In recovery, we get a chance to author our own story, perhaps for the first time. It is important to create and own our experiences. Sharing our story can be one of the most empowering experiences in recovery and is a protective factor against guilt, shame, and self-sabotage. 

You can feel vulnerable when you are in your recovery, and a support network exists to comfort and empower you. Knowing people care about you helps with feelings of isolation and loneliness. It is your fight, but when you have a team cheering you on, it can have a significant impact on your recovery.

The Struggles in Recovery

You can feel isolated and alone when you struggle with a mental health disorder. Your life is changed, and you might not know where you can find solid ground to stand on. It happens to everyone going through it, but often you don’t understand that at the start. 

When you begin your recovery, it seems like only you have this problem, and no one understands what you are going through. Further, it seems like only you have this issue. It feels like you are broken. However, when someone puts their hand on your shoulder and tells you that they are dealing with the same thing, it can feel reassuring and bring about motivation to keep moving forward.

12-Step Programs

The Twelve Steps are part of the rock of recovery for people struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). They can help with any co-occurring disorders as well. If you are struggling with depression and SUD, 12-Step groups allow you a safe place to share your story without judgment or scorn. Everyone’s SUD is unique to them, and the groups will encompass all those tangent disorders as part of “your path.” When you can share your inner fears, actions, and aspirations, it lets you feel free of that anxiety about being vulnerable.

There are also peer-support groups that are very like 12-Step programs. In those groups, you will find people that have overcome the troubles in their life. There is no judgment there; everyone that has overcome a problem is welcome. These groups are empowering to the members, as the groups are about having succeeded and strengthening your resolve to not relapse in the future.

Peer and Professional Guidance Support Mental Health

Peer guidance and mentoring are good when you need someone looking out for you. It doesn’t have to be a formal partnership. It might just be a friend who listens to what you are going through and gives advice when needed. 

Being able to share your feelings with someone that knows you and knows what you have gone through, to know that the person knows the darkness but is still there for you, can be inspiring. A support network gives you a solid location to stand on. When you falter or have obstacles, it gives you a safe place to dust off your hands and get back up and moving.

You may also consider psychotherapy and psychoeducation groups. Such groups can create a space that addresses a whole-person approach. Being among peers and professionals within these settings is as empowering as other programs. They help educate you about your experiences with addiction and recovery, and they help cultivate a purpose to be part of something larger than yourself. These atmospheres also provide a structure to keep you on the right path, and the peers in those groups understand your experiences.

Groups for Your Loved Ones That Support Mental Health

You are not alone in battling against your disorder(s). Your family and your friends are struggling along with you in a different way. It is hard to see someone you love in pain. It is hard to see them striving to go forward and falter. Your loved ones see the obstacles before you and want to help. Your recovery is all about you, and only you can get through it. It is very frustrating not to be able to help you. That can create stress, pain, and sadness, and you need a place where you can heal. 

You need a place where you can tell your story without judgment. Many people may feel like they have let you down because they didn’t help you faster or didn’t understand what you were going through. That guilt festers in their mind. If it isn’t being dealt with, they may develop their issues in the future. There are many groups to help loved ones to get a support network to help them help you. However, it is best not to attend these meetings with them. These groups are for them, and they must have a safe place to express what they feel as they support you.