You may be deeply engaged with your peers during treatment. However, after treatment, many individuals move on and lose their connections with the recovery community. Fortunately, there are things you can do to stay involved.
Benefits of Involvement
Staying involved with people in recovery can provide you with many benefits. These benefits can positively impact your mental health, strengthen your social circle, and promote sobriety maintenance. They can also give you opportunities to give back and help others within the community.
The benefits of involvement can differ depending on your situation, but they often increase the success of people’s long-term recovery.
Smoother Transition
As you leave treatment and reintegrate into life into the outside world, you are likely focused on adapting the skills you’ve learned and solidifying the habits you’ve created. These skills and habits can give you some structure. However, you may still worry about the unknown aspects of life after treatment. While you have the skills to overcome any obstacle you encounter, some situations can leave you feeling confused or frustrated. These situations can happen to anyone and can increase the chance of relapse.
If you are actively involved with the recovery community, you can have support from others who understand this struggle. When you encounter signs of mental or emotional relapse, you will have a support system to rely on. Having this support when needed can help you stay on track. It can also give you more ideas and motivation to handle the obstacles you face.
Long-Term Sobriety Maintenance
Individuals who live in recovery homes and remain engaged with the recovery community for a minimum of six months after leaving treatment have a better success rate with long-term sobriety maintenance than those who attempt to adjust to life outside of treatment on their own. Continued engagement with the recovery community lowers the risk of relapse by nearly 30%.
Because of the extra support that is received from being a part of this community, many individuals find themselves reaching a high level of success. After all, having support is often better than attempting to overcome obstacles on your own.
Positive Impact on Others
As you continue in sobriety maintenance, you can be a member of support in the recovery community for individuals in the earlier stages of recovery. Becoming an influence on the people around you can positively impact your community. Although the help you give another person may seem simple or small in your eyes, it can make all the difference to a person who is struggling.
Giving back to your community after you’ve been supported is a fantastic way to celebrate your journey and express your gratitude for the help you received. The gratification of helping others through something you once never thought you would overcome can be empowering. Share your experience and knowledge with others to help them overcome this process and reach their goals, just as you did.
Access to Resources
Being engaged with the recovery community can connect you with potential resources that you may not have known are available to you. Many professionals within the recovery community can help you when more severe issues arise. These might include a need for therapy, job recruitment, educational needs, or questions regarding general adult life. This community can help you in aspects outside of sobriety maintenance and help guide you down the right path.
How to Get Involved
After stepping away from the recovery community, you may find it difficult to regain your level of involvement. It can be uncomfortable to approach a group you may have once been a part of or to emerge yourself into a new group. However, the recovery community is full of acceptance. Understand that you are there for the same reasons others are. You are not alone.
Find Events Near You
Many events are hosted with the intent of fundraising for addiction recovery or strengthening the recovery community. By attending these events, you can likely meet people from the recovery community in your area and find more information about the community.
If you are unable to find an event near your area, you can try hosting an event of your own to raise awareness and support on the matter. This involvement is a great way to initiate a connection into the recovery community and meet people with similar interests.
Reach Out to Your Treatment Team
Another great way to get involved again with the recovery community is to reach out to the treatment team you previously worked with. Many places have alumni programs to engage with and ways that you can get involved.
Reach out to someone you trust from your program and ask about the options that are available to you. You may reestablish some of the relationships that were made in the treatment process and create a life-long friendship.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Many people avoid engaging with the recovery community because they fear the potential judgment that can occur from reaching out. Many of the individuals who are involved approached the community with the same fear as well. Put your newfound life skills to use and reach out. Stepping out of your comfort zone can allow you the opportunity for these relationships to blossom.
The recovery community is a great resource to use throughout your recovery journey. As you leave treatment, you may desire to step away from this community and take a break. However, many benefits come with staying involved. Even if you have stepped away, it is never too late to get involved and take advantage of the community benefits. Staying involved is a great way to help spread awareness of the effects of a substance use disorder, connect with individuals who understand the hardships, and maintain a network of support throughout your lifelong recovery journey. Being part of this community is a great way to have fun and engage in sober activities with like-minded individuals. You may have to step out of your comfort zone, but the benefits are worth it. To learn more about getting involved with the recovery community, reach out to Dream Recovery today at (949) 732-1960.