Why is the Support System Important to Recovery?
Like with any major life undertaking, having support from the people you love can make all the difference in the world regarding the success or failure of the aspired venture. While it is possible to succeed on one’s own, when it comes to successful rehabilitation and leading a life of sobriety, being supported and encouraged by close friends and family members can carry one through moments of darkness and vulnerability.
There is no shame in leaning on those who love you for support when you need it. The mental block of believing no one cares or that you are somehow unworthy of comforting and care is a fallacy created by past wounds and reinforced by people who were not devoted to your well-being. Don’t allow an old mindset to stand in the way of genuine love and support. It is true that the rehabilitation process is largely an independent endeavor; that doesn’t mean you have to walk the sober path alone.
Support systems provide a third party perspective that may spot potentially harmful changes in your behavior before you do. Therapists and case managers will likely insist that you find some sort of support network upon leaving rehab as part of your aftercare plan. Some may even provide references and setup supportive care for you before you are discharged. This piece of advice should be heeded; Dr. Omar Manejwala, board certified in addiction treatment and psychiatry, reports that after one year of abstinence the chance of relapse is 50 percent and drops to less than 15 percent after five years (Manejwala).
As effective as some people find programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and similar support groups, having the support of those in your immediate circle offers a keen, third person objectivity which can be valuable in recognizing and intervening in potentially troubling behavior. Often times the people closest to you will see changes in your behavior long before you can identify latent threats to your recovery. Though it may be difficult to receive even constructive criticism, when people honestly want the best for you they speak honestly in regard to your well-being. You want this type of honesty in your new, sober life. The primary job of your support system is to encourage you through your triumphs and help you shoulder the burden through your hardships. While they cannot do your healing for you, the supportive figures in your life can help you bare some of the weight. Remember- this is a chance to learn and grow for everyone involved.
Additionally, sober celebrations with the people who love and support you make each victory all the more rewarding. What’s important to understand about substance abuse is that it is a chronic, debilitating, and possibly lethal disease. Simply completing a rehabilitation program doesn’t ‘cure’ you; often they are too short to do more than scratch the surface of causes and steps needed for correcting behavioral issues. Just like all chronic illness, a lapse in treatment can lead to a relapse in the disorder.
You are a survivor of a disease that claims thousands of lives a day. You are a warrior battling against a powerful enemy. Give your achievements and your continued endurance due praise. Celebrating even the smallest victories boosts confidence and reaffirms fledgling self-worth. While it may seem easy to make yourself feel better with a few drinks or a pill, it is nothing more than divergence and burying your emotions. These emotional problems become deep rooted and harder to address the longer they are ignored or pushed down. By reveling even the smallest victories, you can break the erroneous bonds between substance abuse and happiness to reform them into healthier associations.
Being vocal about your experiences can be cathartic. Your story is valuable and worth telling; your voice could save someone else. Use your experience to be an advocate for addiction recovery even if your audience is small or limited to a friend or family that may need help. If you want to contribute to the fight against addiction on a larger scale, finding local organizations or attending events in a show of support is a great way to be heard. You don’t have to be rich and famous to impact those around you and change their perceptions on substance abuse. Hearing your story may be the catalyst of an important conversation that saves a life or prevents a child from wandering down a dangerous path toward addiction.
It Takes a Village: Finding the Right Support System in Addiction Recovery Page 2