Dismantling Addiction and Recovery Stigma with Recovery Education

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (17.3%) had substance use disorder (SUD) in a given year. Despite the prevalence of SUD, many people do not seek treatment due to barriers like a lack of resources and stigma. In particular, stigma can lead to treatment avoidance or even discriminatory policies that impede resources. Therefore, access to recovery education can be an invaluable tool for dismantling stigma to support access to treatment and recovery.

At Driftwood Recovery, we know forming healthy attachments in yourself and with others can turn clinical insight into action. The challenge of stigma can impair your connection to yourself and others. When you feel less than because of internal and external experiences with stigma, it becomes difficult to make healthy choices. If you are overwhelmed by negative thoughts and feelings, there is no space to learn and grow. Therefore, uncovering insight for self-love and understanding starts with opening yourself up to learning and growing. 

Recovery education is an integral part of connection and recovery. Through recovery education, you can build tools that support deeper self-awareness and self-understanding. With greater awareness and understanding, you can connect to yourself and others to foster positive thinking and behavior. Seeking recovery education can be fundamental to resilience post-treatment and maintaining your recovery.

Yet, you may question what recovery education is. How can recovery education dismantle stigma internally and externally? Expanding your awareness of recovery education can offer insight into the importance of recovery education for shifting the way you see yourself and how you engage in the world.

What Is Recovery Education?

According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, health literacy originally encompassed basic literacy skills like reading, writing, and numeracy in a medical context. However, health literacy has shifted and expanded to consider a wide range of individual, social, and cognitive competencies. Today’s health literacy also encompasses recovery education, as addiction can have significant health consequences for you and society. 

Access to health literacy is valuable to the well-being of all individuals. Low health literacy is common among groups like older adults, low education, the socioeconomically disadvantaged, and ethnic minorities. However, health literacy can be particularly beneficial to recovery education as those with SUD and co-occurring conditions often have low health literacy. 

Understanding the Impact of Stigma on Recovery

As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notes, stigma is the relationship between an attribute and stereotypes that suggest you have undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors. Addiction stigma is often coupled with public, structural, and self-stigmatized beliefs. For example, public stigma views those with SUD as more dangerous, unpredictable, and responsible for their disorder. As a result of public stigma, self-stigma often develops and further harms your well-being. For instance, public beliefs contribute to the perpetuation of negative thoughts and self-talk that erodes your self-esteem, self-worth, and self-efficacy. 

Listed below are the different types of stigma:

• Structural
  • Laws, policies, and regulations cause intentional and unintentional discrimination
    • Limits access to opportunities and resources
      • Increases poor physical and psychological health outcomes
• Public stigma
  • Prejudice is formed from stereotypes about a person or group
    • Stereotyping leads to discrimination
  • Views substance use as a choice
    • This leads the public to blame people with SUD for their condition
      • Decreases support for recovery options
• Self-stigma
  • You internalize negative stereotypes about yourself
    • You perceive yourself as flawed, unworthy of love, belonging, and connection
      • Decreases help-seeking behavior

Addiction stigma changes how others see you, how you see yourself, and how you are treated. Moreover, public, self, and structural stigma contribute to isolation from yourself and others. When you feel disconnected from yourself and others, your self-esteem, self-worth, and motivation to maintain recovery erodes. Looking at the impact of stigma on your psychological well-being showcases the importance of recovery education.

The Value of Recovery Education for Reducing Stigma

Some of the tools in treatment and recovery that can help confront and combat stigma include psychoeducational groups. Through psychoeducation, you can gain insight into your disorder and its impact on you and your life. Moreover, psychoeducation in recovery education can also:

• Increase awareness and understanding of maladaptive patterns
• Teach you how to engage in adaptive strategies

Additionally, recovery education tools give you more insight into yourself, which empowers you to take control of your recovery. Moreover, recovery education supports:

• Social inclusion with your loved ones and the wider community
• An environment that encourages understanding, knowledge, and skill development
• Challenges and dismantles stigma
• Establish and achieve life and recovery goals

In addition to psychoeducation, recovery education can also include family education. Through family education, you and your loved ones can gain insight into your SUD and its impact on well-being and relationships to heal the whole family.

Healing the Whole Family With Family Education

Addiction changes the whole family system by disrupting family dynamics, increasing relationship conflict, and fracturing families. Understanding family systems and SUD allows you to explore the impact of SUD on the whole family to heal. Through family education, you and your loved ones can understand each other better and rebuild connections for healthy interdependence and mutual support to thrive in life together. Now, you and your family can foster unity to learn and grow together. 

Finding Recovery Education in Alumni at Driftwood Recovery

At Driftwood Recovery, our alumni family is a peer-driven network designed to support you and your loved ones. With access to post-treatment services and resources, you can be empowered to continue learning and building on skills to live an independent and fulfilling life. Through holistic care, you can heal in mind, body, and spirit as you understand how stigma impacts your recovery. No matter where you are on your recovery journey, a strong alumni program allows you and your family to continue learning, growing, and sharing in sustained recovery.

Stigma increases barriers to information, knowledge, connection, and sustained recovery. However, recovery education like psychoeducation and family education can support self-awareness, self-understanding, independence, mutually supportive relationships, and lasting recovery. Through a peer-driven alumni program, you can access services and resources for education and connection. Supportive relationships are valuable for enhancing self-esteem, self-worth, and adaptive coping. The connections you build with loved ones and peers in alumni work to support health literacy for physical and psychological well-being. Thus, at Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to service, support, compassion, respect, encouragement, and accountability in a vibrant alumni program for a courageous life in sustained recovery. Call us at (512) 759-8330 to learn how recovery education can support your recovery.

Getting a psychiatric evaluation is an important step in receiving the treatment you need for a mental health condition. Psychiatric evaluations can be more than that; they can open up an avenue for relief and understanding for a person who is struggling. However, the positives of this diagnostic tool are often overshadowed by the stigma and misunderstanding of mental health disorders and conditions. For many people, being told that they might benefit from a psychiatric evaluation is akin to being told that they are going to be locked up and have the key thrown away.

The truth is a psychiatric evaluation, much like mental health treatment in general, is quite different than how it is portrayed in popular media. The goal of mental health care is to provide care while respecting the individual who needs it. It’s especially important in mental health care and treatment facilities like Driftwood Recovery, which focus on inspiring healing and self-confidence in their clients. To receive this level of care, everyone begins with a psychiatric evaluation. As you understand exactly what that entails, you may find yourself less afraid and more interested in what this tool could offer you or a loved one. 

Why You Might Need a Psychiatric Evaluation

A psychiatric evaluation is an essential diagnostic tool. Psychiatrists also use psychiatric evaluations to determine if your symptoms stem from physical or psychological causes. Sometimes, a mental health condition can be caused by both. Psychiatrists use the data gathered from a psychiatric evaluation and any additional ordered tests to diagnose and treat any mental health disorders.

If you are already struggling with a diagnosed mental health condition, mental health care facilities will conduct a psychiatric evaluation to determine your current status and make an accurate treatment plan. For those not currently in treatment, a psychiatric evaluation can solve the mystery of why you may suddenly be feeling bad or down. If you struggle with symptoms that persist for over two weeks, it may be time to schedule a psychiatric evaluation. These symptoms can include:

• Lack of sleep or oversleeping
• Persistent feelings of doom, despair, and fear
• A desire to self-harm or thoughts of suicide and death
• Being unable to find the energy to care for essential needs, such as hygiene and eating
• Outbursts of uncontrollable emotions that impact your daily life, such as anger, frustration, and sadness

Experiencing any of these symptoms denotes the need to speak to a psychiatrist immediately or a psychiatric evaluation.

Tips to Prepare Before an Evaluation

A psychiatric evaluation involves answering a lot of questions. Though a psychiatrist won’t rush you, people tend to feel less nervous if they have their thoughts together beforehand. The more information you have before you go into a psychiatric evaluation, the more accurate a diagnosis you will get.

Some tips that will help you prepare are:

• Have your family history ready, as some mental health disorders can be hereditary
• Write down any thoughts and symptoms you are experiencing regarding your mental and physical health
• Have your medical history prepared. Include the medications you take as well as any tests or medical procedures you’ve already had
• Write down questions you’d like to ask the psychiatrist before and after the psychiatric evaluation

What Happens During a Psychiatric Evaluation?

During a psychiatric evaluation, the psychiatrist performs what is known as a clinical interview. This involves asking you questions and recording your answers. Depending on the answers, the psychiatrist may order additional tests to rule out any underlying medical conditions. During the psychiatric evaluation, the psychiatrist will do their best to ensure that you feel safe and comfortable. It’s normal to feel nervous at first, but remember that the psychiatrist is here to help you.

The psychiatrist will ask you questions about your feelings, family history, and any symptoms you are experiencing. Examples include:

• “What was your childhood like?”
• “Do you have difficulty falling or staying asleep?”
• “Has anyone in your family committed suicide?” 

Though some questions can be upsetting, It’s important to be honest during the psychiatric evaluation so the psychiatrist can accurately determine a diagnosis. However, you still have rights during the process, and you are allowed to take the time to gather your thoughts. You will not be judged or belittled during the psychiatric evaluation. The job of the psychiatrist is to evaluate your mental state to see if it matches any known mental health disorders so you can get the treatment you need.

What Happens Next?

After the psychiatric evaluation is completed, the psychiatrist will be able to give you a diagnosis. At Driftwood Recovery, a treatment plan will be created once other assessments are completed. You will continue to work with a psychiatrist during treatment, especially if you require additional medical care or prescription medications. If you feel as though your diagnosis is not accurate, you have the right to seek a second opinion. Once your diagnosis is confirmed, now it’s working with your treatment providers to create a care plan.

Depending on where you receive treatment, your treatment plan may vary. Driftwood Recovery is a holistic-focused treatment facility, so a treatment-plan post psychiatric evaluation will include treatments such as nutritional therapy, therapeutic recreation, and evidence-based psychotherapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The psychiatrist, along with a time of expert providers, will work with you to create a treatment plan that fulfills your needs and achieves your recovery goals. 

Driftwood Recovery, as a facility, works to make sure all treatments and evaluations are safe, accurate, and effective. That includes psychiatric evaluations and other diagnostic tools. At Driftwood Recovery, you can count on your information being safe and private. It takes one step to start a journey, and in no time at all, you will find that recovery is not as scary as you’d think. 

When providing mental health care, it is important to get an accurate picture of an individual’s mental state. To do so, mental health professionals use what is called a psychiatric evaluation. This allows professionals to give clients a full comprehensive evaluation so they can receive the customized care they need to recover. It may sound scary, but it’s a straightforward procedure that helps countless people get the care they need. That’s why at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, we use psychiatric evaluations along with other tools to provide the care you need to succeed. To learn more about the process of client evaluation and enrolling, don’t wait. Driftwood Recovery can help. Call (512) 759-8330 today.

Humor is an excellent way to break the ice and reduce stress during clinical interactions. Clients may feel anxious or afraid if they do not know what to expect from an appointment. Inserting even a small amount of appropriate humor into the initial interaction can put clients at ease and build trust with medical professionals. Clinicians and support staff at Driftwood Recovery use appropriate humor and positivity as a therapeutic tool to develop deeper connections with clients. 

How Is Humor a Therapeutic Tool?

Humor can reduce stress, improve positivity, and help clients create a bond with healthcare professionals. Experiencing the physical effects of humor can relieve tension and put clients at ease. Most people know they feel better when they laugh. Individuals with anxiety or depressive disorders may use funny videos or images to help them cope with their symptoms. 

Research has proven humor improves mental health. In addition, clients often feel more valued if healthcare professionals take the time to engage with them in a personalized, humorous exchange. According to Health Expectations,  in one study, clients felt “humour was important in both establishing their identity and in developing a meaningful therapeutic interaction.” 

What Is Appropriate Humor?

Jokes that one person finds humorous, another may find highly offensive. Being mindful of appropriate humor allows healthcare professionals to avoid offending or emotionally harming clients. Many individuals working in high-stress jobs like healthcare use gallows humor, which may not always be appropriate for clients. 

Recognizing the line between acceptable and unacceptable humor in a professional setting is essential. Individuals who may not know how to strike this balance may benefit from not initializing humor. Every interaction is unique, and as experts in healthcare build relationships with individual clients, they may become more familiar with that person’s boundaries surrounding humor. 

Some examples of generally unacceptable humor in a healthcare setting include: 

• Derogatory “jokes” focused on a person’s disability, gender, race, culture, or sexual orientation 
• Making light of a client’s symptoms or medical history 
• Trauma-related humor about mental health, abuse, or past traumas
• Body shaming “jokes” about a person’s weight, physical appearance, or features 
• Any jokes or humor of a sexual nature 
• Ageism and humor that belittles individuals based on stereotypes related to age 
• Religious or political jokes mocking a person’s beliefs and values 
• Gallows humor is often inappropriate during client interactions 
• Mocking speech patterns, language barriers, or accents
• Minimizing client concerns by joking about them dismissively 

In some cases, healthcare workers benefit from waiting for the client to initiate humor. According to research in the previously mentioned article by Health Expectations, self-deprecating humor is the most commonly recognized and practiced form of humor for clients in healthcare settings. Identifying clients who practice self-deprecating humor and responding appropriately can help clinicians develop meaningful connections. 

How to Use Humor as a Therapeutic Tool

If used appropriately, humor can reduce stress on clients during stressful appointments. Humor also helps alleviate some of the perceived power imbalance between the client and clinician. There is no script for using humor. Every interaction is unique, and healthcare workers must consider a client’s cultural and personal views when attempting to use humor to connect with them. 

Some of the ways medical professionals use humor as a therapeutic tool include: 

• Using lighthearted humor to build rapport with clients
• Easing client stress and anxiety during difficult conversations
• Using humor to lift a client’s mood 
• Distracting clients from pain or discomfort 
• Encouraging relaxation 
• Using lighthearted humor to reframe certain situations and help clients cope more effectively 

Clients who feel uncertain about what to expect from clinical professionals may feel more supported and acknowledged if they engage in humorous interactions with staff. Humor humanizes clinicians and fosters collaboration with clients by creating an emotional bridge. 

When Is Humor Not Appropriate?

Humor is not always appropriate. Context is vital in determining whether humor may improve or worsen a situation. For example, individuals receiving devastating or emotionally upsetting information from a medical professional may find humor offensive, belittling their pain and invalidating their experience. Knowing when to add humor to a conversation relies on a person’s ability to build strong social skills and effective communication. 

How Does Driftwood Recovery Use Humor as a Therapeutic Tool?

Humor gives people a new perspective on their recovery and treatment by highlighting some of the absurdities of life that everyone experiences. Instead of letting it cause anxiety or stress, individuals in recovery can learn to embrace those moments of humor. Driftwood Recovery has created a thriving sober community where individuals in recovery, staff members, and families come together to celebrate successes and support one another. Humor can help people get through setbacks in recovery by allowing them to see things from a more positive perspective. Staff members at Driftwood Recovery use positivity and humor to empower and uplift individuals during treatment and community events. 

Humor is a universal experience that can bring people joy and comfort. Finding appropriate ways to integrate humor into client care through scripted or in-the-moment reactions may improve the treatment experience for clients who feel stressed or anxious. Individuals working in healthcare have the unique opportunity to use humor as a way to break the ice with new clients or comfort clients undergoing stressful procedures. By inserting appropriate and culturally sensitive humor into everyday interactions, healthcare professionals can improve treatment outcomes and build stronger client relationships. Driftwood Recovery offers guidance and training for staff members who want to create more meaningful connections with clients. To learn more, call us today at m (512) 759-8330.

A variety of factors, including the shame of stigma, can convince you that you must recover alone. However, recovery is not a sole endeavor as humans are naturally social creatures that seek connection and belonging to thrive. Without support, you can lose sight of the meaning and purpose behind the work you have been doing to heal. When you exit treatment, it can feel like you have lost your structured support system. Understanding peer support services is important to your recovery process.

At Driftwood Recovery, we know that connection to a community of peers is vital to sustained recovery. Through connection, you can find the support needed to meet and overcome challenges in life and recovery. Peer support services are a source of guidance, compassion, support, and accountability to lead a courageous life in recovery. With a commitment to connection and community, our peer-driven alumni remind you that you are not alone in your recovery.

However, you may question why peer support is so valuable to sustaining recovery. Expanding your understanding of connection can provide insight into the importance of peer support services.

Peer Recovery Support: The Value of Peer Connection

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), peer support includes activities and interactions between those with similar experiences and conditions. Whether you have experienced challenges with substance use disorder (SUD) or other mental health disorders, peer support can help you thrive. Mutually supportive relationships offer the opportunity to build skills and change unhealthy patterns. By sharing experiences, you and your peers can find connection, acceptance, understanding, guidance, and validation. You are empowered to achieve goals for a fulfilling and self-determined life. 

Yet, how does the experiential nature of peer support enable and encourage maintaining recovery? Your relationships inform your sense of self and how you navigate the world. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, positive social connectedness encourages you to feel supported, valued, and cared for. Therefore, peer support has a long history as a source of mutual support in treatment and recovery. However, peer support services are not solely built on sharing experiences. 

What Are Peer Support Services?

Peer support services present services designed for and delivered by those in recovery. Many different adaptive-driven peer support services, from support types to services, can support whole-person healing. Listed below are some of the resources you can find in peer support services:

• Support types
  • Emotional
    • Empathy and care are found in individual interactions and support groups
      • Fosters self-esteem and confidence
  • Informational
    • Insight and skills are gained from sharing knowledge or life and work skills
      • Classes, training, seminars
  • Instrumental
    • Access to referrals and services for tangible resources
      • Housing, transportation, employment, food, clothing, healthcare
  • Affiliation/Social
    • Readily accessible spaces, groups, and activities
      • Learning, social and recreational skills, community, and belonging through connection with others
• Peer support services
  • Recovery centers
  • Peer-led support groups
  • Job training
  • Health and social services
  • Parenting classes
  • Child care services
  • Transportation services
  • Sports leagues
  • Volunteering
  • Sober activities and events
  • Peer mentoring

All peer support services can be valuable to healing the mind, body, and spirit. However, services like peer mentoring showcase the power of connection as a vital part of the recovery process.

Peer Support Services: Empowering Others With Peer Mentoring

As noted in Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, peer mentorship is when individuals in long-term recovery provide support for those in early recovery. You can offer nonprofessional and nonclinical assistance through peer mentorship to help peers achieve sustained recovery. As a peer mentor, you walk alongside those in early recovery to help them develop a customizable plan and pathways to long-term recovery based on individual strengths, needs, and recovery goals. 

At its core, peer mentoring embodies emotional, informational, instrumental, and social support to meet each person where they are on their recovery journey. Therefore, peer mentorship can be a source of reciprocal healing as it empowers you to help yourself and others. Whether mentorship is the right path for you or not, there are numerous ways you can empower yourself and others with peer support services.

Finding Ways to Engage in Peer Support Services

One of the many ways you can contribute to your healing is by paying it forward. Giving back to your community can support sustained recovery as it helps you change the way you see yourself, others, and the world. By giving back to your sober community and the wider community, you can rediscover your sense of self-worth, belonging, and purpose through connection. Listed below are some of the ways you can give back to your community by engaging in an alumni program:

• Donate your time to alumni
  • Help set up for meetings
  • Mentoring
  • Become a sponsor
• Volunteer
  • Homeless shelter
  • Animal shelter
  • Pantry
  • Treatment center
  • Library
  • Museum
  • Hospital 
  • Nursing home
  • Local parks project
  • Community cleanup

Engaging in peer support services speaks to the power of connection as a source for healing and long-term recovery. No one should be left alone to recover or to figure out how to reintegrate into everyday life. With an active alumni program, you can remind yourself and your peers that recovery is a community effort. 

Learning How to Pay it Forward at Driftwood Recovery

At Driftwood Recovery, we believe a strong Alumni Family gives you the safe space and community to break the cycle of suffering. Through the sharing of experiences, compassion, respect, and support, strength and hope can be fostered. Together, in our peer-driven alumni network, you and your peers can find the guidance, encouragement, and accountability needed to pursue your life goals and be a productive member of society. A truly active and vibrant alumni program is about more than abstinence. Our strong alumni program is about building a foundation for connection with the self and others to thrive in recovery. With mutually supportive connections, you are not alone in building the courageous and purposeful life you deserve in long-term recovery.

People often feel like they must recover alone, but recovery is a process that is best supported by a community. Through interpersonal relationships, you can find connection, compassion, support, guidance, and accountability to lead a meaningful life in recovery. With a strong alumni program, you can access peer support services to find and foster connections with yourself and others. Moreover, engaging with alumni can empower you to not only heal yourself but support the healing of your peers. Whether you volunteer or become a mentor for peers in early recovery, giving back reinforces the value of connection for healing the mind, body, spirit, and community. Call Driftwood Recovery at (512) 759-8330 to learn how alumni can support you.

Healthy boundaries are essential to having a good relationship with your loved ones and peers. Usually, people learn about setting boundaries as young children. However, there are times when a child is taught that their boundaries don’t matter through interactions with toxic peers or guardians. It’s especially true for people who are survivors of childhood abuse or neglect and find themselves unable to say “no” or set firm boundaries. 

Of course, childhood abuse and neglect is an underlying cause of several mental health conditions, such as addiction. The risk of a relapse increases when a person is exposed to triggering situations that exasperate their mental health conditions. Sometimes, these triggers can result from proximity to toxic or unaware loved ones and peers who may inadvertently or deliberately behave in ways that can trigger a relapse. Knowing how to navigate these relationships and setting healthy boundaries is key to protecting an individual’s recovery and preventing relapse.

That’s why at Driftwood Recovery, clients are taught how to understand, recognize, and establish healthy boundaries with their loved ones. Not all relationships are toxic, but the general misinformation about mental health disorders in society can often lead to inadvertent harmful behaviors. It’s important for everyone, not just those in treatment and recovery, to understand the value of healthy boundaries. 

What Are Healthy Boundaries?

Healthy boundaries are defined as a set of personal rules or protocols that protect your health and establish healthy interactions with loved ones and peers. As a person grows and develops, their boundaries will evolve, too. Boundaries can be deeply personal or specific, but they all serve a role in helping the individual set rules that respect their personhood. There are universal healthy boundaries that children learn through interactions with their peers. Examples include:

• Asking permission before touching another person or their belongings 
• Talking through problems when upset instead of defaulting to hitting or other forms of physical violence 
• Respecting a person’s desire for time alone or privacy 

As a person enter adulthood, they find themselves having to create custom boundaries to suit their personal needs. It’s especially important for those in recovery who must be vigilant about triggers that may increase the chances of a relapse. To do so, establishing healthy boundaries with loved ones is important. Examples of such healthy boundaries include:

• Forbidding loved ones and peers from bringing addictive substances into your home
• Asking loved ones and peers not to bring you or invite you to establishments where substance use is normalized, such as bars 
• Establishing that no means no and not continue to pressure you after declining to engage in substance use

It is always okay to set boundaries. Anyone who tells you it’s wrong to set boundaries usually has an ulterior motive that isn’t good for you. Everyone is entitled to privacy, body autonomy, and basic respect. Healthy boundaries allow you to not just protect yourself but also forge healthier bonds with your loved ones. 

Establishing Healthy Relationships for a Strong Recovery

Driftwood Recovery is a facility that strongly believes in the importance of loved ones in a client’s recovery journey. Care is taken to help families and clients work through their troubles and establish a deeper understanding. Programs like the Courageous Family Program and therapies such as family therapy work to strengthen bonds and clear up misunderstandings. Having an established and extensive support network is one way a client can prevent relapse and stay sober. 

However, healthy boundaries are still important, even with an established support network. Sometimes, it takes searching deep within you to discover why you may be reluctant to set or recognize healthy boundaries. To assist in this, clients at Driftwood Recovery participate in psychotherapies designed to work through an individual’s thought process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) especially can help clients recognize and change unhealthy thoughts and behavioral patterns. This and recognizing the need for healthy and supportive relationships is the first step to setting boundaries of your own.

How Do I Learn to Set Healthy Boundaries?

Once a client recognizes the need to have healthy boundaries, they now must work on setting and sticking with them. This is easier said than done, especially if the individual lacks confidence or is exposed to toxic relationships. To build confidence, Driftwood Recovery has clients participate in activities such as team-building exercises, therapeutic recreation, and self-expression. Recognizing that you are an individual worthy of respect and consideration is the foundation behind setting and maintaining healthy boundaries.

Clients participate in exercises, such as role-playing, to practice skills that will keep them in recovery. Part of setting healthy boundaries is learning how to say no, recognize and resist peer pressure, and communicate effectively. Therapies such as group therapy offer further opportunities to practice setting boundaries. Group therapy had the bonus of giving clients access to shared wisdom and experiences that can help them create boundaries that feel right to them. 

Of course, the staff at Driftwood Recovery is always happy to help clients set healthy boundaries for themselves. With a wide range of available experts, it’s easy to get advice for specific boundaries that will best suit the needs of the client. Boundaries for those recovering from addiction, for example, may look different from boundaries designed for those recovering from depression. Healthy boundaries that encourage mutual respect and understanding, however, are fairly universal in their use and importance. 

Receiving treatment at Driftwood Recovery isn’t just a way to recover from mental health conditions. It’s also a place to gain self-confidence and recognize one’s inherent value as a human being. Once you understand that you are worthy of compassion and respect, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries becomes second nature. 

Setting healthy boundaries is important to maintain healthy relationships with others. It’s especially important for those in recovery. It’s easy for a friend or other loved one to jeopardize your sobriety when healthy boundaries are not in place. That’s why at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, we work to set all of our clients up for success during and after treatment. Learning how to navigate relationships and set boundaries that protect your mental health and recovery is only one of the ways Driftwood Recovery prepares clients for life after treatment. Don’t wait to learn how to have healthier relationships and safeguard your recovery. To learn more, call Driftwood Recovery today at (512) 759-8330.

People say a lot about how they feel without speaking a word. Individuals express themselves through body language, including hand gestures, posture, and eye movements. Healthcare professionals must be attuned to these unspoken forms of communication to provide the best care for clients seeking help. Body language allows medical professionals to identify if clients feel anxious, scared, or in pain. Driftwood Recovery ensures staff members know how to respond appropriately to nonverbal cues, allowing them to provide compassionate care and support to clients in recovery.

What Are Nonverbal Cues?

Nonverbal cues are body movements or actions that convey an emotion or communicate an intent. According to Perspectives on Psychological Science, “[O]nce in a particular setting, people’s behavioral options are constrained not only by the physical environment, but also by that setting’s social norms.” Many nonverbal cues are instinctual, and people may be unaware of them. However, they can also be a powerful way to express emotion when people feel uncomfortable voicing their thoughts aloud. For example, someone uncomfortable with how close a doctor is sitting may lean away and cross their legs or arms to create a barrier. Healthcare professionals rely on nonverbal cues to help them navigate complex conversations with individuals and families. 

The meaning of nonverbal cues may change depending on multiple factors, including: 

• Personal habits and individual differences 
• Cultural context
• Relationship dynamics, including familiarity between individuals 
• Situational context 
• Mood or emotional state
• Intentional or unspoken power dynamics
• Topics being discussed

Cultural gender norms and other factors also influence how people translate nonverbal cues. No two people have the same nonverbal “language,” and context is essential in determining what specific actions may mean. Body language and other physical cues can communicate distress, acceptance, fear, joy, and many other emotions. Knowing how to correctly translate these cues helps healthcare professionals create a deeper bond with clients. 

Common Nonverbal Cues

Some examples of common nonverbal cues include: 

• Using open posture, eye contact, and movements of affirmation to show understanding and compassion 
• Maintaining consistent and approachable body language to set clients at ease and create a sense of reliability 
• Using gestures and facial expressions to reinforce verbal messages
• Offering a warm smile and steady presence to comfort anxious clients 
• Leaning forward and mirroring the client to show attentiveness and genuine interest
• Ensuring body signals align with verbal messages to avoid confusion 

Focusing on client feedback and being mindful of responses allows professionals to build the foundation for a collaborative and healthy relationship. Clear and open communication creates a welcoming environment where clients feel comfortable expressing themselves and actively participating in their recovery. Every interaction is unique, and it is important for healthcare professionals to monitor how their nonverbal cues are being received. 

Body Language and Compassionate Client Care

How staff members stand and sit during client interactions will be interpreted as part of the overall experience. If a client feels a doctor, nurse, or front desk staff member does not value their time or concerns, it can undermine the entire appointment. Workers in healthcare should remain mindful of how their body language may be interpreted by onlookers and adjust their posture and gestures to fit the message they want to convey. Compassion, empathy, and openness can be communicated through posture, hand gestures, facial expressions, and paralinguistic vocalizations. 

Using Nonverbal Cues to Make Clients Feel Comfortable

Standing with arms down and palms open is much different from standing with arms crossed and hands balled into fists. No matter what words people use, their body language and other nonverbal cues are essential in communicating intent. Positive nonverbal cues can make clients feel welcomed, heard, and valued. Healthcare professionals should understand basic nonverbal communication and what postures or facial expressions to avoid. For example, a medical professional should not roll their eyes if a client expresses concern about a process or procedure. 

Healthcare professionals who use unspoken forms of communication to improve the client experience do the following: 

• Convey empathy 
• Build trust 
• Enhance clarity and context
• Encourage openness
• Provide reassurance 
• Foster a more meaningful connection 
• Acknowledge client feelings 
• Reduce miscommunication 
• Adapt more effectively to client needs 

Staff members at Driftwood Recovery use compassionate care and transparent communication to create a welcoming and safe environment for clients in recovery. 

Building a Toolbox of Positive Cues to Support and Empower Clients

Driftwood Recovery provides staff members with the training, support, and guidance they need to develop a toolbox of positive, unspoken cues to support and empower clients. Clinicians and support staff learn to express themselves mindfully to individuals and families. 

Healthcare professionals must consider medical, cultural, and personal factors that affect how clients and their loved ones interpret nonverbal communication. Familiarizing themselves with client charts and conducting thorough intake assessments can reduce confusion and improve the effectiveness of nonverbal communication. 

Miscommunication is a common cause of conflict, confusion, and frustration between clients and clinicians. Clear communication involves aligning nonverbal and verbal cues to send a specific message. Many moments of miscommunication could be avoided through a conscious effort to convey specific information. Healthcare professionals benefit from learning how to translate common unspoken social cues, including body language and facial expressions. Clients rely on healthcare professionals to give them spoken and unspoken cues to guide them through making critical medical decisions and positive lifestyle changes. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to remain mindful of how unspoken actions and responses may affect their relationships with clients. To learn more about our programs and professionals, call our office today at (512) 759-8330.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is often thought of as a chronic relapsing disorder. As stated in Addiction Relapse Prevention, approximately 50% of people relapse within the first 12 weeks. Despite the prevalence of SUD relapse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that 50.2 million U.S. adults consider themselves to be in recovery from SUD and/or mental health challenges. The prevalence of recovery from SUD can be tied to the guiding principles of holistic recovery found in active recovery. Thus, understanding active recovery can be invaluable to supporting healing and sustained recovery.

At Driftwood Recovery, we know recovery is a journey that continues long after you complete treatment. Your challenges with addiction are deeply interconnected to your life experiences and environment. Therefore, sustained recovery cannot happen without consideration for the whole person. Through active recovery, you can build the skills needed to address challenges in your daily life.

Yet, you may question what is active recovery. Expanding your understanding of recovery can provide insight into how connection with alumni can support maintaining recovery.

What Is Recovery?

Many traditional ideals of recovery are tied to complete abstinence with a focus on the elimination of all substances. Although abstinence is an important part of recovery, a holistic approach focuses on taking active steps toward healing the whole person. According to Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, before the abstinence focus of the Temperance Movement, there was an early harm reduction perspective that considered the body and mind. As SAMHSA notes, modern holistic models of care define recovery as a process of change. Holistic recovery is a process of change where you work to improve your health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach your full potential. 

Further, four dimensions support sustained recovery:

• Health
  • Overcoming or managing symptoms and or conditions
  • Abstaining from using substances
  • Making informed, healthy choices for physical and emotional well-being
• Home
  • Having a stable and safe place to live
• Purpose
  • Engaging in meaningful daily activities
    • Work, school, family, creative hobbies, and volunteering
  • Gaining the independence, income, and resources to participate in society
• Community
  • Finding support, hope, friendship, and love in your relationships and social network

The four dimensions of recovery highlight the holistic continuum of care as active recovery. Understanding the difference between passive and active recovery is an important step toward fostering active recovery.

Passive Recovery vs. Active Recovery

On the surface, the difference between passive and active recovery may feel obvious. However, in the day-to-day work of recovery, complacency can happen. You may not recognize that you are engaging in passive rather than active recovery. Passive recovery focuses more on waiting for things to happen to you. Listed below are some elements of passive recovery:

• Relying on external factors for change
• You do not reflect on your thoughts and feelings
• Doing rather than embodying the steps of recovery
• Believing you can recover on your own

Active recovery focuses on seeking out and engaging in support services with and without direct guidance. Some of the other elements that make up active recovery include:

• You accept that you need support and reach out for it
• Actively participating in meetings, therapy, and other recovery programming
  • Engaging in discussions and sharing experiences in meetings
  • Reaching out to your sponsor
• You commit to processing difficult thoughts and feelings

With awareness of active recovery, you can understand the principles of being an active participant in your recovery.

Understanding the Principles of Active Recovery

A holistic and active recovery is built on ten guiding principles that build skills that support every stage of recovery. Listed below are the ten guiding principles of active recovery:

• Hope: The belief that recovery is real and possible
  • You can and have overcome challenges and barriers
• Person-driven: The act of self-determination and self-direction
  • You define and help design the path(s) toward your life goals
• Multiple pathways: Acknowledges that each individual has unique and distinct needs, strengths, goals, culture, trauma, and experiences that impact pathways to recovery
• Holistic: Understands that recovery encompasses your whole life in mind, body, spirit, and community
• Peer support: Recognizes the value of sharing experiences, knowledge, and skills
• Social networks: Offers support, hope, belonging, and encouragement
• Culture-informed: Services are sensitive and personalized to your needs and experiences
• Trauma-informed: Informed and responsive services support and promote safety, trust, choice, empowerment, and collaboration
• Strengths and responsibility: Recognizes individuals, families, and communities have strengths and resources to support recovery
• Respect: Encourages community, systems, and societal acceptance and appreciation for people impacted by SUD and or mental health disorders

The ten guiding principles highlight the power of active recovery. Yet, how do you engage in active recovery in your daily life?

Ways to Engage in Active Recovery

There are numerous ways that an alumni program can support you in building sustained recovery:

• Volunteering in alumni programs and/or the wider community
• Exploring hobbies and activities you enjoy
  • Art, music, writing, reading, gardening, and cooking
  • Spending time with loved ones
  • Sports, hiking, and yoga
• Practicing gratitude and mindfulness
• Educating yourself about your SUD and/or mental health disorder
• Connecting with peers

Engaging in active recovery through your alumni program can support whole-person healing. You can deepen self-reflection and self-understanding through active recovery, set realistic goals, and build a support network. 

Supporting Sustained Recovery With Alumni at Driftwood Recovery

At Driftwood Recovery, we understand that true whole-person healing is rooted in connection to self and others. Without connection, you cannot fully address challenges with addiction, pain, and mental health disorders. An attachment model of care allows you to form healthy attachments in yourself and with others to turn clinical insight into action. You give yourself more space for learning, understanding, and growth through experiential sharing. Thus, access to services and resources that encourage connection to the self and others fosters engagement, support, compassion, and accountability for sustained recovery.

Engagement in recovery is an important part of the healing process. Without engagement, you can find yourself stuck in passive recovery, expecting change to happen to you. However, whole-person recovery requires active participation in the healing process. Engaging in a vibrant alumni program is invaluable to fostering active recovery for sustained recovery. Through a strong peer-driven network, alumni can offer the services and resources needed for connection with the self and others. Recovery is not done alone, and a strong alumni family gives you the foundation for support, compassion, engagement, and accountability to lead a courageous life in long-term recovery. Call Driftwood Recovery at (512) 759-8330 to learn how a dedicated alumni community can support you in your recovery.

Trigeminal neuralgia is widely considered one of the most distressing chronic pain conditions a person can develop. It’s a rare condition, affecting an estimated 4 to 13 per 100,000 people annually. Trigeminal neuralgia isn’t just the pain it causes. It’s also the conditions that occur because of it, such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and, in some cases, suicide. Those who struggle with trigeminal neuralgia often do so in silence, as chronic pain is considered an “invisible” condition. 

That’s why at Driftwood Recovery, we give a voice to those who struggle with chronic pain conditions. With a focus on comprehensive and quality care, clients don’t just find a way to take back control of their lives. They also find a community of those who understand and support them. There is hope, and anything is possible with the right help, including care for trigeminal neuralgia and its co-occurring conditions.

Understanding trigeminal neuralgia is the first step to spreading awareness about this condition and its treatment. The more we know, the easier it is to support our fellow people who live with these difficult and often misunderstood conditions.

What Is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve of the face. This is a large, three-part nerve that sends signals between the face and the brain. When this nerve is interrupted or damaged, it can cause intense pain in one or more parts of the face. Common pain spots include the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, and lips. Sometimes, the forehead and eye may be affected as well. This condition is often classified as type 1 and type 2, depending on which side of the face and the type of pain that occurs.

The pain for type 1 trigeminal neuralgia is commonly described as feeling like an intense electric shock or jolt that occurs from simply touching the affected area. This pain usually occurs on one side of the face. Type 2 is marked by constant aching or burning pain that happens in addition to pain attacks, which can occur on one or both sides of the face. Either type makes it difficult to perform normal functions, such as eating, smiling, or shaving without intense pain. 

Trigeminal neuralgia often occurs in women or people over 50. However, this condition can develop at any time if a person experiences significant facial or cranial trauma. Stroke, facial injuries, brain tumors, nerve blockages/obstructions, and surgical trauma are all common causes of trigeminal neuralgia. People with hypertension or multiple sclerosis are also at risk for developing trigeminal neuralgia. The link is common enough that upon the development of trigeminal neuralgia, multiple sclerosis testing is recommended. 

Pain experienced from trigeminal neuralgia can fluctuate or increase in intensity over time. This leaves those who struggle with this condition with the fear of it getting worse.

The Mental Toll of Trigeminal Neuralgia

As a chronic pain condition, trigeminal neuralgia can have a devastating toll on an individual’s mental health. Conditions such as depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and sleep disorder increased upon the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. Individuals are often driven to find ways to self-medicate their pain, no matter how dangerous the behavior. Substance abuse, especially pain medications, such as opioids, are commonly abused by those with a chronic pain condition. 

Chronic pain conditions are also marked as particularly isolating. It’s known as an “invisible” illness, with many people being dismissed or ignored because they don’t look like they are in pain. Being unable to perform normal functions as a person, such as washing your face, can add to the frustration and loneliness of this condition. Without help, it’s easy to slide into an addiction or, in extreme cases, think about ending your life. It’s why it’s vital for those with trigeminal neuralgia to not just get treatment, but find hope and support. 

Finding Hope at Driftwood Recovery

Though it is a chronic condition, trigeminal neuralgia and any co-occurring mental health disorders can be treated and managed. The staff at Driftwood Recovery is well aware of the toll this and other chronic pain conditions have on a person’s physical and mental health. Rather than sell a cure that doesn’t exist, Driftwood Recovery focuses on reliving pain safely and bolstering mental resilience. In time, clients can find joy and reasons to embrace life again.

This is accomplished by creating an individualized comprehensive treatment plan that combines therapy, wellness, and medication. To treat trigeminal neuralgia specifically, clients are prescribed medications such as anticonvulsants to block pain signals and reduce the frequency of attacks. If this does not work, other medications can be tried to provide relief. Combined with medications are complementary approaches that may also help manage pain, such as:

• Nutritional therapy
• Meditation
• Low-impact exercise
• Aromatherapy
• Yoga

Clients at Driftwood Recovery utilize psychotherapy as part of treatment, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). These therapies are designed to help clients recognize harmful thought and behavior patterns and change them. This involves learning healthy coping skills, practicing mental wellness, and building mental resilience. Group and family therapy gives clients a safe space to have their voices heard and receive support in return. 

In some cases, surgery can relieve the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia. Side effects are common after these procedures, such as facial numbness, and symptoms can return even if the procedure is successful. Though surgeries are not performed at Driftwood Recovery, psychotherapies can help clients prepare for the emotional and physical toll of surgery should the client choose a surgical approach. No matter what, clients can trust that they will receive the most accurate, comprehensive, and compassionate treatment available. Though it may not seem like it now, there is always hope that your life will get better, and it can get better at Driftwood Recovery.

There are many kinds of chronic pain that a person may develop throughout their life. One of them is known as trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that makes touch to the face painful. Such a condition isn’t just painful; it can also cause other mental health disorders, such as anxiety and addiction. Despite this, there is hope for those who struggle with trigeminal neuralgia. Treatments exist not just to reduce physical pain but to relieve mental anguish as well. Here at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, clients everywhere can find relief from their chronic pain and develop a healthier mindset. To learn how Driftwood Recovery can help you, call (512) 759-8330 today.

Individuals in rehabilitation for substance use disorder (SUD) or dual diagnosis have a greater likelihood of experiencing trauma triggers, including triggers specific to clinical settings. Many clients participate in multiple programs, and some may have previously had negative interactions with medical professionals. A history of trauma can cause some clients to feel uncomfortable trusting their care team. Healthcare workers build trust by creating a welcoming environment that keeps clients focused on the present. Grounding techniques are an excellent tool for helping clients manage trigger responses during clinical interactions. 

What Are Grounding Techniques?

People use grounding techniques and exercises to strengthen the mind-body connection and increase self-awareness. Studies have shown that “[g]rounding techniques are important skills for assessors and all other behavioral health service providers who interact with traumatized clients (e.g., nurses, security, administrators, clinicians).” Grounding techniques can be used during everyday interactions to reduce stress, improve communication, and keep clients engaged in their treatment. 

Simple Grounding Techniques Healthcare Professionals Use During Everyday Interactions

Everyone has different methods for communicating with coworkers and clients. Healthcare professionals can improve their communication skills, allowing them to build more effective relationships. Using grounding techniques during treatment sessions can also help clients experience better outcomes. Therapists and other healthcare professionals model healthy coping skills and guide clients through learning to use those skills to manage triggers.

Some examples of simple grounding techniques healthcare professionals use in everyday interactions include: 

• Encouraging clients to take slow, deep breaths if they appear nervous or anxious
• Physically grounding clients by encouraging them to touch surfaces or objects (e.g., offering an anxious client a stress ball)
• Increasing body awareness by asking clients to focus on sensations in their body (e.g., asking clients to connect physical sensations such as tension with emotions like anxiety)
• Mindful movement by guiding clients through simple movements (e.g., brief stretching exercises) 
• Asking clients to engage in simple tasks to improve focus and engagement 

Grounding techniques can facilitate more effective client communication by helping clients stay in the moment. The type of client-clinician interaction will determine which grounding exercises may provide the best results. For example, if a client begins to panic, a physical therapist may encourage stretching, while a psychotherapist may suggest slow, deep breaths. 

How Do Grounding Techniques Decrease the Impact of Triggers?

Grounding techniques are often used to help clients successfully manage triggers and mental health symptoms related to trauma or stress. Focusing on actions, sensations, or objects in the present allows clients to remain in control of their emotional and physiological reactions to trauma triggers. 

Every person is unique, and not all coping techniques will work for everyone. Healthcare professionals should practice mindfulness in how they approach grounding techniques. For example, touching a client’s shoulder to ground them may backfire if the client is averse to touch due to severe trauma. Familiarity with client preferences and their medical history ensures that healthcare workers introduce effective and appropriate coping skills in treatment sessions. 

Benefits of Using Grounding Techniques in Treatment

Some of the primary benefits of using grounding exercises in treatment include: 

• Familiarizing clients with helpful coping techniques 
• Reducing overall anxiety and stress 
• Improving emotion and mood regulation
• Interrupting cycles within a trauma response by preventing escalation 
• Building trust with clients by helping them overcome trauma triggers
• Supporting trauma recovery through practical coping skills

Clients may feel more confident in themselves and their ability to manage triggers if they learn effective coping methods. Driftwood Recovery ensures staff have the necessary training and skills to help clients manage trauma triggers and other challenges during treatment. 

The Importance of Providing Comfort and De-Escalating Tension During Appointments

Some clients feel overwhelmed or tense during clinical appointments. Staff members may use grounding techniques, such as distracting clients or offering new coping tools, to help them manage their emotional or physical reactions to triggers. If the situation causes a trauma response, the client may find it challenging to move forward with the appointments. Identifying and addressing the cause of the trigger can de-escalate the situation and refocus the client. De-escalation skills and clear communication reduce anxiety and stress. 

Driftwood Recovery Teaches Clients Effective Coping Skills

Clients benefit from learning practical grounding exercises and other skills that reduce the side effects of trauma triggers. Healthcare professionals play an essential role in teaching and reinforcing positive coping skills. 

Clinicians teach clients to successfully manage their reactions to triggers using various treatment services, including: 

• Individual and group therapy
• Mindfulness-based therapies 
• Holistic therapies, including guided meditation 

Driftwood Recovery offers tailored treatment plans to clients struggling with SUD or dual diagnosis. Healthcare professionals collaborate closely with clients and their families to reduce the negative impact of trauma triggers during rehabilitation. The goal of treatment is to prepare clients to reintegrate back into the community. Healthcare professionals do this by ensuring clients have the necessary coping skills to manage their condition after transitioning out of treatment. Grounding techniques give clients greater confidence in their ability to maintain sobriety and overcome trauma triggers.

Trauma responses can happen at any time. Individuals feeling anxious or stressed often have more profound reactions to triggers. Therapy sessions and other treatment services may cause some clients with a history of trauma to feel on edge. Triggers can significantly interfere with treatment by affecting client focus. Healthcare professionals offer clients emotional and practical support. Grounding techniques are an excellent tool for helping clients cope with the effects of trauma triggers during clinical interactions. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to use grounding techniques and other therapeutic tools to create a more comfortable and safe space for clients. To learn more about our trauma therapy services, call our office today at (512) 759-8330.

Healthcare professionals build trust with clients to create a positive treatment experience. An open line of communication ensures clients receive appropriate care and access the best treatments to meet their needs. Active listening and other communication skills allow healthcare professionals to develop healthier relationships with clients and coworkers, facilitating better treatment outcomes. The experts at Driftwood Recovery use effective communication to guide clients through the recovery process. 

What Is Active Listening?

Active listening is an essential part of interpersonal communication. According to Social Neuroscience, “[A]ctive listening is an influential behavior, which can affect the social responses of others.” In addition, “Perceiving active listening behavior in a partner can facilitate a positive interaction.” Active listening requires empathy and a lack of judgment. People often mirror the other person through behavior or verbal patterns to show they have heard what has been said. 

A few ways professionals practice active listening during everyday client interactions include: 

• Mirroring nonverbal cues
• Maintaining eye contact
• Paraphrasing and summarizing 
• Asking open-ended questions 
• Offering verbal acknowledgement
• Not interrupting the other speaker
• Asking for clarification 

Healthcare professionals collaborate with clients to create care plans and implement treatments. Empathetic and active listening is essential to keep clients at ease. Active listening involves showing the other person they have been heard through various methods, including body language, summarizing key points of the conversation, and mirroring phrases or words used by the other person. 

Creating an Honest and Clear Line of Communication

Honest communication fosters trust and helps clients feel more comfortable discussing concerns or asking questions. Transparency creates a healthy foundation for honest communication. Some clients may have a history of negative experiences with healthcare professionals, making them hesitant to speak up. Maybe their concerns were ignored, or they were made to feel like less than the other person. Driftwood Recovery aims to help these individuals build healthier relationships with medical professionals by providing clients with a welcoming environment and compassionate professionals. 

Some of the ways healthcare professionals develop empathetic and honest communication with clients include: 

• Using simple language instead of medical jargon 
• Sharing information openly 
• Being culturally sensitive and respectful 
• Keeping clients informed with consistent updates 
• Setting clear and realistic expectations 
• Using visual or written aids to help clients better understand complex medical topics
• Respecting client confidentiality and privacy 

Clients rely on healthcare professionals to lead by example. Healthcare professionals have an obligation to model healthy patterns of communication with clients. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to build client relationships through active listening and a compassionate approach to care. 

Clients may have never been able to develop healthy communication skills. Often, part of treatment for substance abuse or mental health disorders involves building up these skills. Clinicians and support staff play an essential role in helping clients learn to communicate more effectively. 

Building Relationships With Active Listening

Developing trusting relationships with clients requires active listening. Healthcare professionals at Driftwood Recovery are trained to resolve conflicts, de-escalate situations, and ease client concerns by educating clients and providing them with healthier ways to express their needs. By practicing honest and transparent communication, healthcare workers create an environment that fosters trust and respect. 

Client trust is essential because it does the following: 

• Facilitates more productive interactions 
• Promotes honesty and openness 
• Enhances treatment outcomes 
• Reduces anxiety 
• Builds long-term relationships 
• Encourages healthy vulnerability 
• Strengthens rapport between staff and clients
• Empowers clients to make healthier choices
• Reduces miscommunication 

Building relationships with clients involves recognizing their needs and finding ways to meet them where they are today. Active listening allows professionals to better understand their clients and provide more effective care. 

How Driftwood Recovery Encourages Active Listening

Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to create healthy relationships with clients and coworkers through active listening. Active listening involves showing the other person that their time and opinions matter. Many clients feel safer and more comfortable under the care of professionals who listen to and act on their feedback. Healthcare professionals can take constructive feedback and adjust client treatment plans to accommodate the new information.

Individuals in treatment for substance abuse or mental health disorders may have a history of negative interactions with authority figures. Building trust can take time. Consistently showing interest in their thoughts and feelings while actively listening can show clients that their voice matters. Effective listening leads to action. Being attentive during a conversation is meaningless unless real action is taken to implement feedback and provide solutions to problems. Clients feel heard and valued when their care team actively listens and uses the information they provide to address issues or acknowledge their opinions. 

Regular Daily Check-Ins With Staff

Communicating effectively with coworkers reduces miscommunication and decreases unnecessary stress in the workplace. Professionals should be able to rely on one another to listen attentively and provide appropriate support throughout the workday. According to Frontiers in Psychology, “Listening has been identified as a key workplace skill, important for ensuring high-quality communication, building relationships, and motivating employees.” Healthcare professionals provide better client care when they can rely on their coworkers for support.

Communication is key to developing a deep and honest connection with clients. Healthcare professionals create a welcoming and comfortable environment where clients feel safe and heard. Active listening is one of the most critical tools for healthy communication. Showing a genuine interest in what clients have to say and expressing a desire to further understand can set clients at ease and create a more positive dynamic between clients and clinicians. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to use active listening and other communication skills to develop better client relationships, facilitating a more positive treatment experience. To learn more about our programs and how we provide client support, call us today at (512) 759-8330.