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Your journey from addiction to recovery is a defining experience in your life. As you share your story, you think about what you have overcome, where you were and where you are now, and of your personal success and achievements. You realize you are a strong person who has come very far.
Clients must be stable before admitting to our program. It is also about the people who have supported you along the way. Be sure to acknowledge your entire support system in your story.
Connection Helps Us All On Our Recovery Journey
Choose the stories that are the most powerful — the ones that have had the most impact on your life. Don’t worry about leaving out something you want in there just yet. The key is to have a 15-story first draft before adding any more that you really want to get across. Mine took five weeks, and I’d never written a book before. I figured out three simple steps to organize my thoughts and decide what to include. If you’re ready to embark on this life-affirming journey, here are the three simple steps you can take.
However, some people find it challenging to know what to share or how to share it. Before telling your story, try writing down your thoughts privately first. Millions of Americans have struggled with substance abuse or alcohol addiction. Yet there continues to be mainstream silence on these issues because of the negative stigma surrounding drug addiction. Even those going through the recovery process keep silent due to fear and shame.
Substance Use Treatment
Talk about the hardships you endured, your experience with relapsing and the sacrifices you had to make in order to get sober. Talk about your family’s history with addiction and the people, places or things that fueled your substance abuse. Being honest about your experience with addiction shows your clients that they aren’t alone in their struggle and that you are living proof that treatment can turn someone’s life around. Every situation, every person, every addiction is different. Use your best judgment when it comes to sharing your story.
” Even when we don’t realize it, it’s this type of thinking that perpetuates further isolation, when truly we all go through pain. If sharing your story wasn’t too personal, remain open to discussions afterward. If someone in the room really resonated with your story, they may try to talk to you when the AA or NA meeting wraps up. Try to keep sharing your story in recovery an open mind and remember that everyone is at different parts of their recovery journey. This person may want your advice or just need someone to connect with. There is much talk about stigma as it pertains to mental health issues; whether it is substance abuse or an eating disorder, our culture has long preferred to simply not talk about it.
DON’T Glamorize Your Story
We do our best to explain it in the Life After Diagnosis section of this website. Some people diagnosed with a serious mental health condition, such as schizophrenia, fully recover in the medical sense of the term. There’s an immense amount of power in personal experiences. Not only can it help you build a connection with your clients, but it can also establish trust. Your recovery story is a personal account of your experience with substance abuse.
How do I share my mental health story?
Keep your story truthful and realistic. Don't try to paint your mental illness in an overly positive or negative light. If you use professional terms, explain their meaning in simple terms the first time you use the term. You don't have to discuss everything about your illness or your past.
The benefits and significance of sharing your story are extraordinary, and they are worth more than you think. As a kid, I didn’t pay attention to the “Just Say No” campaigns or the D.A.R.E. people who gave talks at school. These police officers or teachers who have no idea what it’s like to be a kid now, telling me what to do?