The key to staying clean and sober after a trip to rehab is to take massive action as soon as you get out of treatment. Many people do not do this and that is why so many people end up relapsing shortly after leaving treatment. The whole key is to take action and the inherent laziness that most people have does not allow them to do this. Basically, recovery is a lot of hard work, and it all starts the day you walk out of drug rehab. Most people get this mixed up and believe that they are basically finished with recovery after treatment, and should be able to go back to some sort of “normal life.” This is a delusion because after addiction, you have to work hard just to maintain sobriety, and you also have to make a special effort to create a new life for yourself worth living. No easy task by any means.
If you really want to stay clean after drug rehab then you will also want to find a way to help others in recovery. This is a key principle that many people miss out on and do not think it is important to their recovery. In fact this is what fuels major success in recovery and if you are helping others to recover then it boosts your own ability to stay clean and sober by a huge margin.
Do not expect recovery to be easy or just fall into your lap. Our natural tendency as a drug addict or alcoholic is to self medicate, especially when the going gets tough. The first few months after rehab are going to be tough, it really does not matter what is going on in your life at the time. Dealing with it will be a challenge and so you have to prepare yourself and seek out additional support. This is the clear path to success in recovery, but it will only come to those who make a massive effort.