Recovery: Why it Is Important to Share Your Story

Every story of mental illness and recovery is profoundly important – to the people who have lived it and all humanity. Sharing your story with others makes your recovery more real. But before you lay out all the details to people, prepare them for the conversation. Stay calm and educate them about the truth and realities of addiction — it will help them get through the initial rush of emotion. Easing into the conversation helps others understand and have compassion for those with substance use disorders.

No longer is it just something you hope for; it’s something you’ve spoken aloud, passed around with friends and strangers, and laid claim to as your very own. Engage people in shared decision-making conversations about accessing evidence-based treatment for their condition. Describe how they have helped you to stay sober, how they have helped you to grow, and how they have helped you to build a support network. For physical changes, detail how your appearance has changed, how your health has improved, and how your overall energy level is different. Don’t shy away from sharing before and after photos if you have them. These physical changes can be a powerful reminder of the progress you have made, and they can be incredibly motivating for someone who is just starting out on their journey.

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Some observers might not relate to the ease with which you “quit your job” to pursue treatment, so they could tune out and miss key points in your story. This is one example of how embellishing your story can actually do more harm than good. Recovery is an emotional journey, and it can be tempting to embellish your story sharing your story in recovery for dramatic effect. However, it is important to be honest about your experience. By embellishing your story, you are doing a disservice to yourself and to the person you are sharing with. If there was a specific step within the program that was particularly helpful to you, be sure to mention exactly what it was.

Other times, more detail is better – a powerful story about overcoming the seemingly-impossible could motivate just about anyone. No matter which path you decide to take, remember that sharing your recovery story can help you, too. You’re more likely to stay focused on your recovery when you remember what were likely the darkest days of your life. Sharing difficult stories and life experiences with others makes you a stronger person. The experience of telling your story helps you process and heal, and it can even begin to make your recovery from drug and alcohol addiction more real to yourself and all those around you. If you enter programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or enroll in a sober living program with other people in recovery, you may eventually be faced with the task of sharing your recovery story. For some people, the prospect of doing this may be very scary and foreign.

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Find some tips for sharing the story in a way that honors you and your recovery community. Not everyone comes to an AA or NA meeting to share. Some people want to share, but others are there to listen. Still, it’s vital that those who want to share get an opportunity to do so.

• John is a Certified Recovery Residence Administrator.
• Individuals can remember this rule by mainly sharing “I” statements — ensuring the focus remains on you.
• When did you notice yourself using more and more each day?
• Your past can serve as a blueprint for others to follow, or it can be a warning of what not to do to maximize success and learn from failures.

If you excel at this sort of thing, then go for it. But if you feel that your story has ended and you are at a loss for words, it is time to leave the podium. When discussing repaired relationships, do not make yourself out to be a deity in the eyes of your children. The focus should be on the improvements to your principles; you should not be simply feeding your egoist personality. Many of us have tried to quit drinking or abusing drugs on our own, only for some outside influence to finally push us in the right direction.

Recovery: Why it Is Important to Share Your Story

Access resources to help you share personal stories about recovering from mental or substance use disorders. It is also about the people who have supported you along the way. Be sure to acknowledge your entire support system in your story. This includes your family, friends, therapist, sponsor, 12-step group, and anyone else who has helped you on your journey. These people have played a vital role in your recovery, and their support should be recognized. Everyone has a unique relationship with addiction and recovery. For others, it can seem to be a momentary lapse in judgment that quickly grew into a lengthy struggle.

But it doesn’t just detail your life in active addiction. It should also recount how you overcame challenges to gain hope and freedom in your recovery. Sharing stories is a way to connect with people and inspire others who may be struggling with behavioral health conditions. When you share your recovery journey and how your recovery has impacted those around you, you show people they are not alone. Your story can also demonstrate that treatment works and recovery is possible. In the present moment, we are the experts in our own lives. We have the power to change our story and write a new chapter.

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How did the treatment center staff, your sponsors, and your peers help guide your recovery? What do your daily habits look like now that you’re sober? These are all great topics to cover when you share. Telling your story in AA, at a rehab center, or for a public event may https://ecosoberhouse.com/ sound like something you never want to do. Life in recovery isn’t always flowers and sunshine. It’s difficult and it may not always be the sober life you envisioned for yourself. You don’t have to lie about being happy all the time or having everything figured out.

• This can help someone really tune in during that portion of their recovery that they may have glanced over otherwise.
• Yet there continues to be mainstream silence on these issues because of the negative stigma surrounding drug addiction.
• It’s easy to sugarcoat the idea of addiction treatment when you’re so passionate about it and have seen it work firsthand.
• Access resources to help you share personal stories about recovering from mental or substance use disorders.