Drug addiction can be a very lonely experience despite what some people might think. It comes with emotional highs and lows, financial pressures to keep up with substance purchases, and lies being told to loved ones. People may turn their back on you when they realize that you have a serious addiction problem and don’t know how to get out of it. Behind closed doors, people with addictions don’t know who to turn to and they could wonder if they will have to hide their habits for the rest of their lives. If you’re someone who is suffering from an addiction, remember that you aren’t a bad person. Anyone is vulnerable to building addictions, especially if their family has a history of addictive personalities who regularly get caught into trouble. People with addictions still need help, just as much help, and ample love from others who genuinely care about their well-being. But how is that accomplished if the people around them don’t’ understand their experience?

In order to live a life not needing drugs or alcohol, a person with an addiction problem can take out a recovery companion to gain the emotional support, reliable advice, and companionship they crave for. Their parents won’t know how to deal with withdrawal effects to recognizing triggers of addiction, but their recovery companion will. Their friends may leave their door stop with disappoint and vow to cut ties, but a recovery companion vows to be there for the addict no matter what throughout the entire treatment process. In fact, a recovery companion’s job is to make sure that an addict stays away from people who influence them negatively, rebuild their sense of self confidence, and connect them to local support systems outside of themselves. They help the addict build the bridge to cross over from feeling isolated and defeated to strong and capable. Without that help, an addict could feel like they have no hope and their lifestyle could fall into an even deeper hole than before. Let’s discuss key benefits of getting connected to a recovery companion and whether or not it’s the perfect choice for you during treatment.

Support Group, Recovery Companion, Or Both? 

With the stress of having to deal with addiction, people may not know what actions to take first. If you are seeking treatment you need to weigh your options of whether a support group, recovery companion, or accessing both will help you the most. This comes down to your personality type, your lifestyle, and your time commitment to participating enough with resources. If some key things to remember when you are making a decision include:

• How much time you have during the week. While it sounds great to have access to a support group and a recovery companion, you may need to choose the outlet that best suits your socialization style. If you only have a few hours to spare and can’t make meetings because of family responsibilities, a long commute, or a demanding job, having a recovery companion will be better since they can be reached nearly all the time by the phone. You don’t have to meet them at a pre scheduled time in some facility when you need to get into contact with them. If you of have a lot of free time and thrive in socializing with larger groups of people, a support group may be more beneficial since you’ll get to meet people from all walks of life. Together, you can benefit from diversity of thought, shared tips to battle withdrawal symptoms, and hopefully become a strong knit group of friends as you go through treatment.
• How dependent you are on others. If you are someone who regularly calls your mom when any problem arises, you may benefit more from a recovery companion. While calling you mom is great and isn’t sometime be looked down on, she can’t be solve all your problems like anyone else in your life. With a recovery companion, you can reach out whenever you stumble across an issue with your treatment.
• How many symptoms you have. This is a grey area since you should be in contact with a doctor if you have serious withdrawal symptoms. However, more often than not we don’t have the time to go to the hospital. More simple issues and questions can be probably solved with the help of a recovery companion since they were right in your shoes. If you don’t know what counselor is best in the area, don’t know why you are having a terrible headache, or don’t know what foods to eat to feel physically better, they may know the answer. Their job is to make you feel comfortable and supported no matter what happens. They need to gain new ways of thinking, a new perspective on handling problems, and form healthier habits that will last a lifetime.
• How many temptations you have. Drug addiction is a long and bumpy road without knowing how to strategically deal with your triggers. This is exactly why having unwavering support is so important beyond the scope of treatment itself. Our friends and family will have their own problems to handle and can’t help you identify what people, smells, sights, or sounds are best to stay away from as you go through treatment. Your companion will help you write down a list of everything you feel is unhealthy from you and develop a custom plan to deal with them in the long run. These behavioral adaptations take some time to become habit, and that’s why support beyond treatment is so important.
• How you like to talk to people. If you prefer face to face interaction, support from counseling and therapy for addiction are great so you gain more intimate conversations with people who truly understand what you are going through. You can find group therapy, individual therapy, and more to see which one works best for your recovery. In the larger discussions, you learn more about everyone’s experiences and can shoot of ideas easily to the leader. With a recovery companion, you likely will be texting or calling them more than seeing them face to face. But that is entirely up to you. Some younger adults like having a digital conversation more than a traditional one, especially if they’re extremely busy or feel shy at times around new people. For example, someone who is in college and is dealing with twenty credit hours of classes may benefit from a recovery companion more than a mother who’s staying at home to take care of her child. Both are equally capable to gain treatment successfully, but one may have different preferences over the other.

Recovery Companion For Success

If you want to be in connection with more than just one person while you go through recovery, joining a support group may be better for you. If you like building fewer but closer relationships, a recovery companion is a great step. You know better than anyone one else what you like so take that into account as you begin choosing between treatment support options. Never hesitate to reach out for help as you won’t know all the answers either. Approach problems with a clear head and try to remain as relaxed as possible if you are dealing with annoying withdrawal symptoms. Your support group will help you navigate the waves and come out successful if you stick it out!