Recovery & Rehab Support

The period immediately after leaving treatment is statistically when relapse risk is highest. Being prepared doesn't mean you don't trust yourself — it means you're serious about staying well.

1. Connect with your key worker or aftercare service immediately Important

   Your treatment service should have an aftercare plan. Make contact with your key worker within the first 48 hours of leaving. Aftercare support significantly reduces relapse risk — use it. If no plan was made before you left, contact Recovery Near You or CGL.

   Recovery Near You — aftercare support (opens in new tab)
2. Avoid high-risk environments in the first weeks Important

   The places, people, and routines associated with your previous use are powerful triggers. In the first days and weeks, try to create physical and social distance from those environments. This isn't forever — it's buying yourself the space to build new habits and support networks.

3. Register with a GP if you're not already

   Your GP is your primary point of contact for ongoing prescriptions (e.g. methadone, Subutex), physical health checks, and mental health referrals. If you're not registered, do this in the first week. Be honest with them about your recovery — they are there to help.

Connection is medicine. Building a recovery community — people who understand what you've been through and where you want to go — is one of the most protective things you can do for your long-term recovery.

1. Attend a peer support group — AA, NA, SMART Recovery, or CAN

   Regular attendance at a mutual aid group is one of the most evidence-based things you can do. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and SMART Recovery all hold meetings across the West Midlands. If 12-step groups aren't for you, SMART Recovery uses a more cognitive approach — try both and see what fits.

   SMART Recovery UK (opens in new tab)
2. Connect with SUIT Recovery Wolverhampton

   SUIT (Service Users In Treatment) is a peer-led recovery organisation in Wolverhampton. Run by people with lived experience of addiction and recovery, they offer peer mentoring, social activities, and a warm community that understands the journey.

   SUIT Recovery Wolverhampton (opens in new tab)
3. Consider becoming a peer mentor when you're ready

   Many people in recovery find that helping others is a powerful part of their own journey. When the time is right, volunteer peer mentoring roles are available through local recovery services. Giving back builds purpose — one of the foundations of long-term recovery.

Cravings are normal. They're not a sign that recovery isn't working — they're your brain adjusting. Having a plan for when they hit makes all the difference.

1. Know your personal warning signs — use the HALT check

   When you feel a craving, pause and ask: Am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired? Most cravings intensify when one of these basic needs isn't met. Address the underlying need — eat something, rest, reach out to someone — before the craving takes hold.

2. Write a relapse prevention plan with your key worker

   A relapse prevention plan identifies your triggers, your early warning signs, and the specific steps you'll take when things start to feel shaky. Having this written down — and sharing it with people who support you — means you don't have to think clearly in the moments when thinking clearly is hardest.

3. If relapse happens — reach out immediately, don't disappear Important

   Relapse is a common part of many people's recovery journey. It is not failure and it does not undo the progress you've made. What matters most is getting back in contact with your support network quickly. Shame and isolation after relapse are the real dangers — not the relapse itself.

Addiction takes a physical toll. Looking after your body in recovery is not vanity — it's part of the process of becoming yourself again.

1. Get a full health check from your GP

   Substance use can affect the liver, heart, lungs, and mental health. A full health check helps you understand where you're starting from. Be honest with your GP about your history — they've heard it all before and can't help you properly without the full picture.

2. Get tested for blood-borne viruses — it takes minutes

   Hepatitis C and HIV are much more common among people who have injected drugs, but both are now treatable. Testing is quick, free, and confidential. Many recovery services offer on-site testing — ask at your next appointment.

   About hepatitis C testing (opens in new tab)
3. Address your mental health alongside your recovery

   Substance misuse and mental health problems often occur together — sometimes called a 'dual diagnosis'. If you've been self-medicating anxiety, depression, or trauma, those underlying conditions need attention in their own right. Your GP or recovery service can refer you to specialist dual-diagnosis support.

Recovery requires a stable foundation. Secure housing, income, and routine are not luxuries — they are part of what keeps people well.

1. Secure stable housing — recovery-friendly accommodation exists

   Recovery hostels and supported living schemes specifically for people in recovery offer a substance-free environment with peer community. Ask your treatment service about recovery housing options in the West Midlands.

2. Claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance

   If you're unable to work, you may be entitled to Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Your recovery service or Citizens Advice can help you navigate the benefit system. PIP may also be available if your mental or physical health affects daily living.

   Benefits advice — Citizens Advice (opens in new tab)
3. Think about work and purpose — at the right time for you

   Employment, education, and volunteering all contribute to recovery. Jobcentre Plus, social enterprises, and recovery-friendly employers can support you into work when you're ready. Don't rush — but having something to work toward matters.