Everyone always says that it takes a village to raise a child, but in reality, it takes a village just to make it through life, no matter how old you are. There are so many instances where no one could make it through their life without the support of family, friends, significant others, neighbors, co-workers, you name it. Everyone needs someone, whether you believe that to be true or not, life is much better knowing that you have at least one person by your side to help tackle life’s difficulties with, or someone who is just there for you. The same holds true when it comes to recognizing that you have an addiction that you want to overcome. The step that involves recognizing that there is an issue is all up to you, but beyond that, once you decide to make a change and to get help and get better, you will never, ever be alone. The community of people that you will have on your team is so strong, and it is one that can remain a part of your life for years to come, if not forever. Everyone wants to see you do well for yourself so that in turn, you can help others do well, the same way people will do for you. It’s a cycle of love, healing, and progress, and the right people will want you to be a part of it.
Care Centers
Care centers, namely inpatient treatment centers can be a great way to utilize a team to help overcome substance use issues. At these centers, those who choose to stay and participate in programs of varying lengths are given a comfortable place to stay away from everyone and external situations that could be triggers for substance use. They also do a great job of helping to recognize internal triggers that could be the culprit as well. When at these facilities, you have an entire team of people who are more than willing to help you to be healthy and to get back to being yourself. Therapists can help you to learn how to understand your thoughts and feelings and can work with you on finding and implementing positive coping mechanisms. Group therapy will also be available to participate in, which can aid in healing and progress, because everyone is helping one another. Whether you have needs that are physiological or psychological, there will always be someone to help meet your needs and help you through the transition from who you’ve been to the person you could be. What’s important to remember is that you will never be alone, some demons can be quite scary to face, especially on your own, but that doesn’t have to be the way that you handle the situation. You can allow people to help you and get you through this tough time.
Outpatient Programs
Programs such as the most common, Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.), among others, are conducted in group settings. The reason for this is because of the fact that recovery is a group effort. Gathering with other people who can relate to you and who have been there, is really comforting and reassuring. Being in the company of people who can relate, especially those who have been successful in overcoming their substance use issues is inspiring for those who are still working towards recovery of their own. Having a group that you can meet with, whether the frequency is on a daily or weekly basis, you know that there is a place that you can go to where you can have people to talk to and a group that you are welcomed into with open arms. Not to mention, you will have a sponsor who will be available to you when you need them the most. Eventually, you can even be that person for someone else. It’s all about using past experiences to shape better futures, and that is something that is better done together than alone.
Experiencing substance use issues can be quite taxing on anyone both physically and emotionally. When the time comes that you decide that you are ready to leave substance use behind and move on to better things is the perfect time to do so. You are probably aware that your whole life will change, but in many cases, change is for the better. Despite having reservations and fears about what the future will look like for yourself, know that it can only get better from here. To find out how having a team and community of support to help get you through, call us at (805)719-7954.
