Addiction can be a lonely battle, yet it is a battle that doesn’t need to be fought alone. Addiction is a battle is more often won when you have an army backing you up and recovery is a battle that is often lost if you are fighting alone. As humans, it is common for us to hold the mentality that we can do it all on our own or that we are burdening our friends, family, or community if we are asking for help. When approaching recovery from drug addiction it is hard not to view victory over addiction as the insurmountable mountain where you fall with every step you take, especially if you are taking these steps alone.
On top of climbing a mountain alone, you are constantly being flooded with negative thoughts and emotions with nothing or no one to turn to except the one substance that led you to where you are today. This mountain to recovery seems impossible to do alone. Yet, with a team of friends, family, or those also struggling to support you, you find that overcoming this mountain is far more achievable than alone. Finding support in recovery from drug and alcohol is a crucial step to ensuring success and lessening the likelihood of repeated failure. Support can also help to lessen the blow of failure and catch you if you fall, allowing you to get back up on two feet on the right path.
This support group that is there to see you succeed can be made of family, friends, and those who are in the fight with you. Regardless of who it is, it is imperative that you seek support from others instead of just searching inward. Recovery becomes much more attainable when you have a group lifting you up and catching you when you fall.
Today we are going to look at the importance of having a support group in recovery.
What is a support group?
A support group in addiction recovery is usually made up of a collection of peer supporters. By definition, peer support is “giving and receiving nonprofessional, nonclinical assistance from individuals with similar conditions or circumstances to achieve long-term recovery.” Peer support is simply trusting those who also have or are fighting drug or alcohol addiction. A group of peers can often be much more powerful than just confiding in family and friends as your peers truly understand what addiction is like and how difficult the recovery battle truly is. The peer support group is powerful because of how it provides real assistance, advice, and support from those who know the hardships you feel and the battles you are fighting. A peer support group is also extremely beneficial because it allows you to express how you feel and how you are failing to a group instead of internally. Support groups made up of your peers allow you to be much more honest about your fears and failures as many of the people in that group have probably been in your shoes at some point. This understanding that peer support groups offer provides you with confidence and can lead to advice that is far more applicable to your situation. Support in addiction recovery is imperative but support from those you understand your battle is truly beneficial to overcoming addiction.
The benefits of support groups
Having a shared common experience with the other members of your support group allows you to be far more honest and open about your experiences and failures in recovery. Beyond this shared sense of support, support groups can provide many benefits to your addiction recovery journey.
A few of these benefits include:
These are just a few of the common benefits of support groups. However, no two addiction journeys are the same and every support group will provide a different number of benefits to each person. Addiction recovery is not a one size, fits all process and neither are support groups. The main benefit that support groups provide is the sense of community with those who understand what you are going through helping to eliminate the deadly feelings of isolation and loneliness that often lead to using drugs and alcohol.
How do I find a support group?
There are a variety of different avenues to discover support groups in your area. These avenues include going through the treatment facility you may be attending, finding a church or community center in your area that offers recovery support groups such as AA, or being introduced to a group through someone who you know who has or is going to an existing support group. Many cities or counties also offer support group services that are specific to the addiction you are struggling with.
Regardless, of what avenue you go down to find a support group it is important that you find a group of individuals who know what you are experiencing to help you fight for recovery from drugs and alcohol. Defeating the isolation that is a common result of addiction is often the first step to recovery. Support groups are an essential part of addiction recovery regardless of how bad off you may think you are. No battle is won without the support of any army, and the same is true when it comes to addiction recovery.
Created specifically for those who have loved ones that struggle with addiction.