Addiction is a lonely disease. People suffering from addiction often fear judgment and recrimination from their family and peers. They seek to hide their addiction from the world, ashamed that they are no longer in control of their lives. Shame can even prevent people from seeking help from drug and alcohol abuse treatment. They suffer much longer than they need to.
An inpatient recovery program can help you safely detox and teach you tools to help you stay sober after you leave. But the idea of doing it on your own once you leave the rehab facility may be overwhelming. Once you take that step toward health and a better life, you will need the support of others.
Even well-intentioned families may not understand all you’re going through. That’s where alumni groups come in. Many substance abuse treatment centers sponsor alumni groups to provide lifetime support to people in recovery.
Why Go To an Alum Group?
There are days when it feels impossible to stay motivated on your sobriety journey, and you need an encouraging word. There are days when you feel especially tempted to return to drug and alcohol use and need to surround yourself with other people who will help you stay sober until the temptation has passed. There are days when you just need to vent your frustrations or speak your fears to another person who has been where you are and hear that your experience is normal.
You may or may not have a supportive family to go to, but you aren’t facing this journey alone. You have a community of your peers who are all committed to getting and staying sober and who will help you.
Perspective
Especially during the first stages of detoxification and recovery, you may feel like the path to sobriety is too difficult. You may feel like you’ll never stick with the recovery program. You may question your worth and your continued existence. You may feel like you’ll never be happy again.
The thing to remember is drugs and alcohol affect your thinking. Emotions run high, and they may lead to unhealthy or debilitating thoughts. The ability to seek out your peers and see that your negative feelings are temporary can give you the strength to keep moving forward.
It is also important to see how the lives of your peers have changed after recovery. Listen to their stories. Discover how recovery helps men and women gain greater confidence and self-respect and become better individuals, fathers, and mothers. They found strength they didn’t know they had and courage to face their challenges head-on. They learned better coping skills to help them manage their lives. You can, too.
Community
Addiction thrives in isolation. This is why community is so important to people in recovery. In an alumni group, you will make lasting friendships in a judgment-free environment. You will be able to find “your people.”
You will also get support from those who have the same goals. In a society that serves alcohol at nearly every adult function and holiday, it can be difficult to live a full social life without unnecessary exposure to temptation. Sober activities and celebrations with people as committed to staying clean as you are helps you enjoy life.
These activities also offer a healthy environment for families. Your children can also find community with others who have shared their experiences.
Guidance
You may occasionally run into difficult situations you don’t know how to handle. How do you bring up recovery in a new romantic relationship? Or how do you handle job interviews if your addiction led to trouble with the law? Seeing how your peers handled similar situations can help you navigate these experiences.
You may also find your peers in the alum group have the resources you need. Where do you find a good attorney to help you get custody of your children again? Where can you look for a job that will hire people with troubled pasts? Or if you’re struggling to make ends meet, what financial resources are available to help you keep food on the table and heat in your home so your family is both safe and healthy?
Chances are, whatever struggles you’re facing, someone in the group has also been down that road. And if not, it can be helpful to have someone on the outside looking in. Sometimes you’re too close to a situation to see your way through it, and you need fresh eyes.
Conclusion
Addiction may be a lonely disease, but recovery doesn’t have to be. By utilizing the alum group from your drug treatment center, you can better position yourself for success. You move forward as a group toward a common goal. And one day a newly recovering person with addictions will turn to you for advice and perspective because you’ve been where they are. You’ve made a healthy fulfilling life for yourself and your family, and that person will need your guidance to achieve the same goal.
Want more information about alumni groups? Our Band of Brothers and Sober Sisters alumni groups provide lifetime support following treatment in our men’s and women’s rehab programs in Idaho and Utah.