Aftercare
The aftercare phase can be generally defined between the first 12 and 24 months of the recovery process, and much like transitional living, the potential dangers of this time period should not be minimized. Yes, this is the stage in which survivors are barely recognizable as such, as they are now thriving.
In this phase of healing, the trauma survivor's countenance, affect, demeanor, emotional outlook and lifestyle have completely transformed, and it's appropriate to begin considering and planning for long-term goals. Nonetheless, the very nature of this stage also constitutes that it be susceptible to the most subtle of overlooked vulnerabilities. In short, if there remains an unaddressed "Achilles heel", "elephant in the room" or "chink in the armor" --- it could materialize with devastating ramifications in this phase.
Aftercare planning and services recognize this a time for joy and aspirations to be matched with equal vigilance, primarily because clients are still in something that we call Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. "PAWS" includes all of the more nuanced and long-term withdrawal symptoms from a substance - or, from a behavior pattern --- as the recovery process continues forging healthy neurological and physiological changes.
Perhaps, PAWS can be best understood through a smoking cessation example: When a person stops smoking cigarettes, the nicotine can most often be completely detoxified from their bloodstream in as few as 3-5 days. However, and as painful as these first 3-5 days of "detox" may be, it will take over two years for their brain chemistry, their digestive system, their hormone production and other vital bodily mechanisms to relinquish their dependence on nicotine and to regain proficiency in its absence.
Most importantly, this prolonged timeline that neurological and hormonal functions need to establish equilibrium have a profound impact on mood, making PAWS a significant factor in relapse prevention planning. The potential perils of Post-Acute Withdrawal should be taken very seriously, and part of any good recovery counseling program will educate clients about each of the documented facets of PAWS --- so that they may be able to then recognize them and compensate for them.
In this phase of healing, the trauma survivor's countenance, affect, demeanor, emotional outlook and lifestyle have completely transformed, and it's appropriate to begin considering and planning for long-term goals. Nonetheless, the very nature of this stage also constitutes that it be susceptible to the most subtle of overlooked vulnerabilities. In short, if there remains an unaddressed "Achilles heel", "elephant in the room" or "chink in the armor" --- it could materialize with devastating ramifications in this phase.
Aftercare planning and services recognize this a time for joy and aspirations to be matched with equal vigilance, primarily because clients are still in something that we call Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. "PAWS" includes all of the more nuanced and long-term withdrawal symptoms from a substance - or, from a behavior pattern --- as the recovery process continues forging healthy neurological and physiological changes.
Perhaps, PAWS can be best understood through a smoking cessation example: When a person stops smoking cigarettes, the nicotine can most often be completely detoxified from their bloodstream in as few as 3-5 days. However, and as painful as these first 3-5 days of "detox" may be, it will take over two years for their brain chemistry, their digestive system, their hormone production and other vital bodily mechanisms to relinquish their dependence on nicotine and to regain proficiency in its absence.
Most importantly, this prolonged timeline that neurological and hormonal functions need to establish equilibrium have a profound impact on mood, making PAWS a significant factor in relapse prevention planning. The potential perils of Post-Acute Withdrawal should be taken very seriously, and part of any good recovery counseling program will educate clients about each of the documented facets of PAWS --- so that they may be able to then recognize them and compensate for them.