Each person in recovery is different in terms of what it is they need and how they get support from others. However, one of the things that remains the same is that everyone needs support in some form of another.
That is why building a support network is essential to long-term stability, providing you with people who can be there when you need emotional support, a shoulder to cry on, someone who understands what you’ve gone through, or someone who can give you advice.
Why Building a Support System Matters
So why is building a strong support system important? Building a support network in recovery means you are more likely to:
- Finish your rehab program successfully
- Continue to participate in support group meetings or therapy
- Avoid a relapse
Having a support system means having people you can turn to when you are triggered, people who are there for you in the form of going for a walk, getting out of town for an afternoon, or just meditating with you.
It also means having people that understand what you’re going through, people who can offer support, who may have been in your shoes before or who can give you advice on coping skills.
One person can’t provide everything you need and they’re not supposed to. That’s why a whole network is so integral to your recovery because it provides you people you can turn to when you have different needs like actionable coping skills, someone you can vent to, or someone who can just sit with you.
Building a Support Network in Recovery
Building a support network in recovery means having multiple people or groups to whom you can turn for different things.
For example:
Tom is in recovery and he knows that building a support network is important because he can succeed in his recovery alone. So his support network includes his spouse to whom he can turn for intimate conversation about his feelings and support within the house.
However, building a support system in recovery means more than just a spouse as that one person can’t always be his entire form of support. So Tom also has his sponsor and he can call his sponsor when he is feeling overwhelmed, triggered, or just wants to talk.
Tom has a support group he goes to regularly and he knows that they are there for him and they want him to succeed.
Tom has worked hard at building a strong support system and part of that has been a close coworker and a best friend both of whom are there in different circumstances, both professional and personal, to hold him accountable and to willingly participate in sober activities with him or to be the person at a work function that also doesn’t drink.
In Tom’s case, his support system includes:
- A spouse
- A sponsor
- A support group
- A coworker
- A best friend
As Tom is working on building a support system he might find that he needs more or less support at any given time and that might mean a therapist or someone else with whom he can talk, or even his doctor.
Now consider another example:
Sharon is currently in treatment but she is being encouraged to build a support system when she is done.
So Sharon has made a list of the people she might need/want in her support system including:
- Her father
- Her sister
- Her best friend from college
- Her support group
- Her therapist
Sharon knows that when she leaves, her father who also has a history of addiction but has been sober for 27 years, will understand what she is going through and be there to support her while her sister is one of her best friends and is someone she knows she can call day or night.
Her therapist and support group give her a different kind of help, with things like insights into personal triggers and actionable coping skills whereas her best friend provides emotional support and is happy to participate in sober activities with her.
Building a Support System with The Differents
At The Differents, part of our outpatient rehab is designed to prepare you for what comes next. During any level of care you will participate in support group meetings and group therapy. These sessions help you create a system of coping mechanisms you can use when you are triggered and a support network.
Regular participation in support group meetings can prepare you for continued participation in local support groups when you return home. Participation in group therapy can prepare you for socialization, exposing you to other people and sober activities as well as actionable skills that you can use as part of your recovery.
Call our team today to explore your options for recovery and building a support network.
