Hawaii Island Recovery 
Addiction is a complicated disease, and many of those living with alcohol use disorder (AUD) or an addiction to opioids, heroin, benzodiazepines, or any other kind of drug are often faced with many different challenges in their journey to a healthy, sober life. However, despite the challenges that addiction presents, it is still common for many of those living with the disease to feel isolated in these challenges. Finding belonging can be difficult, especially while establishing an entirely new sober lifestyle and identity. However, there are always options available, with Hawaii Island Recovery being a place to explore new communities, relationships, and interests to help each person engage in genuine, holistic, and transformative sober healing.
The Effects of Isolation on Those Recovering From Addiction
It is common to feel isolated as a result of addiction, either while living with the disease or even while in recovery and maintaining healthy sobriety. For some, isolation can manifest as a result of feelings of guilt or shame regarding their substance use, while others may feel that they are “protecting” family, friends, and loved ones by trying to stay out of their lives while navigating the intense challenges of addiction.
Likewise, compromised hobbies and self-care outlets can also bring feelings of isolation. Those living with addiction or in recovery may also find it difficult to reach out to new communities or self-care outlets if they fear they will be misunderstood in these spaces or that stigmas are still pervasive among such communities.
Feelings of isolation can also be physical, emotional, or spiritual. It is possible to live with caring loved ones and surround oneself with support while still feeling emotionally isolated in many challenges or feeling spiritually isolated as one’s beliefs change throughout addiction and recovery. Finding belonging in recovery means not just finding a social group to engage with and people to share one’s experiences with but also finding belonging spiritual acceptance, and a person’s transforming identity.
These persistent feelings of isolation can bring many challenges both for those living with addiction and navigating their recovery. Some of these potential effects of isolation include:
- Increased risk of relapse
- Compromised motivation to tend to recovery goals
- Depression
- Emotional dysregulation
- Compromised coping strategies and social skills
- A feeling of doubt or anxiety
- Increased chances of romanticizing past substance use
- Difficulty accessing additional support
Even the most effective coping strategies can be compromised if an individual feels alone in their journey through addiction and recovery. Finding belonging can be not just a motivational force but a necessary part of truly transformative healing. It can prevent a person from falling back into previous destructive routines while celebrating sober transformations, hobbies, and identity.
Finding Belonging for a Healthier Recovery
Having access to various communities of support, peers, friends, and loved ones is part of a truly transformative recovery journey. Not only can finding belonging in recovery help address the destructive effects of isolation but there can also be many benefits to exploring new interests and outlets, turning to find belonging into an amazing experience in a sustainable recovery journey.
There are many benefits to findings belonging in recovery. While it can be intimidating to explore new social groups and cultures, and many may feel vulnerable in recovery when exploring their developing sober identity, finding belonging is still an incredible experience. Working with family members and the professionals at Hawaii Island Recovery can empower each person to explore potential places of belonging and expressions of identity and explore new perspectives, ideas, and spiritual beliefs while still feeling supported in navigating feelings of anxiety, personal reservations, and more. Hawaii Island Recovery’s unique community-focused approach to substance abuse treatment in Hawaii can help each person make the most of each of the benefits while creating a safe and accepting atmosphere.
The Benefits of Finding Belonging
For those feeling the intense effects of isolation, trying to get out and find belonging can be difficult. An individual may be reluctant to put themselves in a vulnerable position if they feel they are not supported or may have compromised their motivation to explore social outlets in the first place. However, taking this first step is the most difficult, and knowing the benefits that can await each person can empower those overcoming addiction to make the most of the many supportive communities available in various ways.
Creating a Purpose
Addiction is incredibly complicated, and there is no easy journey to overcoming its effects. Those establishing a healthy, sober, and fulfilling life in recovery are often met with many new and unforeseen challenges. While many may identify the need to cease the use of drugs or alcohol, it is common to feel a lack of purpose if an individual does not have a plan to replace their use with something healthier. Getting involved in a community and culture can not only give a person the first step toward a new identity and goals but can also instill a sense of purpose that can motivate each person to continue pursuing new sober goals and personal ambitions.
These groups can be an amazing source of inspiration for setting new goals throughout each stage of recovery, helping to keep individuals motivated throughout each stage of their recovery. Likewise, having a trusted social circle can also keep a person held accountable for their actions in recovery, both if they make mistakes or experience setbacks during their recovery journey or being held accountable for their accomplishments, successes, and when reaching new milestones for themselves.
Providing Emotional Support
From those living with addiction to those celebrating their first year sober, addiction can cause intense emotional turmoil. Feelings of anxiety, depression, stress, and much more are all incredibly common. It is also completely normal to experience new challenges and setbacks throughout each person’s recovery journey, with each individual’s path to healthy, fulfilling, and sustainable sobriety rarely ever being a clear, straight line.
Finding belonging can provide the most personalized and impactful emotional support to navigate new challenges and stresses throughout each person’s journey. Feeling like a valued member of a social group or community can also empower each person to be more honest about these challenges and receive relevant and truly impactful support, all while challenging stigmas.
Safely Exploring a New Identity
Developing a new sober identity is challenging but is also an essential part of a truly transformative recovery journey. Adopting new beliefs, practices, routines, and even hobbies is all part of creating a sustainable and healthy sober life. Finding belonging as a part of an accepting community can be instrumental in reinforcing positive explorations of this personal identity. For some, this can be a dedicated addiction support community empowering each person to explore new perspectives, grounding strategies, mindfulness practices, and more. However, finding belonging based on a new hobby can be equally as important, helping an individual be judged and rewarded for exploring new hobbies and not on past mistakes or challenges.
Reinforcing healthy habits and promoting new interests is paramount for creating a personalized approach to self-care and identity and feeling more confident in each person’s developing sober identity without fear of being stigmatized or ostracized.
Explore New Perspectives and Ideas
Working with a community of peers can also empower each person to explore new ideas and perspectives that may apply to their own continued development. Addiction recovery is an ongoing, evolving journey, and new ideas can ensure that an individual always has access to something new to try to improve resilience and navigate stresses. Some effective strategies for managing stress may become less effective over time, and having a constant well of new ideas proven by peers can be an instrumental resource in continuing to adapt to changing times, stresses, and goals.
Sharing effective strategies is also a great way to further ingratiate oneself in a community, finding belonging by both learning from peers and sharing personal experiences, making oneself feel like an integral and important member of a given recovery community.
Not only can exploring new strategies help improve resilience, but they can also be instrumental in developing effective relapse-prevention plans. While unfortunate, knowing what to do in the event of a relapse and communicating with trusted peers can empower each person to return to their sober focus and make the decisions best for their unique situation, all while feeling supported during this difficult experience.
Building Social Skills
Finding belonging can be difficult. First, engaging in a curated recovery space like Hawaii Island Recovery’s dedicated residential treatment program can help each person continue practicing the necessary social skills and strategies for finding belonging in areas and communities outside of a dedicated recovery space. Finding belonging in recovery is paramount, but an individual can always be a part of multiple communities, from continued dedicated outpatient support groups to hobby groups and interest groups. Developing social skills can help each person continue to communicate while learning the best way to present themselves and their sober identity, needs, goals, and interests for use in many different situations.
Finding Belonging at Hawaii Island Recovery and Beyond
Feeling like a person belongs in a particular community or group can take time, and it is normal if a person has to explore multiple different communities and social groups before they find one where they feel like they fit. At Hawaii Island Recovery, providing each person with the options to explore new communities and ideas is at the forefront of each person’s recovery journey, encouraging all to find the community where they feel they belong while continuing to provide effective support in overcoming the effects of addiction.
Creating a Recovery Community
A recovery community is a powerful resource that brings people together in solidarity in their recovery efforts. Celebrating the role of community through group therapy sessions in residential treatment can be a great way to explore the benefits of a supportive community for each person’s recovery efforts. However, Hawaii Island Recovery also coordinates with culturally involved people and organizations to explore other local communities, facilitating not just new avenues for finding belonging but also exposing an individual to new ideas, spiritual beliefs, hobbies, and more that can benefit those creating a sustainable and healthy daily sober life.
Having the opportunity to explore new communities can also empower each person to choose where they feel they belong most and which communities and people they share personal interests without having to compromise their own identity. Finding belonging isn’t just about finding a place to go but finding a group of people who will celebrate the person that each individual wants to be.
Exploring Continued Outpatient Treatment
Finding belonging is also something that demands continuous effort. Just because an individual is engaged in an effective recovery community while in residential treatment doesn’t mean that they are “cured” of addiction. Rather, finding new outpatient support groups in Hawaii and beyond, as well as other mental health and addiction support groups, is paramount.
Continued outpatient treatment programs in Hawaii or locally in one’s community can help further each person’s recovery and sober identity. Engaging in effective and supportive communities dedicated to reaching each person’s recovery goals is necessary for maintaining a healthy approach and motivation in recovery and sobriety.
Finding Belonging in Hobby Groups
Exploring personal hobbies is paramount to creating an effective and fulfilling sober identity. Finding new hobbies can be an incredibly rewarding experience, especially as an individual can then begin to use them to explore new relationships, friendships, and communities. Focusing on a certain hobby and then looking for local hobby groups that share this interest can introduce an individual to a wealth of new social opportunities, finding belonging for their interests in sobriety rather than feeling judged on past use of drugs or alcohol.
For some, these can be regular meetings, such as weekly meetups to play certain games or watch sports or other programs, while others may be dedicated communities or clubs, such as a book club, movie club, or sports league. Finding belonging based on these interests can be a great way to continue fostering personal interests and get more involved in these hobbies while ensuring a routine and effective outlet to process stress and tend to social needs.
Spiritual Healing Groups
It is paramount to address spiritual healing throughout recovery, and a person’s spiritual beliefs or practices can also be a great way to meet like-minded people and share a sense of belonging and understanding. For many, this can take the form of religious institutions, sharing in a religious belief or denomination. However, spirituality and religion are distinct and separate entities, and an individual can find spiritual healing in many places that are not associated with any particular religion.
Engaging with nature through gardening, hiking, and more can be just as spiritual a practice, just as yoga and meditation studios can further these aspects of daily life. Exploring personal spiritual beliefs at Hawaii Island Recovery and using these effective practices to inform potential healing groups can be a great way of continuing to tend to spiritual needs while finding belonging in sobriety.
Finding Belonging by Utilizing Digital Opportunities
While staying online and engaging in social media can intrude unnecessary stress into daily life, the increasing connectivity of people via digital mediums can be beneficial when used with dedicated intention. Finding others who share interests and using online digital forums can ensure that those finding belonging in sobriety can focus on their interests, knowing that others share these interests.
For some, this can help challenge the idea that a certain hobby may be stigmatized in any way, while others may use these digital communities to always feel connected to others, even when physically separated.
This is especially important for those finding belonging in dedicated addiction recovery groups. Dedicated online communities for those navigating sobriety can be paramount and can even ensure that an individual can connect with a community of positivity and support at any time, safe in the knowledge that they are sharing with an understanding, sympathetic, and educated community of peers for new ideas and emotional support.
Overcoming the effects of addiction and finding a place of belonging in sobriety is difficult. Changing social groups, needs, goals, and perspectives is all a part of an effective recovery journey. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we understand the need to explore new communities and places of belonging that support each person’s sober goals and efforts. Our unique approach to substance abuse treatment in Hawaii champions the opportunity to engage with new ideas, people, and communities to help you find a place of belonging that best reflects your sober change and goals. For more information on how we can help you explore new communities and belonging, call to speak to a caring, trained staff member today at (866) 390-5070.
