When a drug addiction takes over every moment of your life, only the help of the professionals at an in-patient treatment program can set it back on track again. But no matter how steady and in-control you feel when you leave an in-patient program, heading back to your former home city can trigger you to return to your old behaviors and habits. Find out how moving to a new city directly from a rehabilitation program is the best way to break the cycle of addiction through the power of relocation.

Recovery Communities

First, planning a timely relocation allows you to move directly into a supportive community filled with other people who are also committed to living a sober lifestyle. Normal neighborhoods vary greatly in terms of being a supportive environment, and running into current addicts by accident could result in you getting pulled back into your former lifestyle or a whole new problem. Sober communities are dotted across the country, but they're primarily concentrated in areas like Florida and California that are home to the bulk of in-patient and out-patient rehabilitation facilities. Relocating to a sober community allows you to

• Make friends with others in recovery
• Turn to your neighbors for support in a hurry instead of having to wait until a group meeting
• Stay active in the community without having to worry about running into a relapse trigger.

Fresh Reputations

Worried about everyone in your small town talking about you and your recovery? Moving to a new city where everyone is a stranger can free you from the pressures of feeling judged and haunted by your past behaviors. Being asked about your bad habits over and over again is a common trigger for relapse, so starting with a blank slate is worth the hard work and cost of relocating to a brand new city.

New Friendships

Even if you don't decide to move to a specific recovery-focused community, it's still empowering to start new relationships with strangers instead of trying to forge new relationships with former friends who you've hurt. Addicts tend to drive friends away until they're only surrounded by others with serious drug and alcohol problems of their own, and being recognized and offered drugs again makes it hard to stay focused on your sobriety. Developing new friendships that don't involve drugs is an essential part of staying in recovery and avoiding relapse, and it's easier to achieve these goal with a whole new set of people who don't know about your history.

Fewer Triggers

Imagine you're minding your own business and focusing on your healthy new habits, but then you pass that familiar corner where you always used to meet your dealer. It's very difficult to avoid the pressures of relapsing when every store you pass and each room in your house is tied to dozens of good and bad memories involving drugs. While a new city will still have some triggers you need to avoid, at least you won't have to fight against your own memories while shopping for groceries or going to work.

Better Laws

Finally, being open to relocation also allows you to consider the variations in drug laws across the country. By getting permission to transfer your probation if necessary, you can serve the rest of your time in an area with better job opportunities thanks to anti-discrimination laws that don't require you to disclose your history as a drug user to potential employers. Moving to a state or city with more permissive laws towards former addicts allows you to focus more on rebuilding a sober life with less red tape to get in your way.

For more information to help with your recovery, talk to local drug treatment centers or visit websites like http://www.olalla.org.