Reintegrating into a healthy community is an important factor in the rehabilitation process. It’s crucial to find a stable work environment, trustworthy church, and safe neighborhood to thrive in. At Renaissance Ranch, we value this integration, and as a result, we offer our special Lifetime Guarantee — a gift to everyone who completes our program that allows our services and support to extend past graduation and throughout a participant’s lifetime.
It’s not only important to find a safe, proactive community that encourages the recovery process, but it’s essential to understand what a negative, unhealthy community looks like to avoid influences that would happily provide relapse temptations.
Before finding a new community to invest in, your mindset must be sharply focused on the elements that make a community worth rehabilitating in, while remaining cautious of red flags that could serve as stumbling blocks.
Check out this healthy checklist to complete before actively seeking community and a place to belong within society post-recovery treatment:
Find A Community That Provides Promising Job Opportunities
The US Department of Justice funded a study that sought to find if there is any correlation between a city’s employment opportunities and crime rate, and as a shorthand summary, the answer is yes. Researchers found: “At the community level, employment structures social interaction, influences stability, and creates opportunity.”
Whether in a small, rural town or a big, bustling city, areas that provide steady, decent jobs build a more solid community where the opportunity to progress in rehabilitation is more encouraged. At the same time, the opportunity to access substances that would cause relapse in recovery is far less likely in a location filled with firm job opportunities.
In addition to finding a location that promises better chances to continue healing, it’s healthy to take advantage of a booming job market to find a stable schedule and financial balance. This offers opportunities to invest time and resources into more positive activities and stronger support systems.
Meanwhile, job security heightens financial stakes. A solid, steady job comes with greater financial gains, which often causes the brain to stay on alert and take more caution when deciding how and where to spend money. If you honorably earned this money and desire to continue reaping the benefits of a good job, then you’ll set a personal standard to do whatever it takes to keep your job.
A mindset like this creates a new, positive level of thinking and personal accountability as you continue your recovery, and all the while, make conscious efforts to choose friends and activities that won’t threaten your stable, healthy finances.
Look For A Community That Hosts Active, Plugged-in Churches
Spiritual well-being is necessary for overall recovery (mind, body, and spirit). When a community is home to plenty of churches that are actively engaged with the community and offers programs, groups, and classes to keep members plugged in, accountability is promising.
Healthy churches serve as the center of activity and support for the community, and when those churches are invested in locals, it’s easier to stay involved with positive friends. Active churches seek to connect with people Monday through Saturday, not just on Sundays, creating events like season-long softball teams, weekend cookouts, Christmas parties, and more.
This creates a more active calendar where you can stay busy in a healthy way and establish a foundational routine. The routine and rhythm of showing up for others in your church and community serve as a constant challenge to show up for yourself in all aspects of your life — including the constant journey of rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, a consistent schedule naturally reduces anxiety, including high-intensity panic attacks, since the brain can anticipate what’s happening next, whether that afternoon or five days later. The mind appreciates this heads-up and tells the rest of your body to relax since you’re prepared for what’s coming.
The Power Of An Encouraging Community
If you are wary of the church due to previous negative experiences but still desire to find the right Christian community, don’t hesitate to contact Renaissance Ranch. Our staff members can offer the support and resources necessary to connect you with a place to serve and grow.
At Renaissance Ranch, we have a saying that “Knowledge is power.” When you understand the power of an encouraging community, as well as the reward for creating a substantial, financially conscious routine, you can begin training your mind to look for career opportunities and local mission opportunities to not only plug in but serve others.
This is crucial to overall health because it establishes a deep sense of purpose and pride, and when you have both, you maximize the opportunity to continue making wise choices while constantly surrounding yourself with people who are positive influences and will be great accountability partners for the daily grind of actively seeking healing.
In fact, this is what rehabilitation looks like — prepping the mind to engage the spirit and body in soulful, healthy activities. By continuing this positive cycle, rehabilitation finds healing on much steadier, rhythmic ground.
Here at Renaissance Ranch, we understand that rehabilitation is just as crucial as primary treatment. Without creating the proper headspace to game plan for physical and spiritual activities that push you forward rather than pushing you back, it’s impossible to say that a simple 12-Step program or group-guided course will promise a smooth transition through rehabilitation. Renaissance Ranch encourages you to honor mind, body, and spirit and take your time when navigating the best places and plans for reintegrating into a safe routine. Our staff are here as your constant partners in this journey, and we are always available if you are struggling with finding a job, a church, or any other aspect of your drug addiction journey. Any part of your story that we don’t have the answers for, we can help you find. The Renaissance Ranch team is here to assist you throughout life’s ups and downs and everyday feats. To learn more about our assistance, contact us today at (801) 308-8898.