When you’re an addict, you feel like you’re the only one in the whole world with this problem. Despite the fact that 20 - 25% of Americans have an alcohol or drug use disorder, addiction is a very isolating, lonely experience.
Knowing that you’re not alone and getting the support of a community of people who have experienced the same problem can make all the difference in the world. Here’s why sobriety takes a village; it is possible with community support.
Community Support and Sobriety: What Does the Research Say?
Research has shown that peer-supported community groups that focus on self-determination have a positive impact on recovery rates. When you can talk to people who know what you’re going through in recovery, it helps you stay on the sobriety course.
People who have been through what you’re going through can give you tips on what helped them. Sometimes just sharing their experiences can give you the motivation to keep going.
Peer Support Groups Give You a Unique Perspective
While professional counselors play an important role in recovery, your peers truly know what addiction feels like on the inside. They have that unique perspective of someone who’s been through the process of addiction and recovery.
That builds credibility in a way someone who hasn’t experienced it can’t. A community of people who have been there and done that can help you in ways that people who don’t know how strong the lure of addiction really is.
Peers Can Call You on Your BS
Recovering addicts also know what it’s like to lie, even to yourself. They know all about making excuses to use and playing the victim because they’ve done it too.
They can call you out on your BS because they used that same BS themselves. They know exactly what it’s like, and they know it all because they’ve done it all.
With a Little Help from Your Friends
Facing sobriety means facing up to those internal demons that caused you to use in the first place, and that’s scary, really scary. It’s one of the bravest things you’ll ever do, but it gets a little bit easier with a little help from your recovering friends.
They’ve had to face their demons too, and they know how gut-wrenching the process can be. They know what it feels like to want to climb back inside that bottle or get high to avoid having to do that. But they also know what it feels like to break free of those old wounds, and when they can share that feeling with you, it can give you the courage you need to keep going.
Sober Sidekick: Your Peer Support Community
Sober Sidekick has over 150,000 people who know just what you’re going through, and they are eager to support you through the sobriety process. You can reach out to them anytime, day or night when you need a little extra support.
You are not alone, and when you know that others have been through it, too, that can help you feel a little less isolated during those hard times. Sobriety is possible with community support, and Sober Sidekick is just the community for you! Give it a try today.
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