What are recovery supports?

After someone finds the initial path to recovery, there is a need for recovery supports.   

First, it's important to acknowledge that the initial path to recovery can be navigated by multiple pathways. 

We all hear about someone going to treatment.   This can be a 21 or 28 day inpatient treatment, or, sometimes even longer.    Someone goes away and is given counseling and education, and then are sent home.    Or, someone goes to what is referred to as outpatient treatment.  This is where they stay in their community and go to treatment during the week.   Either after work or school.   Several times a week they go to a treatment center and they received counseling and education.    That's the very basic difference and information on treatment.   I will write about treatment in a later blog dissecting it in detail.

A person can also find a pathway to recovery through their own decision to stop drinking or using drugs and moving forward.  It does happen.  In fact, it happens a lot more than we hear about.  I have many friends, family members, and others, who recognized they had a substance use disorder, and, of their own decision, they stop.    Yes, there is almost always some kind of crisis that precedes this type of decision.  Whether it is a family member saying something, an employer saying something, or law enforcement involvement, there is some type of crisis helping a person recognize there is a problem.   There can also be the crisis of that person, the one with the problem, having their own crisis in their mind that can steer them toward stopping.  It can, and does, happen.

The key thing, no matter how someone recognizes they need to stop drinking and/or using drugs, is the afterwards.   Having some type of recovery support is key.    For those who's use hasn't reached the level where they are high on the scale for a significant substance use disorder, their need for recovery support may be a much lighter need.  For the other end of the spectrum, like myself, where my use of substances was heavy, I had a stronger need for recovery support. 

So what do recovery supports look like?  Here are some:

Mental health care:     For many, myself included, underneath the use of substance there is trauma of some sort.   Childhood trauma, adult trauma, something underlying the substance use disorder will need to be addressed.   Having access to mental health professionals will be key and is a vital recovery support for many in early recovery for sure, and, even long term after that.  For myself I have engaged in years of professional counseling that helped me immensely.   Without it my ability to say "I am a person in long term recovery" would not be in place. 

Employment opportunities:    Someone who is in early recovery NEEDS employment.  There are many factors that weigh heavy in this area for individuals.  The damage of addiction plays out in the financial area of someone life a lot.   Having access to a job is vital.   Employers who are willing to take on a person in recovery, many who may have a criminal record, will go along way in helping that person sustain their life in recovery.  I remember well those employers who gave me a chance early on.  I am forever grateful to them to this very day.    Some of the hardest working and most dedicated employees are people in recovery.

Health/Dental care:     HUGE! Access to health care is critical.  People in early recovery may have a multitude of healthcare issues that will need to be addressed for them to sustain their recovery.    I remember well my body telling me loudly that it needed attention in early recovery.   Dental was a massive area of concern.   I know many in early recovery, who without access to this area, could die.  I mean that.    This should be right under, or, maybe even number one, above mental health care. 

Support groups:  What is most common to hear about in this area would be support through involvement in a twelve step group/community.   My own past as a person in recovery has seen help through the support of a twelve step group.    Early recovery is a time where someone needs, in many cases, daily support.   By having access to daily meetings, and people who have the same needs, it goes a long way in building on early recovery, to turn it into long term recovery.   For some, faith based support is a path for having community support.   Many religious organizations have their own groups to support those in this arena and can be very helpful to those who want that pathway.   There are support groups for those who want a more secular approach.  SMART recovery groups utilize science based methods to support a person in recovery and have a strong following for those who want that pathway.    For even others, they may join a group who is supportive of exercise to support living a healthy lifestyle and supporting their recovery.   A newer organization, "The Phoenix", does just that.  They are people in recovery who support each other through their common bond of being healthy with exercise and are in recovery.  There are many other support groups that would take pages to write, but, the key thing is this:  There is no one pathway that is the cure all and end all.  There ARE a multitude of ways to support ones self as a person in recovery. 

Family:   For family, there are many ways to support a person in recovery.   What I don't like seeing, is a person in recovery, rightly so getting busy with their new life as a person in recovery, leaving their family behind.  Forgetting about the same people who supported them in many ways while in active use.     It is vital for all in the family to do things to support each other.   We know addiction effects everyone in the family.  Thus, it is important that the whole family heal.    It might be the case that some in the family go to their own counseling to learn how to move forward.    It can also be very helpful for the entire family to go to counseling.  This can be a great way to heal wounds from the past, and, learn strategies on how to move forward.    It takes willingness and effort on everyones end for the family to begin anew in many ways.    The family system WILL be in flux during early recovery.   The family system CAN heal and move forward IF everyone in the family can do the work needed.  I have seen it happen in my own family system and many others.    It isn't easy, but, it is worth it.  The picture below is an example of a family in recovery.   Myself, my wife, my son, and, his wife, are all in recovery.  We are proof positive that it works. 

Those are just a few of the areas described as recovery supports.  There are others and I encourage you to educate yourself on them all and find what works for you.  I close with my mantra in this area:

"There is no one way, to get to, or, stay in recovery"








Comments

Popular Posts