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After completing a recovery transformation, many alumni go on to give back to the community that has helped them work towards their goals. However, joining an alumni program and continuing to share in one’s journey through sobriety can be a stressful venture. Someone may feel torn on balancing their position as a role model for those just beginning their recovery and establishing themselves as a peer. While these roles can seem to stand in stark contrast to each other, balancing these approaches can help someone continue their healthy lifestyle while giving back to their recovery community through an effective alumni program.
The Importance of Alumni in Recovery
Being an alumnus is an incredibly noble thing to do in recovery. They play a crucial role in establishing themselves as proof of success in a recovery transformation. For someone who is just beginning their journey through recovery, seeing this success with someone who understands recovery trials helps empower and motivate them to see the program through. These bastions of success can make each person’s goals feel achievable and can stand as a needed example of the importance of maintaining sobriety, even during the most challenging times.
The Stresses for the Alumnus
However, this expectation can be stressful if the alumnus is asked to bear this image of hope for others regularly. This can make someone feel as if they have to put on an act again to appear strong at all times. Setting such expectations for oneself can end up doing more harm than good to their recovery. Being a role model in recovery doesn’t mean that someone can’t exhibit their weakness and is still allowed to struggle from time to time. Highlighting these factors for someone just beginning their recovery journey, rather than trying to appear as a stoic symbol of strength, can inform others of the true nature of recovery. It can be much more essential to learn the importance of vulnerability and community in recovery than just exuding an air of confidence that may or may not be genuine. Showcasing a willingness to reach out for help, speak candidly about one’s own experience, and work with others may be the most impactful thing that a role model can do, all while still allowing the alumnus to have an outlet for their stresses in recovery.
What It Means to Be a Peer in Recovery
Despite someone having gone through their recovery transformation, alumni are still peers to those beginning their journeys. Seeing one’s self as a peer can be a sense of relief for each alumnus, as it can further deconstruct the idea that they have to put on a confident mask at all times. Being a peer means that someone can continue to grow their social circles while still engaging with people at any part of the recovery process. Acknowledging that someone is always learning about their recovery can help develop a community, rather than a hierarchy, of recovery. Seeing oneself as a peer helps to continue the atmosphere produced during one’s own time in recovery and can continue to pass on the support and feelings of equality needed to address challenging aspects of recovery.
Balancing the Roles
Balancing the roles of an alumnus can come down to setting the right expectations. Although they have accomplished their transformation and are actively giving back, the continued health and well-being of each alumni’s recovery still comes first. There isn’t an expectation that an alumnus will always have the right answer or the best strategy, just a willingness to share their personal experience. They aren’t expected to be able to take on the role of professionals in recovery.
Each alumnus can also create their levels of commitment. While giving back to one’s recovery community can make a big difference for all involved and help keep one’s recovery at the forefront of their minds, that doesn’t mean that someone will always have the time to balance it in with their own lives. Becoming an alumnus is a personal achievement, and how often someone gives back and the ways they choose to give back to the recovery community can all differ. While some people may thrive from continuing regular sessions as an alumnus, others may benefit more from taking on a mentorship role with an individual who shares personal interests or goals. Setting how much someone can give back based on their continued recovery and time can help dictate how each alumnus will take on their new role.
The stresses of being an alumnus can be challenging to cope with. However, it is essential always to put your health and sobriety first. This can be achieved by recognizing the stresses of being an alumnus and learning to balance the roles of alumnus and an individual in recovery. At START UP RECOVERY, your stay with us can be catered to help you address your concerns and goals in recovery. By personalizing a program for you, backed by a robust set of core therapeutic practices, professionals, peers, and mentors can work together to create an impactful plan for your unique situation. Our luxurious approach is intended to provide the needed comfort each day as someone tackles their insecurities through recovery while providing the resources for each person to continue to build on their strengths. For more information on any of our core practices or to learn how we can personalize a recovery plan that fits your needs and goals, call us to speak to a caring representative today at (310) 773-3809.