It can be scary to seek support in times of hardship as it may not feel safe to ask for help. Perhaps you find it uncomfortable to be vulnerable, admit you are struggling, or trust others to support you. While in recovery from mental illness and addiction, it can be powerful to allow yourself to be supported and find safety in the presence of others.
What Is Community Support?
Community support is the support that can be found within the community you live in. These systems share common interests and struggles and can be found in either online spaces or the physical community around you. Getting connected with a community can help you feel like you belong. It can remind you that you are not alone in your struggles and that you are a part of the whole.
Types of Community Support
Community support systems may include receiving help with meeting basic needs such as food and shelter through food assistance programs and/or community organizations that help individuals find housing. Other forms of community support may look like attending support groups such as those for:
- 12-step addiction recovery
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Friends and family of individuals struggling with mental illness and addiction
The types of support groups are abundant in various areas. No matter what you are struggling with, there is likely a group that offers support for whatever struggle you are facing. Support groups can help you feel less alone, cultivate friendships, hear the insight others have to offer, and support others as you are being supported.
The Importance of Support Outside of Treatment
The support you receive within treatment programs for mental illness and addiction recovery is great. Recovery only becomes sustainable when multi-faceted support can be received from many different systems. Community support can lead to lasting relationships with individuals beyond treatment. It can also help you find new ways to fill your time outside of treatment by forming new habits and healthy relationships that encourage your recovery.
Where to Find Community Support
It might be helpful to talk with a member of your treatment team to see what they know of that is available. They may know of activities in the area, have connections with parts of the community, and have additional resources to help you find the support you are looking for.
Recovery and healing can feel isolating. Connecting with others on a similar path can create connections and long-lasting relationships. This can remind you that recovery and healing are possible, even when it feels hard.
Recovery can feel isolating, and isolation trigger relapsing into old patterns. Connection is an important part of recovering from substance use disorders and mental illnesses. There are often many types of community support systems available to integrate into treatment, such as outside support groups that can remind individuals that there are others on a similar journey. At Avalon Malibu, we can help connect you to community support systems that work for you in your journey. If you are ready to begin your recovery journey, call Avalon Malibu today at (844) 857-5992.
