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Recovering from addiction can feel incredibly isolating and challenging, yet those grappling with these issues are far from alone. Statistics estimate that nearly one out of five Americans over the age of 12 has dealt with a substance use disorder. Such a startling number indicates the broader reality of just how many are impacted, whether they are the individual suffering from addiction or a child, parent, sibling, or loved one witnessing the effects of addiction on someone they care about.
These statistics may seem disheartening, but they also make it very clear that Americans struggling with addiction and their loved ones need not be alone in their battle for recovery. Nationwide, recovery centers have noted both the challenges and possibilities that these statistics present. Recognizing the need for a holistic approach to healing that incorporates community building and overall well-being, treatment centers are combining reliable methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with innovative, community-centric methods.
Family First in Community Building
Rehabilitation centers can play a key role in creating a community for those in recovery. Where families may have felt torn apart watching their loved ones spiral into addiction, they can be among the first members of a tribe dedicated to recovery. Family members or those living with a patient are often those among the most deeply impacted and may well be the driving force behind a patient seeking treatment. This can apply to chosen family as well, as not all family is necessarily related by blood. Northwoods Haven, an addiction center located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offers a unique approach to rehabilitation with flexibility and community support. The facility offers specialized programs, with the ability for patients to still live at home.
Where these close ties are found, clinicians can get to work on cultivating relationships between the patient and their family members to strengthen recovery efforts. For the community to have a positive effect, they must have a shared goal. While clinicians must, of course, protect patient privacy, they can also help patients to repair and improve the relationships with their family members for better recovery outcomes.
Group Therapies in Rehabilitation Centers
Rehabilitation centers can help patients create a recovery-focused community beyond family members. While many clinics offer one-on-one therapy sessions that utilize standard treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, they likewise foster community relationships through group therapy sessions and holistic therapeutic sessions like yoga and other workshops.
Participating in group activities helps patients recognize that they are not alone and can create a sense of accountability within member groups. For patients who have lost friend groups and associates on their path to sobriety, these groups help to bridge that divide and cultivate a renewed sense of wholeness. Furthermore, seeing their compatriots progress in their journey can be greatly inspiring, serving as a gentle reminder that they, too, can find healing.
Community Creation and Reintegration
Clinicians and therapists recognize that the ultimate goal of treatment facilities is to have a patient leave, successfully on their way to recovery, with the tools they need to create a new life beyond addiction. With that in mind, treatment and therapy must help patients with reintegration, not simply returning to regular life, but recreating it. Outpatient centers can help act as an intermediary where patients can receive intensive care without needing a lengthy hospital stay. Many patients continue with regular therapy sessions after initial crisis treatment, with virtual options making therapy more accessible than ever.
Still, with an emphasis on reintegration and developing a new lifestyle, therapy centers can help patients find or create new communities beyond the therapist’s office. Therapists can work with patients to locate community centers or group activities and clubs of interest to their patients that focus on topics beyond addiction recovery. With a focus on community, rehabilitation centers can better equip their patients for a life not simply after addiction, but one that is truly a fresh start.
