How Can I Help Others Now That I’m in Recovery?

In the early days of recovery, there is what is called the "pink cloud effect." This is when your body, mind, and spirit feel the best they have ever felt now that the substances are out of your system. You may find that you want to share that feeling with others. Or maybe you have been in recovery for a while and want to help others just beginning their journey. Whatever your reason, here are some things you can do to help others now that you are in recovery.

"Give It Your All" During Meetings

Meetings are where a lot of introspection takes place. Giving it your all means being vulnerable and digging deep into the topic of the meeting. This does not mean you have to speak for fifteen minutes. It means talking about what has been weighing heavy on your mind. It can be difficult at first, but it is imperative not to be lazy at your meetings.

Being Vulnerable 

Being vulnerable can have a few different benefits; it can allow others to relate to you and may make them see the problems they are dealing with in a new light. The other advantage this can have is that it makes people in the group feel comfortable about opening up about something they need to discuss. It can be hard for other people to open up; they may worry about feeling judged. If you start by deeply opening up, they might feel comfortable doing so themselves.

Every Little Thing Helps

Many meetings are self-supported or operate out of churches or volunteer groups. Even if all you can do is provide coffee, that little bit goes a long way. If you do not have the funds to help, you could always make the coffee or set up the chairs. All these little things you can do allow you to help others. It may not appear to be much, but you might be surprised how much people appreciate the little things.  

Start Your Own Group

If there is not a group near you, start your own. There are resources like SAMSHA that can help you start your group. Creating your own group can be wonderful for people in your area who struggle with substance use disorder. 

Giving Back

SAMSHA also offers training to get certified in things like Clinical Support System for Serious Mental Illness or Rural Opioid Technical Assistance. These are excellent ways that you can give back to the community. With these types of certifications, you can give back to your community on a much wider scale.

There are also grassroots organizations through drugfree.org looking for volunteers. Through them, you can give back by signing petitions for reforming drug policies. You can start local fundraisers. There is so much you can do to help give back to your local community.

Become a Sponsor

Sponsoring is some of the most rewarding things you can do in your life. Even if you are new to a program, you can at least take someone through the recovery process to where you are. It may not be on as big a scale as the last two examples, but you will be shocked at how incredible you will feel just being able to help one person through the same struggles you went through.

What to Avoid

While you may have people's best interests at heart, there are things that you can do that do more harm than good. One of the biggest things is trying to force someone into treatment that is not willing. This can weigh heavy on the heart because you know they are struggling, and you want to help. With that being said, forcing them into treatment is not the answer.

How to Help

There are, however, things you can do to help that person. You can show them how much treatment and recovery have improved your life. If they see that your life has improved drastically, it may motivate them to seek treatment and see it through.

The other thing you can do is be there for them when they do need help. The road to recovery is not always a straight line. If the person struggling knows that you are there for them and willing to support them through the hard times, they will come to you when they are ready. It should also be clarified that this does not mean enabling their bad behavior or poor choices. Being there does not mean enabling; instead, it means empowering. When you empower yourself, you empower others to help themselves, too.  

Wanting to help others once you are in recovery is great. Understand, sometimes this can lead to burnout or you not taking enough time to help yourself. While you want to do your best for others, if you are not taking care of yourself, how much good can you do? If you're feeling burnout and worrying that you may relapse, it can be difficult to find help for individuals with issues with substance use and mental health disorders. Our programs work to help keep you motivated, accountable, and connected to the community. We provided family options; you and your loved ones will learn about addiction and find healthy ways to manage challenging moments. If you or a loved one is struggling to maintain recovery, then the time to seek help is now. To find out more about our programs, call us today at (303) 558-6400

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