Recovery is a lifelong process that sometimes requires a village to maintain. For this reason, having a strong support system of peers to help you out is critical. Yet, you can also help others through their recovery journey. Once you gain confidence in your recovery, you will be more equipped to help those in early recovery. In turn, this can benefit you and keep you accountable for your sobriety.
We at West Coast Recovery Centers believe there is power and strength in numbers. Finding emotional support and comfort in another struggling with substance use disorder (SUD) can make all the difference in your journey. Sometimes, one peer mentor is all it takes to prevent a relapse or even worse. Continue reading to learn how you can help someone in early recovery and how it aids in your sobriety journey today.
Knowing When You Are Ready to Help Others With Their Recovery
There is no blueprint for addiction recovery. Each journey is individualized. For this reason, it can be challenging for some to know when they have a strong foundation. However, once you have a strong foundation for your recovery, you can begin helping others with theirs. The first step is determining that you have a strong sobriety and are ready to help others. Yet, what does a strong sobriety look like?
There are a few telltale signs that indicate you have a strong recovery or have made tremendous progress. For starters, ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I taking care of myself mentally, physically, and emotionally?
- Do I have set routines that help me manage cravings or triggers and prevent relapse?
- What do my relationships look like? Have I made progress in healing broken relationships?
- Am I actively attending meetings or engaging with my peer support group?
- Do I have a long-term plan to help me stay sober despite potential relapse triggers?
These are just a few simple questions to ask yourself when evaluating your recovery progress. If the answers are yes and, more importantly, if your gut is telling you it may be time to make a difference, you might consider helping someone else with their early recovery.
Helping Others in Early Recovery
You probably remember the stress and challenges of early recovery all too well. Readjusting to life outside of treatment, learning to manage cravings, and figuring out creative ways to abstain from substance use are not for the weak. Still, you probably had help and support from friends, family, and people in your peer support group to get to this point.
Many individuals in early recovery actively seek out a sponsor. Sponsors aid people in their recovery journey through mentoring and offering advice, friendship, and support. These individuals are in recovery themselves and understand the challenges that come during early recovery and throughout sobriety. One way you can begin helping others in early recovery is by becoming a sponsor or a type of peer support worker.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes peer support workers as individuals who have successfully obtained recovery and “help others experiencing similar situations.” According to them, peer workers engage in many activities, which include:
- Advocating for people in recovery
- Providing services or skills training
- Sharing resources and leading recovery groups
- Mentoring and working on goals with mentees
- Building community and relationships
Of course, there is an evident reason why helping others with early recovery is a good thing. However, did you know that doing so can help you with your own recovery? Consider some of the benefits before deciding to take on the responsibility of helping someone else through their early recovery.
How Does Helping Others With Early Recovery Help You?
Accountability is an integral part of staying sober. This may include accountability to your family, yourself, or a peer. As a mentor, your mentee will look up to you. That means that when you succeed, they will have faith in themselves to succeed. It keeps you both accountable for yourselves and each other.
Helping others also reduces loneliness and boredom, which are common relapse triggers. Engaging in activities that keep substance use off your mind and help others is the best of both worlds. Amazingly, helping others, in general, can significantly improve overall mental health, even providing people with a greater sense of purpose.
Finding Your Purpose By Helping Others
Recovery, in general, can help people find their purpose in life. Maybe recovery helped you find yours, or you are still looking for it. Either way, by helping someone else, you can help them find their purpose, too, and you may find yours along the way. Helping others with their early recovery does so much more than just help them stay sober; it helps them completely change the trajectory of their lives, achieve their goals, and create a life free of substance use.
Treatment is only the first step, but having a village of support can help people continue the journey. To learn more about how you can help others in early recovery, contact West Coast Recovery Centers today.
Early recovery is a particularly challenging time for anyone new to sobriety. Not only do we have to retransition to our day-to-day lives, but we must also learn how to cope with triggers and cravings, repair damage to past relationships, and reset the trajectory of our lives now that we are substance-free. This is why peer support is so critical. The guidance and counsel of someone who understands the journey are invaluable to getting through early recovery and maintaining long-term sobriety. Once you have a strong recovery foundation, you can begin helping others with their early recovery. For more information on how you can mentor those in early recovery, call West Coast Recovery Centers at (760) 492-6509 today.