From Isolation to Connection: Why Social Support Matters in Recovery

We all need love and support from the people closest to us. This need is even greater for those in recovery. Addiction has a way of pushing people away from their friends and family. The secrecy, defensiveness, withdrawal, aggressiveness, etc. that come with addiction often sever relationships. Even in recovery, there’s stigma, isolation, shame, guilt, and all sorts of emotional barriers that make it hard to rebuild these connections. But as someone on the road to recovery, it’s very important to overcome these barriers and tap into the power of social support.

Social support is more than just having people around you; it’s about creating meaningful connections that can make a big difference in your recovery journey. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), social support is one of the most critical components of effective addiction treatment.

What Is Social Support?

Social support is the help and encouragement that you get from your social network as you work towards a successful recovery from substance abuse. This network includes family, friends, colleagues, and broader community members. It may also include your counselor or therapist, 12-step sponsor or coach, members of peer support groups, or a spiritual advisor (if you believe in a higher power).

These people play a huge role in providing the emotional, practical, and motivational support you need during your recovery journey.

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Importance of Social Support in Addiction Recovery

Recovery is challenging. And with so many triggers, you need people to cheer you on and encourage you to stay the course. Let’s have a look at how relationships with these people can impact your ability to maintain sobriety:

It Empowers You

Strong social support can empower you and boost your confidence, which is vital in recovery. You need all the confidence to face the challenges that come with recovery. You must constantly believe you’ve got what it takes to overcome any obstacle.

This self-efficacy helps you stay on track and makes you less likely to relapse. And on days when you feel low and less confident, your support system kicks in and cheers you on.

It Improves Your Emotional Well-Being

Emotional well-being is critical in recovery. Supportive relationships give you a safe space to share feelings and reduce loneliness. Even in group therapy and peer support meetings, you can share experiences and learn healthy coping strategies from others, which can help you heal emotionally. The last thing you want is to keep your emotions bottled up, as this can lead to relapse.

It Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Recovery comes with stress and anxiety. So it’s a good feeling to know there are people you can count on and trust. The more people you have in your support system, the more resources you have available to face your obstacles.

For example, when you feel shame or guilt about your past habits, you can turn to your peers in Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous for real-life experiences and coping skills. And when you need a hug, you know there’s a loved one ready to shower you with lots of them.

It Balances Your Expectations

When you were in an active drug or alcohol addiction, you likely spent a lot of time with people who validated your harmful behavior. But in recovery, that changes. You have to leave behind the old habits and people who still live in that life.

Instead, it’s essential to surround yourself with individuals who support your long-term addiction recovery journey. This involves actively participating in 12-step programs, seeking out new and enjoyable sober activities, and spending quality time with friends who are also committed to sobriety.

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By engaging in these positive practices, you'll be able to adopt empowering beliefs and cultivate healthy behaviors that can reinforce your recovery from addiction. Embracing a supportive community and a constructive lifestyle can significantly enhance your chances of maintaining sobriety and achieving lasting well-being.

It Makes You Happier

A strong support network plays a crucial role in enhancing your overall happiness and well-being. Positive social interactions stimulate the release of feel-good chemicals in your brain, fostering a deep sense of belonging and connection. Whether through online support groups or in-person meetings, these relationships can significantly enrich your recovery journey, making it more enjoyable and less isolating.

Moreover, having loved ones involved in your life means you don't have to face every challenge alone. They can provide practical assistance, such as taking you to the hospital if you're experiencing physical health problems or ensuring you have a safe place to live. These seemingly small acts of support can alleviate major stressors, allowing you to focus more on your recovery and personal growth. The reassurance that someone is there for you can make a world of difference, turning sometimes daunting obstacles into manageable tasks.

It Keeps You From Isolating

Most importantly, social support keeps you from isolating. Isolation can be a major hurdle in recovery – but loved ones can encourage you to stay engaged and involved in social activities. Drug abuse recovery groups can also help you overcome the fear and shame that come with addiction and make it easier to integrate with the rest.

What Types of Social Support Groups Are Available Today?

Here are some examples of support groups that you can join depending on your needs:

12-Step Programs

12-step programs are based on the principles outlined in the 12 steps, emphasizing personal accountability, spirituality, and mutual support. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which provides a supportive community for individuals recovering from alcohol addiction, was the first to use the program. The other group that is known to use the program is Narcotics Anonymous (NA), which is similar to AA, but focuses on individuals struggling with drug abuse.

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Non-12-Step Programs

These programs provide alternatives to the traditional 12-step approach, often focusing on self-empowerment and evidence-based practices. An example is SMART Recovery. It stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. It uses cognitive-behavioral techniques to help individuals manage their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to addiction. Other examples include Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), Women for Sobriety, etc.

Family and Friends Support Groups

These groups are for your loved ones. They are designed to help the people around you understand addiction and offer better support. Common examples include Al-Anon for families and friends of people struggling with alcohol abuse and Nar-Anon for loved ones of those dealing with drug addiction.

Medical Support

Even in recovery, you may still need to seek medical advice and support occasionally. Your caregiver can monitor your progress and recommend treatment if required. For example, if you are struggling with relapse triggers, they might recommend sober living or outpatient care to bring you back on track. And if you relapse – which is a normal part of recovery – they will get you back to treatment, which involves behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatment.

At More than Rehab, we understand the value of a strong support system. That’s why we always emphasize family involvement in treatment. We also have programs to help you transition back to your life smoothly. Contact us today if you wish to learn more about how we can help you recover.

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Does Counseling Work for Drug Addiction?

Millions of Americans struggle every day with an alcohol or drug addiction. Unfortunately, many of them never end up getting the help they so desperately need in order to get clean and sober. Battling a substance use disorder, or addiction is extremely difficult, and many individuals require outside help in order to stop using drugs or alcohol. Professionals consider drug or alcohol addiction to be a disease of the brain. It is something that takes rigorous, and often constant, maintenance in order to manage and keep under control. Many times, it is difficult to see the warning signs. Much like how someone needs to take insulin every day for their diabetes. For drug or alcohol addiction, however, treatment comes often in the form of counseling combined with complete abstinence from the use of drugs or drinking alcohol. But, does counseling work for drug addiction?

Getting clean and sober is a huge achievement, but few will deny that the road to success is a difficult path to take and often requires help. There are many reasons why people begin using drugs or alcohol in the first place, but a large share of addicts have likely suffered many different forms of trauma in their life. This trauma and environmental factors can lead to people trying drugs or alcohol for the first time. Also, the abuse of drugs or alcohol can serve as a coping mechanism for the trauma experienced by the individual. Either way, there are many reasons why counseling and therapy are a much-needed service to treat the underlying contributors to the disease. Here are several reasons how counseling can help an individual to recover from alcohol abuse or drug addiction.

How Does Counseling Work For Drug Addiction Treatment?

Helps Develop Coping Strategies

Drugs or alcohol eventually become a coping mechanism after people begin abusing either of these substances. Struggling to cope with the hassles of their day-to-day life, an individual will often return to the drug of their choice. This builds tolerance and makes abuse more prevalent. When a person gets clean and sober, that urge to use drugs or alcohol doesn’t simply go away. The person feels an intense need to use in order to cope, sometimes even for the most common struggles in life. Counseling can teach the individual new and healthy coping strategies. This makes counseling very effective on their path to recovery. Drug and alcohol addiction counselors teach addicts how to deal with stress in a healthier way, which proves much more effective in the long term.

Creates A Strong Support System

Having a strong support system is extremely important to someone who is recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction. A lot of times, people in need of drug and alcohol treatment feel as though they have no one to talk to when times get tough--even if they are lucky enough to have a meaningful relationship left in their life. Having a drug and alcohol addiction counselor allows the individual to feel like there is someone in their life who cares about them, especially someone that isn’t going to judge them or overreact to something they might say.

Be Aware of Co-Occurring Disorders

There can be underlying reasons why someone turns to drugs or alcohol. Self-medication for dissociative disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and other forms of mental health issues are extremely common. Drug abuse from illicit drugs can sometimes be a coping mechanism, which can prevent common forms of addiction treatment from working.

Gaining A New Perspective

Drug and alcohol addiction counseling is perfect for helping someone gain a new perspective on life. This shift in focus can be crucial to a person’s recovery from mental health disorders. Many addicts will often avoid admitting certain key facts – even to themselves. Something as simple as the fact that they are unable to stop using drugs on there is often avoided. Going to drug and alcohol counseling can help people identify behaviors that are self-destructive. Identifying behaviors that have led them to abusing drugs and alcohol in the first place ultimately teaches healthier and happier behaviors that won't be destructive in their future.

Building A Relapse Prevention Plan

Anyone who has ever gotten clean and sober after an addiction to drugs or alcohol knows that relapse is often part of the process. Many people who are new to recovery will end up using drugs or alcohol again. That’s just a fact. So, if you do relapse, just know that you are not alone. Understand that it is even more important during a relapse to reach out for help as there is always hope for recovery. If you have a drug and alcohol counselor, they will work with you in building a relapse prevention plan. This means helping to identify triggers, creating a plan to help you deal with them, and then providing the support necessary to help you get through those relapse triggers if needed.

Access to Additional Resources

Drug and alcohol addiction counselors are a great tool for helping someone to access additional resources. Aside from the emotional support, helping to learn new and effective coping strategies, and teaching how to manage triggers, a lot of people may not be aware of some of the additional resources available. Creating access to their local community services or even nationwide resources is part of the job descriptions for drug and alcohol addiction counselors. Not to mention, drug and alcohol addiction counselors often have access to resources that aren’t available to the general public.

Helping Repair Relationships

A major consequence for someone actively struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction is the major damage inflicted to many of their close, personal relationships. Sometimes even total loss of these relationships. When people fall prey to drug and alcohol addiction, they regularly alienate themselves from their loved ones and they often lie, steal, and cheat in order to continue abusing drugs or alcohol. These actions can cause a lot of damage to relationships in that person's life. Another benefit of working with a drug and alcohol addiction counselor is that they can offer advice on how to repair and maintain these relationships during recovery. And a counselor can offer advice and guidance on how to create new and healthy relationships as well!

These are just a few reasons why counseling for alcohol and drug addiction works. However, sometimes counseling alone is simply not enough. Thankfully, there are many different levels of treatment available in order to help manage drug and alcohol addiction. That is why it is important to reach out to an addiction specialist as soon as possible to get a proper assessment.

If you or a loved one are suffering from a substance use disorder, please reach out to our highly trained staff at More Than Rehab. We have a wide range of treatment levels and can provide the most specific and tailored treatment necessary, depending on the individual’s specific needs. The majority of our treatment programs offer drug and alcohol counseling so you can be sure to get the best treatment possible.