Recovery is not a specific destination or finish line you reach. Healing from addiction is a process with different stages to address your specific needs. Recovery is an ongoing process in which you continue to learn and grow throughout your life. Thus, an alumni program where staying connected with your peers is at the core of the program is instrumental to lasting recovery.
At Driftwood Recovery, we know staying connected through a peer-driven network is an integral part of lasting recovery. We believe that mutually supportive attachment with others can give you the tools you need to reintegrate into everyday life. It may be easy to convince yourself that you have learned everything you need to know to manage after treatment.
While independence is important in recovery, healing is not a one-and-done experience. There will always be life stressors that try to erode your resilience. Therefore, building a vibrant community you can lean on when you need a little extra support and when you are thriving is vital.
Yet, you may question why an alumni program is right for you. What makes an alumni program a valuable lifelong part of healing?
Continuum of Care: What Is an Alumni Program in Recovery?
An alumni program is an important part of the continuum of care for sustained recovery. As noted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the continuum of care is a treatment system made of different levels. Through a continuum of care, you enter treatment or aftercare at an appropriate level for your needs. Some stages of the continuum of care include early recovery, maintenance, and community support.
The community support stage of recovery falls under engaging in an alumni program to support staying connected. Through an alumni program, you have access to a support network beyond your time in treatment. Not only do alumni programs support staying connected with peers and staff, but they also work to build connections in the wider community. Looking more deeply at the elements of alumni programs can showcase the value of alumni programs as a stage in the process of recovery.
Staying Connected: The Value of Alumni Programs
An alumni program gives you access to a variety of individual and community resources. Through an alumni program, you have access to support groups, employment opportunities, and educational opportunities. The many opportunities for staying connected after treatment reflect the reality that recovery does not end after treatment. There are some important triggers you can remove from your life, like relationships with others who still misuse substances.
Yet, spending time in treatment does not get rid of the universal stressors of life. You will always encounter challenges and setbacks in life. However, staying connected in an alumni program gives you support to process and overcome challenges in your daily life.
As SAMHSA notes, setbacks are a natural part of life, but with resilience, lasting recovery is possible. Alumni programs give you the space to foster and maintain your resilience to substance misuse. Moreover, through the four major dimensions of recovery, you can see the long-term benefits of continuing to attend alumni programs:
- Health
- Overcoming symptoms
- Making informed and healthy choices
- Home
- Access to a safe and stable living situation
- Purpose
- Engaging in meaningful daily activities
- Work
- School
- Family caretaking
- Volunteering
- Creative hobbies
- Engaging in meaningful daily activities
- Community
- Building relationships and social networks
The recovery process and resources available in alumni programs highlight the value of staying connected. Community is a foundational part of healing and sustained recovery. As a result, staying connected to your peers in an alumni program is another tool in your recovery toolbox.
The Benefits of Staying Connected to Peers in Recovery
According to Psychiatric Quarterly, peer support is broadly defined as social and emotional support that includes sharing and learning from each other’s lived experiences. The mutual sharing of lived experiences with substances and or other mental health disorders supports personal change. By staying connected in an alumni program, you can continuously learn from and grow in your experiences. Listed below are some of the benefits of staying connected with your peers:
- Social connection
- Increased self-esteem and efficacy
- Offers ways to be of service to the broader community
- Improved sense of control
- Empowerment
- Increased sense of belonging
- Promotes hope
- Easy access to treatment and recovery resources
- Higher quality of life
The peer support provided in a vibrant alumni program reminds you that you are not alone in your recovery. In your alumni program, you always have a community of peers who believe in your capacity to lead a fulfilling life without substances.
Supporting Community Connection With an Alumni Program
Staying connected to your peers empowers you to be an active participant in the well-being of yourself, others in the sober community, and the broader community. As noted in “Community Engagement: An Essential Component of an Effective and Equitable Substance Use Prevention System” from SAMHSA, community engagement is an important and necessary process for healing and reintegration into society.
Through community engagement, you work with other stakeholders to address health-related issues and promote well-being. The work done in collaboration for community health and well-being puts the value of whole-person healing at the forefront of recovery. When you utilize your alumni program to help others, you deepen your sense of purpose beyond substances.
Courageous Recovery: Staying Connected at Driftwood Recovery
Giving back to your community fosters your sense of community and belonging. At Driftwood Recovery, we recognize the value of community integration for lasting recovery. With guidance and support, you are reminded of your strengths and skills to be a productive member of society. Staying connected with your alumni program is about more than staying abstinent. Supportive mutual connections give you the community support you need to reach your potential and thrive in recovery.
Recovery is not a finish line or a specific destination. Sustained recovery is a process of continual learning and growth throughout your life. Even without substances, numerous life stressors will challenge your resilience to unhealthy coping strategies. Therefore, staying connected through an alumni program is vital to maintaining healthy coping strategies and access to supportive resources. By staying connected to your peers in recovery, you can build lifelong connections in a community that holds you up in difficult moments and celebrates you when you are thriving. Thus, at Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing a vibrant and active alumni program where connection is at the heart of our peer-driven network. To learn more, call us at (512) 759-8330.