The Value of Connection in an Alumni Program as an Introvert

According to Frontiers in Psychology, between 30–75% of the world’s population are introverts. Yet, pop culture presents stereotypes about introverts and extroverts that influence how you see yourself and others. Often, extroverts are glorified as the ideal personality type, while introverts are shown as awkward loners. Thus, perceptions of introverts and your preference for low-stimulation environments can lead you to question how alumni could benefit you. Being an introvert does not mean you dislike social engagement because the value of connection is innately human. 

At Driftwood Recovery, we know fostering connections with a community of peers is an invaluable cornerstone for sustained recovery. The value of connection in alumni gives you a community of peers who can provide compassion, understanding, accountability, and guidance. Through our commitment to connection, you are given the tools and resources needed to thrive in recovery. The value of connection in our sober community can be a source of support for introverts and extroverts alike. 

However, you may question how alumni can provide the value of connection for you. Dismantling misconceptions about introverts can provide insight into the value of connection and be a valuable first step toward building community among alumni. 

Difference Between Introverts and Social Anxiety

As noted in the Journal of Personality, introversion-extraversion has traditionally been presented as personality traits in opposition to each other. Further, introversion is often reduced to what is perceived as lacking assertiveness, impulsivity, sociability, and social warmth. Yet, in reality, introverts are not adverse to social connection. Rather, introverts tend to prefer stimulation through social engagement in small doses and often need time to process and recharge. The tendency to withdraw and preference for alone time contribute to misconceptions that introversion and social anxiety are the same. 

Listed below are some of the ways to tell the difference between being an introvert and having social anxiety:

• Introversion
  • A personality trait
  • Gets energy from within
  • Needs time to recharge
  • Prefer solo activities, familiar places, or spending time with people they know well
• Social anxiety
  • A mental health disorder
  • Feels significant nervousness, worry, and fear in social situations or thinking about social situations
  • Experiences a deep fear of rejection and or judgment 
  • Engage in avoidance of social interaction and situations out of fear

Although an introverted person can have social anxiety, they are not synonymous with each other. Being an introvert is less about social anxiety and more about the amount of social energy you have. Yet, how can you find value in connection when social environments deplete you? 

The Value of Connection for Introverts in Recovery

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), social connection can have a significant impact on psychological and physical well-being. Moreover, through social connection, you find a sense of belonging, and you feel loved, cared for, and valued. Yet, many are under the impression that social connectedness is not important to introverts. However, as Health Psychology Open notes, the need for social support, social inclusion, and a sense of belonging is a universal human need. Even introverts can benefit from social engagement and support:

• Adaptive coping
• Increased self-esteem
• Greater happiness from deep conversations
• More satisfaction after spending more time with others

Despite knowing the value of connection and enjoying connection, being overstimulated by social environments can present barriers to recovery.

Introverts in Recovery: Addressing Barriers to Healing

The value of connection is deeply integrated into addiction treatment and recovery. Whether it is group therapy, 12-Step programs, or an alumni program, connection is an important component of healing. Yet, if you do not derive your energy from socialization, the social aspect of recovery can make participating in alumni feel impossible. Some of the barriers introverts experience in recovery include:

• The need to be active in meetings
• Sharing your thoughts and feelings
• Spending time getting to know other people in the community

Social barriers in recovery can make it difficult to fully engage in recovery, make sober friends, and build a support network. However, being an introvert does not mean you cannot build a strong network to support you in your recovery journey. Recovery is not a one-size-fits-all process, and thus, it must be molded to match your specific needs. 

Ways to Find the Value of Connection for Introverts

With a strong and vibrant alumni program, you can find the value of connection that best fits you and your needs. Listed below are some of the ways you can tailor the social aspect of recovery to your life in an alumni program:

• Lean into building close relationships with a small number of people
  • Connect with your sponsor or a peer mentor 
• Engage in more one-on-one conversations
• Sit with someone you trust during meetings
• Connect with other introverts in your sober community
• Utilize digital recovery resources
  • Online meetings
  • Recovery apps for support and connection through sharing milestones and encouragement
• Know your limits by setting aside time to recover from social interaction

Furthermore, with support, you can find connections and build the recovery life that best suits you.

Fostering the Value of Connection in Alumni at Driftwood Recovery

At Driftwood Recovery, we recognize that treatment and recovery must come from a full continuum of care. Through a full continuum of care, you can customize your recovery to meet your specific needs. In our alumni program, we provide access to a variety of support services and resources to help you build a meaningful sober network whether you are an introvert or not. 

You can participate in events and activities that are enjoyable for you, such as milestone dinners and renewal retreats. Moreover, our recovery app also gives you the space to connect with and share with others at a pace that is comfortable for you. Whether you are an introvert or not, we can provide an active and flexible alumni program where every alum can thrive.

Pop culture representations of introverts have contributed to misconceptions about introversion as a negative trait and synonymous with social anxiety. Thus, there is an assumption that the social aspect of recovery creates barriers to sustained recovery for introverts. However, introverts can still engage in the value of connection with alumni with tailored support. Recovery is not a one-size-fits-all process; thus, with an individualized approach, you can be an active participant in alumni for yourself and sober peers. At Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing a wide variety of optional events and activities you can engage in and a recovery app that gives you the space to build connections at your own pace. Call us at (512) 759-8330 today.

The holidays are approaching, and those in recovery are no doubt both excited for and nervous about their first sober holiday! Holidays are stressful enough but can be even more so when trying to remain sober. It’s a time when common addiction triggers and peer pressure are prevalent, so it’s important to take steps to remain safe. 

That’s why at Driftwood Recovery, clients learn essential skills such as relapse prevention before completing treatment. Even after treatment is completed, alumni have access to the alumni program and other resources to protect their recovery. Being sober doesn’t mean a person can’t have fun. On the contrary, sober people can enjoy the holidays just as much as those who aren’t. It’s being safe that’s important.

So, have a joyful, safe, sober holiday by following these simple tips! 

Tip #1: Have a Safe Sober Holiday by Enforcing Boundaries

Having healthy boundaries is important for everyone, not just those in recovery. Sometimes, loved ones can do hurtful things without realizing it. Educate your loved ones about what it means for you to be sober and set some reasonable boundaries.

For example, it’s reasonable to ask loved ones not to bring substances, such as alcohol, into your home. It’s also reasonable to ask loved ones not to take you into triggering situations, such as bars or other establishments that feature heavy substance use. 

Though it may be hard, sometimes you will need to cut off toxic people who may threaten your sober holiday. Unkind people who ignore boundaries often inflict stress, which can exasperate cravings. It’s best to be safe and instead surround yourself with people who will respect you and your boundaries.

Tip #2: Be Aware of and Avoid Addiction Triggers

The holidays are full of addiction triggers. It’s a time of year when people typically consume the most alcohol or other recreational drugs. Those who have recovered from tobacco addiction may note that they tended to smoke the most during the holidays. It’s easy to see why. The holidays are full of stress, and there is a societal pressure to “let loose” and indulge. Some situations invoke the urge to use substances, such as parties, simply because you used substances during them in the past. Situational memories can be a powerful addiction trigger, along with stress and other situations that remind you strongly of substance use. 

Before you engage in your sober holiday, you must be intimately aware of your personal addiction triggers. Some can be avoided entirely, such as staying away from bars or reducing stress. Others, such as having a party, may be a bit more difficult. However, you can change the party to suit yourself and your sober holiday by including festive mocktails as a replacement for alcohol. Over time, these mocktails will become a part of your new normal and reduce cravings.

Tip #3: Look To Your Support Network for a Sober Holiday

Having a sober social life is important for a successful and happy, sober holiday. Maintaining access to peer support allows you to not be alone during an especially triggering part of the year. Though familial support is also important, having friends who truly understand what you have gone through makes facing what’s ahead easier. Peers can help hold you accountable during the holiday so you make healthy choices. It’s common for peers to host their sober holiday parties during the season. If they do, you can simply go to their parties instead of stressing over throwing one of your own. 

Tip #4: Make Plans to Reduce Stress

Stress is one of the leading causes of relapse, so it’s vital to take the time to reduce stress during the holidays. Practicing self-care is but one of the ways you can reduce stress. Make sure you eat well, get plenty of sleep, and move your body regularly.

You can also make plans in advance for your sober holiday. Meal prepping nutritious meals is easy and can be done a week or more in advance. Then, you can simply heat and eat without worrying about cooking during a stressful time. Make sure the people you include in your sober holiday are well aware of your boundaries. If a family member is a pain and only causes stress, you are allowed to not invite them to preserve your mental health. You can also save time by doing little things, such as packing luggage the night before to prevent a stressful scramble before traveling. 

The holidays, at their core, are stressful, but as long as you take the time to relax and have a moment to yourself, you can get through it with minimal fuss and stress. 

Tip #5: Set Yourself Up for Success for a Happy Sober Holiday

The best part about the holidays is that it reminds you that you aren’t alone. There are always people who care about you and want you to succeed. So set yourself up for success by leaning on the people who build you up, especially mental health care professionals. Alumni at Driftwood Recovery, for example, are always welcome to return for help and advice. Here, they can ask advice from mental health care professionals on how to protect their sobriety during stressful times, such as the holidays. Fellow alumni can also be helpful by sharing their wisdom and experiences to create the ultimate sober holiday. 

Besides asking for help from professionals, you must also remember that though times of stress happen, they don’t last forever. Remember that the darkness will pass as long as you hold on to your ideals and practice the skills you have learned. Doing so will ensure many more happy and sober holidays. 

Being sober and in recovery doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy holiday celebrations. It simply means that you must be careful and safe to protect your recovery. That’s why at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, we work to prepare our alumni for life after treatment. This includes skills to reduce stress and prevent a relapse during the chaos of the holidays. We also offer therapies that help our alumni set boundaries and communicate with their loved ones. Our goal is not just for our alumni to remain in recovery. We also want our alumni to enjoy life to the fullest. To learn more about sobriety and relapse prevention, call Driftwood Recovery today at (512) 759-8330.

Healthcare professionals recovering from alcohol or drug abuse may experience more severe symptoms during the holidays. The additional stress and holiday triggers may cause staff in recovery to experience complications and setbacks. However, there are steps professionals can take to protect their sobriety and mental health. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to reach out to supervisors if they need additional recovery support during busier times of the year, including the holidays. Taking steps to avoid triggers and receiving additional support from employers and loved ones reduces the impact of the holidays on people’s healing journey. 

Why Do the Holidays Increase the Risk of Relapse for Healthcare Workers in Recovery?

The holidays sometimes come with added stress, including unrealistic expectations from friends and family. Healthcare workers have a difficult job and often work long hours. Even mild stress from work and home can combine to create an overwhelming situation. People may have fewer supports during the holidays as friends travel and work departments experience shortages. Individuals in continuing care or ongoing recovery have an added risk of experiencing more severe side effects from holiday stress. 

The Importance of Avoiding Triggers

Individuals with a lower stress threshold and a history of mental health issues benefit from avoiding triggers. Situations, people, places, thoughts, or activities that might interfere with recovery should be avoided whenever possible. Healthcare workers have many resources at their disposal to help them avoid falling back on maladaptive coping mechanisms during the holidays. 

Some of the most common triggers healthcare workers in recovery experience during the holidays include: 

• Witnessing others celebrate with alcohol or drugs
• Sleep deprivation from busy holiday shifts 
• Pressure to meet unrealistic personal or professional goals
• Memories of past holidays associated with mental health issues or substance abuse 
• Additional holiday expenses causing financial strain 
• Emotional strain from client care
• Feeling isolated or lonely 
• Social pressure to engage in holiday activities 

Identifying potential triggers allows people to take proactive steps to manage stress and maintain positive mental health during the holidays. Supportive workplace policies help healthcare professionals remain healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Health workers reported fewer mental health issues when they said they work in supportive environments.” Driftwood Recovery prioritizes employee safety and support during the holidays, ensuring individuals in recovery have the resources they need to continue healing while working. 

3 Ways to Avoid Triggers and Reduce the Risk of Relapse During the Holidays

Avoiding holiday-related triggers is not always possible. However, there are steps healthcare workers can take to protect themselves from additional stress. Preparing for the holidays in advance by identifying likely triggers and creating ways of managing them reduces the risk of relapse during the holidays. Below are three ways professionals in recovery avoid or manage potential triggers. 

#1. Avoid Triggers By Spending Time With Supportive Loved Ones

Supportive friends and family may help people avoid experiencing triggers during the holiday season. For example, family members can filter the news, social media, emails, or physical mail to remove any potentially triggering ads or articles. 

A few other ways spending time with loved ones during the holidays reduces the risk of relapse include: 

• Additional accountability and motivation to remain sober 
• Friends and family ensure holiday events remain drug and alcohol-free 
• Emotional support and encouragement 
• Engaging in joyous activities with loved ones acts as a positive distraction from cravings or intrusive thoughts
• Positive reinforcement 

Individuals with supportive loved ones who help them navigate challenges in ongoing recovery are less likely to engage in maladaptive coping behaviors. 

#2. Avoid Holiday Events Featuring Alcohol, Drugs, and Other Triggers

Sober holiday events provide people in recovery with a safe space to express their joy with others while receiving support for their recovery journey. Avoiding get-togethers involving alcohol or drugs can improve overall health and reduce the risk of relapse. Many people in recovery rely on loved ones to help them confirm if they will be attending sober events. However, not all family members understand the damage triggers can cause, and they may try to sneak alcohol or drugs into holiday events. Educating loved ones ahead of the holidays to prepare them and ensure they understand the stakes can reduce the risk of someone accidentally being exposed to alcohol or drugs. 

#3. Creating Strict Work-Life Boundaries

Treating individuals diagnosed with SUD or dual diagnosis may cause additional stress for some healthcare workers with active mental health disorders or a history of substance abuse. Creating strict work-life boundaries allows professionals to do their work without putting themselves in situations where they may feel pressured to take on more than they can handle. Driftwood Recovery respects each staff member’s boundaries and encourages individuals to create structured limits to separate personal time from work responsibilities. 

Many individuals working in the field of addiction recovery and mental health have a personal history of substance use disorder or mental health conditions. The holidays may be a difficult time for those individuals. Often, holiday events bring back memories of past substance abuse or cause additional stress that may trigger symptoms of mental health disorders. Relapse prevention strategies are essential for avoiding setbacks in recovery. Driftwood Recovery supports staff members in recovery. Clinicians and other staff members can discuss their concerns with the management team. Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported during the holiday season. To learn more about our policies and how we help employees manage recovery, call us today at (512) 759-8330.

It’s clear to see how supportive housing and other community integration programs have made a real difference in the lives of clients recovering from addiction and substance abuse. In the past, finishing treatment was considered the end of the recovery journey. However, this often left vulnerable alumni without support. Without this support, many were prone to depression, anxiety, and relapse. 

To prevent this outcome for their alumni, many mental health care and addiction treatment facilities began to utilize what is known as supportive housing. With this safety net in place, clients and alumni can practice their coping skills in a supportive environment with the help of professionals. Driftwood Recovery is no different with its supportive housing program. With a secure place to live and continued peer support, it gives alumni the training they need to succeed. 

Most people are unsure of what happens in supportive housing. For many, it might seem like a vacation from an outsider’s perspective. But in reality, it’s an essential treatment tool that makes a clear difference in the lives of those in recovery.

What Happens in Supportive Housing?

For most, supportive housing is just like being in a home. How big this housing is or how many people are there varies. For Driftwood Recovery, clients utilize an actual house with shared bedrooms. Clients share common spaces with other clients in a situation akin to having roommates in a dorm or an apartment. They are expected to perform normal household chores to keep their spaces neat and healthy. Overall, it’s just like being in a home.

However, clients are still in treatment and will participate in therapeutic activities throughout the day. Though not as intense as residential treatment, those in supportive housing will still meet with mental health and medical professionals. Individual therapy, group therapy, craving management, and relapse prevention are all important activities in supportive housing. 

Clients in supportive housing are not prisoners. Though some may be recommended to stay close to professionals based on their current health, all residents are free to leave the premises. It’s not uncommon for residents in supportive housing to go on day trips or accomplish simple tasks such as shopping. All of these are considered training for life outside of treatment. 

Why Is Supportive Housing So Successful?

As a program, supportive housing is a vital tool in preventing relapses and preparing clients for normal life. Simply telling an alumnus that they are done with treatment doesn’t prepare them for the immediate turmoil of normal life. Alumni have to resist a large amount of pressure to use once more and may not have a loving familial support network to take them in post-treatment. For many, they worry that they aren’t strong enough to deal with normal life without the safety net of treatment. 

Supportive housing solves these issues by giving clients training wheels for normal life. Clients in supportive housing still perform home chores and duties, but they can also go to work or school. Learning how to balance these duties on top of preserving your sobriety cannot simply be taught. It must be experienced, and the client must have opportunities to practice what they have learned in real-world situations. It’s much safer for a client to have supportive housing to return to after a particularly hard day than to be alone and risk a relapse. Having access to peer support who can keep each other accountable is also a perk of supportive housing, allowing clients to keep each other on track.

Some addictions carry lasting scars and require medical intervention for a successful recovery. Drugs such as alcohol and opioids will cause strong cravings for months to even years after detox. Knowing how to handle these cravings or any medical issues resulting from an addiction takes time and oversight. Having medical personnel available as part of supportive housing trains clients on how to care for themselves on their own. Eventually, clients leave supportive housing as strong and capable people.

The Driftwood Recovery Approach

Supportive housing is just one of many essential treatment programs featured at Driftwood Recovery. We believe that our clients are capable of great things if allowed to thrive. As a result, clients using our supportive housing program do so knowing that they will be cared for. With a focus on safety and security, clients can utilize supportive housing while maintaining their privacy. Our supportive housing buildings are simply normal houses with professionals at the ready. An average person looking at a supportive housing building would never be able to tell that it’s anything other than a simple house that people live in. Clients come and go easily with little fuss, perfect for clients who wish to recover without scrutiny.

Those utilizing Driftwood Recovery’s supportive housing program also enjoy access to continued compassionate and high-quality mental health care and addiction treatment. Clients recovering from addiction and any co-occurring disorders do so under the guidance of top professionals utilizing the latest in holistic, evidence-based treatments. Though not as intensive as a residential treatment program, supportive housing is designed to provide enough support to help you stay stable but allows you to practice what you know. With other supportive programs that help with work and school, clients get everything they need for a successful recovery.

Supportive housing, in the end, is a stepping stone. It allows clients to get a feeling for life in recovery and prepares them for common pitfalls they may encounter. With supportive housing, however, clients don’t just gain support. They gain a community that will be there for them every step of the way for the rest of their lives. 

Those who have completed or are currently in addiction treatment have learned the skills needed to remain in recovery. However, jumping right back into previous obligations can make a client feel apprehensive or even frightened. To ease this transition back into normal life, Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, offers a supportive housing program. This program involves clients living in housing created by Driftwood Recovery while they finish treatment. Supportive housing allows clients to practice the skills learned in treatment in a real environment while being safely monitored and helped by medical and mental health care professionals. To learn more about supportive housing at Driftwood Recovery, call (512) 759-8330 today.

Work and home responsibilities often feel more overwhelming during the holidays, when many people feel constantly on the go. Healthcare workers are at a higher risk of experiencing physical and emotional exhaustion and burnout during the holidays unless they prioritize self-care. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to create a healthy balance between personal and professional responsibilities during busy times of the year, including the holidays. 

The Need for a Balance Between Work and Home Responsibilities

Healthcare professionals must find a healthy balance between work and home responsibilities to reduce their risk of burnout or mental health issues. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “The primary concern for burnout is not being able to emotionally take care of each patient individually or uniquely.” During the holidays, when staff often feel the most emotionally drained, clients frequently experience more challenges. Addressing the risk of healthcare worker burnout ensures clients receive appropriate care. 

Creating a work-life balance involves doing the following: 

• Setting specific times for work hours and personal time 
• Focusing on time-intensive and high-priority tasks first 
• Openly communicating needs and concerns with supervisors and family members 
• Using time management tools, including apps and calendars, to track responsibilities 
• Taking regular breaks 
• Setting realistic personal and professional goals

The more steps a person takes to separate work from their home life, the easier it is to create a sense of balance. Healthcare workers frequently face workplace stress, and the holidays cause additional stress in their home lives. If left unaddressed, the combination of pressures may interfere with a person’s ability to function. 

Maintaining Healthy Boundaries With Supervisors and Coworkers

Boundaries at work allow people to say “no” if they are asked to work additional hours or perform tasks that might negatively impact their mental and physical health. The holidays involve shopping for gifts, preparing meals, connecting with distant relatives, and other time-intensive activities. Healthcare workers must allow themselves to take the time they need to do these tasks without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Setting clear boundaries reduces stress and will enable professionals to enjoy their holiday plans while remaining productive at work. 

How Work and Home Responsibilities Can Affect Mental Health

Some of the ways work and home responsibilities impact mental health during the holidays include: 

• Higher caseloads, holiday staff shortages, and increased hours increase workplace demands
• Long and irregular hours reduce time spent with family 
• Holidays often intensify emotional reactions to client discomfort and pain
• Missing family traditions or events may lead to guilt, stress, and resentment 
• Reduced access to support networks due to traveling or other holiday plans

Healthcare workers can take steps to protect their emotional wellness by preparing for these potential challenges before the holidays arrive. Informing loved ones of possible shifts in work hours, completing holiday shopping in advance, and doing other things to lower stress around the holidays can help healthcare workers maintain emotional stability. 

Avoiding Unnecessary Tasks

The holiday season is full of personal and professional tasks people must complete to meet their goals. Avoiding unnecessary tasks can give people additional time to complete other things they must do at home or work. 

Some examples of unnecessary tasks people can delegate to others or avoid entirely include: 

• Household deep cleaning to impress family or neighbors
• Last-minute shopping trips 
• Overly complex or extensive holiday decorations 
• Personally preparing every dish for a holiday meal
• Sending personalized holiday cards to friends and family 
• Attending all social events 
• Responding to nonemergency work calls during time off.

Professionals significantly minimize holiday stress and anxiety by reducing home and work responsibilities. 

Spending Time With Loved Ones During the Holidays

Social engagement is essential to positive mental health. Professionals are less likely to feel burnt out if they spend time with loved ones during the holidays, making new memories and enjoying the company of the people they care about most. According to Plos One, “[S]ocial connectedness protects and promotes mental and physical health.” Driftwood Recovery ensures staff members have the time to disconnect from work and spend time with their loved ones. 

Practical Ways to Avoid Burnout From Work and Home Stress

Staff with mental health disorders have an increased risk of developing more severe symptoms during periods of heightened stress. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “64 percent of individuals living with a mental illness reported that their conditions worsened around the holidays.” Prioritizing self-care and taking the time to reenergize each week helps healthcare professionals avoid burnout from the combination of work and home stressors. Using self-care to address symptoms and lower stress levels can help healthcare workers with mental health disorders experience fewer side effects during the holidays. Driftwood Recovery supports staff experiencing additional stress during the holidays, ensuring they have the resources to create effective work-life boundaries. 

Balancing work and home responsibilities is difficult for healthcare workers during the holiday season. Some individuals may have large family get-togethers or mandatory work events interfering with their ability to remain productive while connecting with loved ones over the holidays. Workplace stress may also interfere with personal relationships unless people establish firm boundaries between their work and home life. Driftwood Recovery supports employees’ mental health by encouraging staff members to create strict limits that set apart their personal and professional responsibilities during the holidays. Management has an open-door policy and is always available to help staff cope with stressors. To learn more about our workplace culture or treatment programs, call us today at (512) 759-8330.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 60% of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) will enter sustained recovery. Yet, many are expected to relapse before entering sustained recovery. Relapse has been a common feature of the recovery process. While many risk factors can contribute to relapse, unaddressed addiction triggers are often a significant root cause. Understanding addiction triggers is vital to fostering the tools needed for maintaining recovery.

When left unchecked, addiction triggers can disrupt your well-being. At Driftwood Recovery, we know that fostering healthy attachments through connection is vital to maintaining recovery. Through your alumni program, you can find a community that offers compassion, understanding, and guidance to overcome the challenges of addiction triggers. Moreover, with alumni, you are not left alone to figure out how to live in recovery.

Yet, what does it mean to have addiction triggers? Understanding what addiction triggers are can provide insight into how to manage your triggers for sustained recovery.

What are Addiction Triggers?

According to the VA, triggers are typically defined as external events or circumstances that can lead to uncomfortable emotional or psychiatric symptoms. These emotional or psychiatric symptoms can manifest as anxiety, panic, discouragement, depression, or even negative self-talk. While experiencing or reacting to triggers is not unusual, they can be detrimental when left to fester. Often, triggers are associated with disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, in PTSD, triggers can be images of violence, a sound, or even a smell that triggers a previous traumatic experience. 

Further, triggers are thought of as external stimuli that induce a reaction, but they can also be enacted internally. Beyond PTSD, triggers are also common in other mental health disorders and conditions like anxiety disorders and SUD. Although everyone experiences different triggers, understanding different types of trauma, like mental health triggers and addiction triggers, can provide insight into their impact on your well-being.

Understanding Mental Health Triggers

Mental health triggers and addiction triggers are often deeply intertwined with each other. Within mental health disorders alone, triggers can range from anxiety triggers to trauma or PTSD triggers. Mental health triggers can come from external or internal stimuli. Listed below are some of the ways mental health symptoms can be triggered externally or internally:

• External triggers
  • Senses: sounds, sights, smells, and textures
    • Arguing with a loved one or hearing people argue
    • Seeing news coverage of an accident
    • Smelling a loved one’s perfume after they have passed away
• Internal triggers
  • A memory, emotion, or sensation
    • Loneliness
    • Anxiety
    • Feeling overwhelmed
    • Anger
    • Pain

Whether external or internal, mental health triggers can impede your psychological and physical well-being. Some of the ways mental health triggers can impact you include:

• Anxiety triggers
  • Can bring up fear and worry that does not dissipate 
• Negative memories
  • You feel emotions like embarrassment, disappointment, or fear in similar situations
• Trauma
  • You are reminded of a traumatic experience that brings up difficult-to-manage emotions
• Interpersonal conflict
  • Interactions with people who remind you of past conflicts can trigger intense emotions
• Physical symptom triggers
  • Lack of sleep or difficulty sleeping can trigger mental health symptoms like bipolar disorder (BP) symptoms

When left unaddressed, triggers can exasperate mental health symptoms and make it difficult to manage those symptoms. Thus, maintaining recovery can be further complicated by addiction triggers.

Impact of Addiction Triggers on Relapse

Addiction triggers, in particular, are associated with an emotional, environmental, or social situation that reminds you of your past substance use. Similar to mental health triggers, addiction triggers can be broken into external and internal triggers:

• External triggers
  • Locations you associate with your past substance use
    • Bars
    • Clubs
    • Certain neighborhoods
    • Places or events where substances are readily available
  • Specific dates
    • Holidays
    • Birthdays
    • Anniversaries
    • Loss of a loved one
  • High-stress situations
    • Work stress
    • Unemployment
    • Financial insecurity
    • Housing instability
    • Relationship conflicts
• Internal triggers
  • Boredom and complacency
  • Difficult emotions and mental health challenges
    • Sadness
    • Depression 
    • Anxiety
    • Anger
  • Physical discomfort or pain

When triggers are ignored or unknown, it can increase cravings and your risk for addiction and mental health relapse. Being aware of your addiction triggers is an important step toward building long-term tools to process and manage triggers rather than succumbing to relapse.

Learning to Manage Addiction Triggers

Addiction triggers are a common feature in recovery, but they do not have to equal relapse. With support, you can learn how to identify and manage your addiction triggers to thrive in recovery. Listed below are some of the ways you can identify and manage your addiction triggers:

• Physical symptoms
  • Muscle tension 
  • Nervous feelings like butterflies in the stomach or a pounding heart
  • Feeling sick to your stomach
• Psychological symptoms
  • Remembering your past substance use, especially remembering it with fondness
  • Planning to get substances or use substances
  • Feeling a desire or need to use substances
• Engage in journaling to recognize triggers through self-reflection
• Keep track of your triggers
  • Note what or who caused the trigger and when and where the trigger occurred
• Learn to identify high-risk situations that can be triggering
• Practice mindfulness and other self-care tools
  • Meditation
  • Grounding techniques
  • Deep breathing
  • Physical activity
• Lean on your support network of peers and loved ones to talk through and process triggers

Remembering healthy coping tools in a moment of distress can feel daunting. However, the support of a strong alumni program can provide access to resources and guidance to confront and overcome triggers in your daily life.

Healing With Social Support at Driftwood Recovery

At Driftwood Recovery, we know sustained recovery is made possible with the support of a strong and vibrant alumni program. With an active recovery community, you can find whole-person healing in the guidance, compassion, accountability, and encouragement those with shared experiences can offer. In our alumni program, you are reminded that recovery is not done alone but in tandem with a community that loves and uplifts you. Here at Driftwood Recovery, we provide a wealth of opportunities to connect with and heal with peers and your loved ones.

Unaddressed addiction triggers can contribute to mental health triggers and cravings that put you at risk for relapse. However, mental health and addiction-related triggers do not have to equal relapse. Greater awareness of triggers and how they impact your well-being can support lasting recovery. With support, you can deepen your understanding of yourself, properly identify your triggers, and build adaptive coping skills to manage triggers in your daily life. At Driftwood Recovery, we are committed to an attachment approach to healing and recovery with a vibrant alumni family to support a courageous life in recovery. Call us today at (512) 759-8330 to learn how your alumni community can support you. 

Many people are currently struggling with sleep disorders. In 2022, it was estimated that 13.5% of adults aged 18 and older felt exhausted on most days. The blame for this lack of essential sleep comes from varied sources, such as people working long hours in demanding fields such as medical care. However, most of what is causing these low rates of sleep are sleep disorders. These sleep disorders don’t just cause poor sleep; they can also greatly impact a person’s physical and mental health.

That’s why at Driftwood Recovery, we treat sleep disorders as seriously as any other mental health condition. With a focus on quality holistic treatment, clients don’t just get care for their conditions. They can also get a full night’s sleep. 

To understand the role sleep plays in our health, we must first examine what sleep disorders are.

A Brief Overview of Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are defined as a condition that affects the quality, amount, and time of sleep you can get at night. Having too little or too much sleep can cause a cascade effect on a person’s ability to function. Some common examples of sleep disorders are:

• Insomnia
• Restless legs syndrome
• Narcolepsy
• Sleep apnea
• Parasomnias

Sleep disorders are caused by a myriad of reasons, many of which are beyond a person’s control. Some of these common causes are:

• A symptom from a medical or mental health condition such as asthma, depression, chronic pain, or anxiety
• Genetics
• Working night shifts
• A side effect of certain medications
• Using substances before bed, such as caffeine or alcohol
• Poor nutrition which can cause a decrease in essential chemicals or minerals in the brain

It’s important to be aware of how much sleep you get in a night. Adults need between seven and nine hours of quality sleep each night to function properly. If you notice that you are tired no matter how much sleep you get, cannot fall asleep, or experience cognitive and physical decline, it’s time to seek help.

The Role of Sleep on Health

Sleep is essential for everyone, not just those in recovery. However, having sleep disorders such as insomnia can play a significant role in the quality of your life during and after treatment. Treatment and recovery are hard work, and clients need sleep to heal properly and rejuvenate for the next day. Without sleep, a person’s cognitive abilities begin to decline. It makes it difficult to think and concentrate. People with poor sleep may also struggle with distress tolerance, making them feel irritated or depressed.

Part of treatment at Driftwood Recovery is ensuring that the client will have the healthiest life possible post-treatment, as sleep disorders can cause problems for physical health as well. Those with consistently poor sleep are more at risk for conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even dementia. Poor sleep results in poor reaction times, leaving those with poor sleep more prone to accidents and harm. In rare cases, conditions like insomnia can even be life-threatening. 

A person struggling with a sleep disorder can’t concentrate on treatment. They also are more likely to experience a relapse, as being tired lowers mental resilience. Sleep disorders lower mood and generally make someone feel awful. It’s no way to begin or remain in recovery. Luckily, there are ways to treat sleep disorders that give those who struggle with them a new lease on life.

Treating Sleep Disorders at Driftwood Recovery

At Driftwood Recovery, we know how important sleep is for a healthy mind and body. Clients with sleep disorders have access to quality and comprehensive treatment designed to help them sleep well. Exactly what treatments or therapies are used depends on the particular sleep disorder and its severity. For general sleep care, clients are taught about nutrition, exercise, and sleep hygiene. Engaging your body in exercise, eating a healthy diet, and training your body to have a healthy nighttime routine can often be enough to help with mild sleep disorders.

For more severe disorders, such as insomnia, clients utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a way to manage their condition. CBT uses techniques such as sleep journals to help clients track their sleep quality and identify potential triggers that affect it. Medications may also be used to help a client’s body establish a new sleep schedule or treat underlying disorders causing the sleeping problems. For example, anxiety often causes symptoms such as a racing mind and heart, making it difficult to sleep. Anti-anxiety medications can quiet the mind and body, allowing the client to fall and stay asleep.

Driftwood Recovery has access to several experts in the mental and medical healthcare field, one of which is sleep experts who can perform sleep studies. These studies take place overnight and observe how a client sleeps. In many cases, these diagnose a client with sleep apnea. This disorder is treated through the use of a CPAP machine, allowing the client to have uninterrupted breathing during the night. Driftwood Recovery doesn’t just treat sleep disorders; we help clients get a diagnosis. For many, they struggle for years without knowing why they feel so tired. Having access to a valuable diagnostic tool such as a sleep study solves this mystery and paves the way for specialized care.

Overall, Driftwood Recovery doesn’t only provide treatment. We also help clients learn the skills needed for a healthy life. Establishing healthy habits now ensures not just an easier time in treatment but also allows clients to have a successful and continuous recovery. 

Having a sleep disorder can have a profound effect on a person’s mental health. A lack of or too much sleep can also take a physical toll on a person’s physical health. In serious cases, sleep disorders like insomnia can result in hospitalization if treatment is not sought. That’s why at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, sleep disorders are treated as seriously as any other mental health condition. With an emphasis on holistic and comprehensive treatment, clients can learn ways to obtain restful and healthy sleep. If you or a loved one is struggling to get healthy sleep, don’t wait to get help. Learn more about our treatment plans at Driftwood Recovery by calling (512) 759-8330 today.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 46.3 million people meet the criteria for substance use disorder (SUD). However, of those 46.3 million, 20.9 million are recovering or in recovery. Therefore, understanding and supporting life in recovery is invaluable to helping people reintegrate into their lives and communities. Through continuing care found in an alumni program, resources and services like the value of therapy become apparent. 

At Driftwood Recovery, we recognize that ideas about recovery come with a complex set of predispositions and assumptions. Those predispositions and assumptions about recovery can impede your ability to reintegrate and build the courageous life in recovery you deserve. We are dedicated to providing education and guidance through connection and service to meet your physical, psychological, and sober needs to maintain recovery.

Yet, you may question how therapy can continue to support you in recovery. You already went through therapy in treatment, so what could therapy offer you now? Understanding how therapy functions can provide greater insight into the value of therapy for recovery.

Types of Therapy Offered During and Post-Treatment

Challenges with addiction are complex, and treatment needs to be tailored to meet the individual needs and experiences of each person. Thus, there are various therapy options utilized to support and treat a variety of challenges with addiction. As stated in Addiction Psychotherapeutic Care by Han Yue and Eduardo Pena, psychosocial interventions like therapy are crucial to addiction treatment. Through psychosocial interventions, a greater understanding of the social, environmental, and psychological factors that contribute to SUD is found. 

Listed below are some of the psychosocial interventions that can be utilized during and post-treatment:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectal behavior therapy (DBT)
• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Family therapy

While everyone’s needs are different, the value of therapy can provide a foundation for healing and managing daily life. Despite the benefits of therapy experienced in treatment, many people avoid or see no value in therapy beyond treatment. 

The Why Behind Therapy Avoidance in Recovery

Awareness of the prevalence of mental health disorders among the general public has grown substantially. Greater awareness of mental health disorders is made clear in the growing number of people living with one or more mental health disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among adults in the U.S., 58.7 million are living with a mental health condition. Further, the CDC notes that another 14.6 million people are living with serious mental health conditions like major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. 

For those in recovery, post-treatment therapy is often recommended as a part of continuing care. Yet, many, including those in recovery, continue to have unmet mental health needs. Unmet mental health needs in recovery can stem from several factors, but avoidance is a common barrier to the value of therapy in recovery. Some of the reasons why you may avoid therapy in recovery include:

• Feeling certain that you have overcome all mental health challenges
• Believing the tools you learned in treatment alone can resolve any challenges you encounter
• You are convinced that you have too many responsibilities and obligations to go to therapy
• Feeling certain that additional treatment would not be helpful
• Post-treatment life can amplify reminders of mental health stigma

Avoiding therapy post-treatment can be detrimental to your well-being. Thus, expanding your awareness of the value of therapy can highlight the importance of continuing care in recovery.

Value of Therapy for Sustained Recovery

Many recognize the value of therapy in treatment due to the prevalence of co-occurring SUD and other mental health conditions. Yet, the value of therapy is often overlooked as an invaluable continuing care tool for sustained recovery. As noted in Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, continuing care is an important component of a dynamic recovery process. Some of the ways continuing care tools support recovery include:

• Maintain abstinence 
• Relapse prevention
• Access to other support resources
• Linking community support 
• Address interrelated recovery challenges
  • Employment
  • Housing
  • Support network
  • Sober recreation
  • Meaningful and fun hobbies and activities
• Skill building
• Self-management
• Goal setting
• Identifying barriers to goals
• Methods for overcoming goal barriers
• Mental well-being

Therapy can be another continuing care component to support your life goals and long-term wellness. Listed below are some of the benefits therapy can offer in recovery:

• Provide education about addiction, relapse, and recovery
• Develop healthy coping and communication skills
• Build a support network
• Greater self-awareness and self-understanding
• Increase self-esteem, self-confidence, and motivation
• Improve sense of purpose and belonging
• Manage mental health symptoms
• Provide accountability

Looking at the value of therapy alone highlights continuing care as vital to recovery. Despite the value of therapy, individual avoidance or overconfidence are not the only barriers to therapy in recovery.

Addressing Barriers to the Value of Therapy

There are external barriers to therapy that attempt to impede your access to resources for sustained recovery. Some of the other barriers to resources like therapy you may encounter include:

• Stigma
  • Shame
  • Fear of judgment
• Concerns about confidentiality and trust
• Poor access to resources
  • Transportation
  • Geographical isolation
  • Financial insecurity
  • Structural inequalities
    • Sex and gender identity
    • Race and ethnicity
• Lack of inclusive support services
  • Trauma-informed
  • Gender-responsive

Despite the presence of structural barriers, access to a strong alumni program can help overcome barriers to thrive in recovery.

Finding the Value of Therapy in Alumni at Driftwood Recovery

With a vibrant alumni program, you not only have access to therapy. You can access a range of continuing care services and resources that more effectively integrate community for enjoyment and a sense of meaning and purpose in recovery. At Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing a peer-driven network where you can find compassionate support, accountability, and guidance to maintain recovery. We provide a wide range of services and resources like recovery education and weekly meetings and events no matter where you are on your recovery journey. With support, you can build a courageous life in recovery.

Overconfidence, avoidance, and structural barriers often impede investing in the value of therapy for sustained recovery. However, more awareness of continuing care can showcase the value of therapy in recovery. Access to continuing care supports relapse prevention, skill building, goal setting, and addressing other recovery challenges like unemployment and unstable housing, among other support tools. Further, continuing therapy post-treatment can specifically support recovery education, healthy coping skills, self-esteem, and building a support network. At Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing a peer-driven network where you can find compassion, service, accountability, and guidance to meet you where you are on your recovery journey. Call us at (512) 759-8330 to learn how therapy can continue to support your recovery.

Many healthcare facilities treating substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health issues see a spike in clients during the holidays. The increased caseload has the potential to cause burnout and additional stress for healthcare workers unless they take steps to prioritize their mental and physical health. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to create a healthy work-life balance and work as a team to address any increased client load during the holidays. 

What Causes an Increased Client Load During the Holidays?

Holiday social gatherings may lead some people to realize their need for help. In addition, families that may not connect throughout the year often meet for holidays. Sometimes, families take the opportunity to prompt loved ones to get help. The holidays also create a sense of fellowship in many communities, causing people to reach out to individuals struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues. 

Holiday plans may significantly reduce the number of healthcare workers available to take new cases. Time off for family vacations and traveling causes some departments to have fewer people available to keep up with increased client loads. Flexible scheduling and other solutions support staff without sacrificing the quality of client care. 

Interventions Are More Popular During the Holidays

Many people seek treatment during the holidays. Families often use the holidays as an opportunity to host interventions or urge loved ones to get the help they need to manage substance abuse and mental health disorders. Frequently, people go directly from the intervention location to a treatment center, causing a spike in potential clients for some healthcare facilities during the holidays. Intervention specialists may contact rehabilitation programs and facilitate the transfer of intervention clients on behalf of families. 

How Can Healthcare Workers Manage an Increased Client Load During the Holidays?

Clients may come all at once or as a steady stream of intakes. Healthcare professionals must find ways to manage the increased client load. Additional personal responsibilities during the holidays may make it more difficult for some professionals to focus at work. Combining additional responsibilities and more clients can stretch some people’s skills to breaking. Healthcare professionals need to plan for these moments and develop strategies to avoid emotional burnout during busy seasons. 

Some of the ways staff at rehabilitation programs manage a large influx of clients during the holidays include:

• Temporarily increasing staff or cross-training to fill empty spaces in schedules
• Implementing a more streamlined intake process to more quickly assess and treat new clients 
• Offering additional group therapy options to accommodate more individuals in treatment programs 
• Providing flexible scheduling 
• Offering telehealth services for individuals who do not require in-person care
• Partnering with private and community-based services 
• Consistently communicating with families to facilitate family engagement during the holidays 

Healthcare workers and supervisors can take many steps to improve the experience for clinicians and clients, reducing stress and increasing the effectiveness of treatment. 

Setting Realistic Expectations and Strict Work-Life Boundaries

Professionals must set realistic expectations with clients, coworkers, family members, and friends to avoid feeling pulled in multiple directions. The best way to do this is by being specific and considering all factors affecting their ability to achieve the goal. 

Clinicians treating SUD and mental health disorders often talk to clients about creating S.M.A.R.T. goals. Professionals can use the same principles to develop realistic expectations for work and home. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives is a good way to plan the steps to meet” short and long-term goals.

Making S.M.A.R.T. goals involves doing the following: 

• Clearly defining what you want to achieve by setting specific goals
• Identifying criteria for tracking progress 
• Setting attainable goals 
• Ensuring smaller goals align with larger objectives 

Structured and realistic goals set healthy expectations and increase the likelihood of success. 

Effectively Navigating an Increased Client Load Without Compromising Treatment Quality

Driftwood Recovery is a leading rehabilitation center with luxury accommodations and high-quality services. The clinical team maintains high standards and provides world-class treatment programs. Staff members learn to effectively navigate increases in client loads without compromising treatment quality or client engagement. Professionals use their support network to develop healthy strategies for remaining productive with a large workload. 

Practicing Self-Compassion and Self-Care

Healthcare professionals must treat themselves with grace and compassion to avoid feeling overworked and underappreciated. The holiday season is a difficult time for many people. Some professionals feel guilty for working longer hours and spending less time with family during the holiday rush. Practicing self-care and self-compassion can help healthcare professionals develop a more positive mindset. 

Clients and coworkers benefit when clinicians give themselves the time and space to reenergize each week. A few examples of self-care people use to manage higher stress levels at work include: 

• Spending time alone meditating or practicing mindfulness 
• Participating in hobbies or other enjoyable activities 
• Spending time with pets, loved ones, or social circles
• Setting clear boundaries 
• Getting quality sleep each night 
• Eating balanced, nutritious meals

Healthcare workers can provide exceptional care while maintaining positive mental health during the holidays. 

During the winter months, many treatment facilities get inundated with new clients, contact from potential clients and their families, and alumni needing additional support navigating their first holiday sober. The increase in workload significantly impacts the emotional and physical health of clinicians and support staff. Management at Driftwood Recovery encourages employees to develop a work-life balance and set boundaries to support their mental health during the holidays. Staff need to prioritize their own well-being to provide high-quality care to clients recovering from addiction or mental health disorders. To learn more about our facility and how we support staff members during the holidays, contact our office today by calling (512) 759-8330.

Shame and guilt are common self-conscious emotions that most people will experience throughout their lives. Both emotions are deeply intertwined, and when left unchecked, one often leads to the other. Together, guilt and shame can be detrimental to your well-being. Understanding their entangled relationship is important for overcoming shame and guilt in addiction recovery.

At Driftwood Recovery, we know true healing starts with fostering a healthy connection to self and others. Through connection, you can find healthy attachments to alleviate the distressing emotions that can accompany recovery. We are dedicated to taking an attachment approach to recovery because connection is the foundation for understanding yourself and others. 

In recovery, feelings of guilt and shame can bubble up and manifest as social withdrawal. Yet, at Driftwood Recovery, we know recovery cannot be done in isolation but within the embrace of a strong support network. A network of peers and loved ones can offer mutual support and community to help people overcome shame and guilt and thrive. However, you may question how finding connections in alumni can help you in overcoming shame and guilt. Dismantling the harm of addiction in your life starts with understanding the roots of your distress. 

What Is Shame and Guilt?

In general, shame is an intense feeling of embarrassment or humiliation that arises from the perception that you have done something wrong. Further, shame leaves you feeling like you are a bad, unworthy, or inadequate person. Some additional symptoms of shame include:

• Worrying what others think of you
• Desire to withdraw from others 
• You always feel like an outsider

On the other hand, guilt leaves you feeling remorse or a sense of responsibility for doing something wrong or the perception that you have done something wrong. Guilt is unlike shame, which does not have to stem from a specific situation or behavior. Rather, guilt often stems from a specific intentional or unintentional action. Overcoming shame and guilt means understanding their similarities and differences. 

Understanding Differences Between Shame and Guilt

According to Europe’s Journal of Psychology, shame and guilt are self-critical emotions associated with self-reflection and self-evaluation. At the core of shame and guilt are negative self-evaluations and distress born from your perceived failures or transgressions. Listed below are some of the major differences between guilt and shame:

• Guilt focuses on negative moral self-evaluation
  • Considers your behavior, goals, beliefs, or traits
  • You evaluate yourself positively or negatively based on whether the behavior, goal, belief, or trait is seen as beneficial or harmful
  • Can drive you to amend your mistakes
• Shame focuses on nonmoral, negative self-evaluation
  • Is concerned with a perceived discrepancy between your actual and ideal self
  • You evaluate your self-worth based on your place in society
  • Can drive you to hide from others

Guilt and shame can have adaptive properties that contribute to differentiation in emotional responses to different forms of self-criticism. Yet, it is often the maladaptive aspects that make overcoming shame and guilt difficult.

Impact of Shame and Guilt on Addiction and Recovery

Shame and guilt can play overlapping roles in addiction and recovery. In addiction, shame and guilt made it difficult for you to believe you were worthy of healing and powerless to change. You overcame countless barriers to seek treatment, and now, in recovery, overcoming the shame and guilt that remain is vital to sustained recovery. When left to fester unaddressed, shame and trauma can impair your well-being. Listed below are some of the ways shame and guilt impede recovery:

• Risk for relapse
• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Perfectionism
• Low self-worth
• Social withdrawal
• Impede healthy relationships

Further, shame and guilt can be detrimental to the connections you share with loved ones and recovery. As noted by BMC Psychiatry, most families are not equipped with the knowledge to adapt and appropriately respond to addiction, which disrupts the family’s normal system and functioning. Addiction exposes the family to a range of challenges, including socioeconomic, mental illness, abuse, conflicts, and dysfunction, among other issues. The family challenges born out of addiction can persist in recovery as shame and guilt. Some of the ways shame and guilt hinder healthy families and recovery include:

• Poor communication
• Low help-seeking behavior
• Dysfunctional family dynamics

Overcoming shame and guilt is not only valuable to you but for healing the whole family.

Overcoming Shame and Guilt in Recovery

Your ability to heal by overcoming shame and guilt is rooted in the power of connection, self-awareness, and self-understanding. Listed below are some of the ways you can work on overcoming shame and guilt to thrive:

• Practice mindfulness
  • Deepness awareness of the self and emotions
  • Understand the source of your guilt and shame
• Journal about the specific things you feel guilty or ashamed about
  • Helps acknowledge your guilt and shame rather than avoid it
  • Cultivates self-compassion, self-forgiveness, and acceptance to support moving forward
• Foster positive relationships by surrounding yourself with mutually supportive people
  • Talk to trusted loved ones about how you have been feeling
  • Surround yourself with people who value you
• Reach out for support
  • Attend self-help groups
  • Engage in therapy

Engaging in practices that promote dignity, respect, empathy, and trust in yourself and others is an important step toward overcoming shame and guilt. With positive connections in an alumni program, you are reminded that you are not alone in recovery.

Family Cohesion: Overcoming Shame Together to Heal at Driftwood Recovery

Overcoming shame and guilt in recovery supports family cohesion for sustained recovery. Positive family cohesion and connection with peers can support leading a courageous life in recovery for the whole family. At Driftwood Recovery, we believe in breaking the cycle of suffering through a peer-driven alumni program. Through alumni, you can find the encouragement, accountability, and service needed to overcome shame and guilt. With a commitment to connection, you and your loved ones can use long-term resources and services like weekly meetings, family dinners, and our family support group for sustained recovery.

Shame and or guilt are common emotions. Guilt can encourage you to make positive changes and amend mistakes. However, in recovery, shame and guilt can create a cycle of harm to your well-being. Feeling ashamed and guilty about your addiction or the choices you made before treatment can convince you that you are not worthy of healing or connection with others. A poor sense of self can contribute to relapse and greater family dysfunction. Overcoming shame and guilt through connection with others is invaluable to sustained recovery. At Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing resources that support connection with loved ones and peers in alumni to cultivate self-compassion and forgiveness to heal. Call us at (512) 759-8330 today.