanced rehab. During this stage, you take all the skills and tools you have learned in the preceding stages and put them to use. The goal of this stage is to continue leading a satisfying and fulfilling life free of alcohol and drug use. Some of the strategies that can be helpful at this stage include:

• Creating long term goals
• Developing a consistent daily schedule
• Participating in recreational activities
• Forming healthy social relationships

Duration: Lifetime

Start Your Road to Recovery Today

Alcohol and drug abuse treatment is a lifelong process that needs commitment. Remember, it takes time and effort to sustain any change, build momentum and lead a truly sober life. The stages of change may seem intimidating during early recovery. However, knowing a friendly and highly skilled counselor from Live Free will be at hand to help your recovery journey can ease the anxiety. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, addiction, or mental health disorder in New Hampshire, don’t hesitate to contact Live Free Recovery Services today.