Dedicating a Space to Talk About Recovery
Talking about one’s experience with their addiction or trauma and their struggles every day is both an essential part of the recovery process and one of the most difficult. It can be hard to confront one’s vulnerabilities, and even more so, to find a way to express these difficult emotions to others. However, talking about recovery is how each person can continue to make progress in their paths to sobriety. Having a consistent, dedicated space where someone can have these difficult conversations can create an effective communication environment. It may be necessary for each person to feel the support and structure they need to address these difficult vulnerabilities throughout recovery.
Consistency and Safety
Consistency is one of the most critical aspects of the recovery process. That is true for any part of recovery, including talking about one’s experiences and difficulties through the process. By having a dedicated place to talk about one’s experiences in recovery, it can help someone begin to structure their thoughts and focus more intensely on their own experiences, as well as the experiences of others. It can eliminate the need for someone to learn a new environment and all of the unknowns that a unique atmosphere may bring, and instead create a place that is predictable in its appearance and feel. While this may seem mundane, being able to trust in one’s environment as they are expressing their experiences and difficulties through the recovery process can provide the necessary feeling of safety in both their environment and those who consistently share its space. New places and people will always carry an element of stress with them as someone begins to learn their new environment or employ their social skills to talk to new people. While it is still essential to get out to new places and meet new people, it can be comforting and encouraging to know that someone will always have a space to fall back to. A familiar atmosphere can help someone address own most difficult days in recovery.
Setting Expectations
Having a dedicated area to discuss one’s recovery can help someone begin to program these kinds of conversations to be expected. Some examples of dedicated spaces may include a group therapy session, meeting hall, or a neutral place in the house to talk with familial supports. It can be jarring to speak of the more challenging aspects of recovery, such as the urges and triggers that someone may experience daily. Having a place where it is considered “normal” to do so can eliminate some of this anxiety. It can also create a situation where someone is openly willing to discuss even the more challenging parts of their past or future goals. They become more and more comfortable with a specific space dedicated to recovery and its atmosphere. It is possible to set these expectations in one’s self. As a result, not only does someone have a comfortable place to speak about their experiences, they are also granted the agency to choose when and how they talk about them. As long as someone has a consistent place where they are comfortable, they can also choose not to speak in other situations that may be less comfortable for them. Yet the important part is that there is always an outlet.
Creating a Genuine Dialogue
Discussions revolving around recovery need to be genuine to be effective. Consistency in someone’s speaking space can eliminate many of the questions or distractions that may be present in one’s environment. Allowing someone a consistent space to talk about their experiences and not expecting them to be open in other settings can help someone focus their thoughts without these distractions of new or unknown elements. Whether there are unfamiliar sounds or busy movement, processing all of these new environmental stimuli takes a degree of mental effort that is then not used to process one’s thoughts or their peers’ words.
Creating an Effective Space
Finding adequate space for someone to feel safe and focused requires a few elements. It is crucial to decrease the external noise as much as possible to help each person keep a clear mind through emotional conversations. It may also involve eliminating extra posters or visual stimuli that are not placed with therapeutic intentions. While this doesn’t mean that the place has to be barren, each visual stimulus should have a reason to be there, either as reminders of each person’s success or to add a degree of comfort for all people that would use the space. It is also vital that such a space be neutral in its grounds. This is especially helpful when talking at home so that no one person believes they have a higher agency over the room than another. Seeing others as equals can further the genuine nature that these conversations need to have, rather than asking someone who is uncomfortable to confront their vulnerabilities on uneven ground.
Having a shared space to meet with trusted supports, peers, and professionals can provide the needed consistency to open up genuine and progressive conversations about recovery. Suppose you or a loved one are ready to address your relationship with drugs or alcohol and are looking for a safe space to explore your vulnerabilities. In that case, Brighton Recovery Center can help you today. With dedicated meeting halls that can be used for various meetings, there is always a safe space, curated for recovery, that each person can use to explore their difficulties each day. This meeting hall, coupled with our recreation center, make up just a part of our six-building campus designed to promote community and healing at all stages of the recovery process. To learn more about how we can personalize a program for you, the various services and therapies available, or to talk to a representative about your unique situation, call us today at (844) 479-7035.