Whether you’re taking road trips in the summertime or embarking on the long road of recovery, every journey begins with a healthy support system. The people who surround you are an important part of the success you have in every endeavor. They are the ones who hold you up when you feel weak and congratulate you when you feel strong.
Like comrades on a quest to destroy a magical talisman in the fires of a strange land, your friends and family can be supporters on your journey to overcome mental health issues and substance use disorder (SUD). You must determine who will accompany you along this path. These chosen support people are those you can lean on the most, and you need to know that they are up to the challenge.
At First Steps Recovery, our mission is to ensure you have the healthy support system you need to find the peace in life you strive for. We know that having personalized support in a dedicated rehabilitation center is a must. That is why our treatment plans help you create and foster a healthy support system. This is done by offering you the support of compassionate staff members, comprehensive alumni support, and resources for families.
Why a Strong Support System Is Important
Each facet of recovery requires a healthy support system. There are four major dimensions of recovery:
- Having good health means more than just sobriety. Just as every part of your treatment plan is holistic, so must be your approach to your health. This means you are taking care of your mind and body. Eating nutrient-rich foods, exercising, and making healthy choices can support your recovery.
- Home is where the heart is. It is important to have a safe and comfortable home that supports sobriety. Often that means having the right influences surrounding you at home. This may include supportive family, friends, pets, spouses, and children. A home is not just a building. It is a place to find comfort and stability.
- Purpose connects us to the world around us. No one of us is devoid of purpose, even when we do not always know what that purpose is. Sometimes others around you can see more clearly what you cannot see. This can help you find what you are best at.
- A community is a healthy support system by its very nature. It is important to find like-minded people who share your goals to be healthy. They can provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
We all need support, whether we are striving to live a healthier lifestyle, pursuing a more balanced home life, seeking a sense of purpose in life, or trying to find a community of our own. A healthy support system can carry you through to where you need to go. It is the single most important ingredient for success on your journey.
Finding a Healthy Support System in Your Care Team
One of the first parts of a healthy support system you build in recovery is the care team around you. The care team in a treatment program plays a critical role in both the diagnosis and treatment of your mental health or SUD.
At First Steps Recovery, our care team is a diverse group of professionals whose purpose is to ensure your success. No matter what your journey is, you can expect excellent care and compassionate involvement from every member of our care team. What’s more, you can expect it every step along the way.
Leaning Into the Right Therapies
Success is not just driven by sheer force of will. In the fields of substance abuse and mental health, finding the right therapies is just as important. Caring and knowledgeable staff members can help determine which treatments are best for a condition.
One of the best ways to know that your care is right for you is whether your treatment plan relies on evidence-based therapies. These therapies emphasize their effectiveness through scientifically tested results. Because of this, they are sure to promote healing and person growth.
How a Healthy Support System Benefits Your Recovery
Being a part of the right community can be the very definition of having a healthy support system. In the field of mental health and substance abuse recovery, there are few better community resources than leaning on your peers.
Alumni organizations in recovery often enlist peers to act as mentors for those in treatment and early recovery. These mentors are people who have successfully entered recovery and found sobriety. Subsequently, they make themselves available to those who are new to the process. Sometimes these people are referred to as peer support workers.
Peer support workers are an important part of the healing process. You may be a peer support worker now if you work with the alumni network at First Steps Recovery. Or perhaps you may have found a mentor among the peer workers. Whatever the case, it is beneficial to embrace your community as you find healing in recovery.
Growing Within a Healthy Support System
Peer support provides a necessary resource in recovery programs. These networks help clients create a healthy support system. A research review published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse found that social support in 12-Step programs greatly increases the chances of client success.
Studies like this highlight the importance of creating a healthy support system in recovery. You don’t have to try handling the big things in life alone. Your friends, family, and peers can help shoulder the burden. The people you love are there for you and want to help if you only let them in.
First Steps Recovery is dedicated to demonstrating its commitment to helping clients create healthy support systems that last a lifetime. With a caring and supportive staff and robust peer network, lasting sobriety and recovery are just a phone call away.
No matter where we are in life, we all rely on a healthy support system to get through the big stuff life throws at us. For those in treatment and recovery for mental health and substance abuse, having a healthy support system is essential. You can accomplish anything with a good support structure behind you. First Steps Recovery is committed to helping you build the support system you need. Our caring and dedicated staff are available to help and guide you through treatment. Our peer support network gives you the support you need from people who know exactly what you are going through. If you need to find a healthy support system, call us today at (844) 489-0836.
