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Deciding to search for a recovery community is a significant step in a profound transformational process. However, it can also be where most people meet their first big hurdle on their path to recovery. Finding the individual’s ideal recovery community is essential and will impact much of their journey to recovery. Finding a recovery community that is right for each person may take some searching, but there are things that each person can look for when interacting with a community. Finding the right community can lead someone down a transformational path that helps them reach the goals they set for themselves beyond recovery. Taking steps to surround oneself with like-minded and supportive individuals is the first step in this transformation.
Be Open About the Issue You Want to Tackle
Recovery is never a simple thing to address. For someone who has internalized a need for change in their lives, it is crucial to delve into their issues. Addiction is just one part of recovery as a whole, and being open about other problems that someone is facing can better inform what kind of community they may thrive in. Addiction itself can develop as a result of other stresses in life. Being open to learning about how one’s job or social circle may have influenced their engagement in destructive substances or behaviors can help paint a more precise portrait of what recovery means to each person. Effective recovery communities can help each person address these underlying issues while also challenging them to build on their strengths.
Effective recovery communities are about much more than providing someone with a way to cope with an urge. They can be both a group that challenges someone to be better, a safety net to confide in, as well as understanding peers to celebrate with. They are support groups that understand the strengths and goals of their members. Being open about what one’s goals are in recovery can help them define what recovery means to them personally and then find a community that understands and shares in this mission.
Think About Your Goals
Having a goal in mind when looking for a recovery facility can also help each person identify an influential recovery community. These goals often stretch far beyond one’s immediate place in recovery and instead may involve personal and professional lifestyles that someone wants to accomplish due to their sobriety. Knowing what someone wants to achieve in life can help find a community with shared interests or ideas and lead to new friends who are pursuing similar goals for themselves. Whether someone is professionally driven or is more concerned about setting a familial goal and lifestyle for themselves, finding others who understand these goals can make reaching them feel tangible
Recovery communities are also made up of the sum of their individuals. Having an idea of what one’s goals are when searching for a community of their own can be exceptionally beneficial. Supportive communities may also have individuals who have set similar goals for themselves or are in similar professional fields and can act as mentors for those just beginning their recovery journey. Mentors are impactful people who can act as guides as someone begins to navigate their path to sobriety and balance their plans. Having a mentor can prove to be a valuable professional reference and an understanding and supportive coach through even the most slight difficulties in recovery.
Being a Part of the Supportive Atmosphere
Each recovery community will have a different atmosphere. While some may take a more triumphant, relaxed tone, others may address difficult topics head-on. However, they all find ways to support and empower each other to share their experiences. Just as someone should feel at ease in being a part of the community, they should also feel confident in being a voice for others in it as well. This exchange of support can help deepen trust between members and allow each person to express their identity and goals in recovery more honestly alongside their struggles and vulnerabilities. A community can help someone realize that they are not alone in their struggles. The effects of a genuine recovery community can extend far beyond learning the skills to maintain sobriety.
Visiting different communities and physical locations may help someone better feel for the atmosphere and how it may impact them personally. However, each person must remain open to new experiences and people. While the first community that someone visits may not be the right fit, that doesn’t mean that someone will have to tackle addiction alone. Working with professionals to find an appropriate community for each individual’s goals can help someone focus on their transformational path. Finding the right community rather than the first community can have a more significant impact on each individual, both in addressing addiction and beyond.
Finding the right recovery community for each person can be difficult. The individualized approach available at START UP RECOVERY can help you take the first step towards your sober future today. We can curate a personalized plan for you and your strengths during your stay, backed by a robust core set of therapeutic opportunities. Our community atmosphere promotes all professionals, mentors, and peers to challenge each other to persevere through difficult times and share in celebrations of success. The comfortable air of community is backed by a luxurious setting where you can continuously feel your peers’ support and safety, even while you address your recovery struggles. This focus on transformation can help you continue to manage your own goals, even beyond the bounds of recovery, and establish a community of support that is always available through every recovery process stage. For more information on how we can personalize a plan for you, or speak to a representative about your unique situation, call us today at (310) 773-3809.