By: Tanya Kramer
This national day was established in 1989, and since then the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) has sponsored events every September. More recently, a proclamation by President Joe Biden highlighted September of 2023 as National Recovery Month.
This proclamation asserts that more than 20 million Americans have had the courage to seek help for their substance use disorder, âshowing millions of others that recovery is possibleâ.
âEvery Person, Every Family, Every Communityâ is the permanent theme which observes how no one is not touched by the impact of substances. Some people can reclaim their lives on their own; however, many people struggling with substances need support. This support can take a variety of forms such as support groups, learning new skills to adapt to life without substances, and/or increasing emotional support.
Support Groups
A widely used and accessible resource is going to a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or similar programs that utilize a 12 Step process. If you are unfamiliar to the 12 steps, I want to make a note here that the word God does not necessarily mean it is religious. Some will use the word âGodâ as an acronym for âgroup of drunksâ, other might simply replace the word âGodâ with something connected to their personal belief system or spirituality.
Here are the 12 Steps as found in the AA Book:
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol â that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- We’re entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Learning New Skills
Sometimes what makes the biggest difference is learning new skills, having successes, and trusting oneself that life can be navigated when in the past, it might not have felt that way. Learning Life Skills can aid in this growth and increase confidence.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), here are the key life skills:
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Creative and critical thinking skills
- Problem-solving and effective decision making skills
- Self-Awareness
- Assertiveness and self-control
- Resilience and the ability to cope
Increase Emotional Supports and Habits
Working with a Substance Use Counselor or some professional who specializes in substance use can decrease relapse since this a person can walk alongside the person and help them establish positive habits and avoid situations that might be challenging.
Some of the key skills to increasing success with recovery are the following:
- Creating a Self Care list and engaging in these activities on a regular basis
- Having daily routines
- Managing Stress
- Increasing skills to be able to regain control of one’s emotions
- Talking with a trusted person when struggling to experience true support
- Avoid risky situations where there is temptation
- Develop coping skills
- Accepting personal responsibility
Four Major Dimensions of Recovery-Month
SAMHSA identifies these areas as the following:
- Health â overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) or symptoms (which includes using substances)
- Home â having a safe and stable place to live
- Purpose â engaging in activities that provide purpose such as a job, volunteering, being involved in the community, engaging in creative endeavors, or other enjoyable activities.
- Community â having sustainable relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
However someone navigates taking the steps to move toward decreasing substance use or engaging in sobriety, these different types of resources can be helpful. Recovery is not a âone shoe fits allâ process. Asking for help and learning about ones-self are key to rediscovering a healthy life without substances.
If support groups, therapy, and/or engaging in the suggestions here still leave you struggling, then you might want to consider an inpatient treatment facility to give you a solid start with daily support. Your first step is if you have health insurance, contact yourhealth insurance and ask what programs they cover. If you do not have health insurance, then do a search for substance use programs in your area and see what options exist for slide scale costs or being sponsored. You can find more information about resources for substance use recovery at the following links:
- SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)Â
- SAMHSA Recovery Month Toolkit
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)Â