While the notion that taking time to help others may seem to detract from the personalized nature of addiction recovery, there is a great amount to be gained through volunteering and community service, and altruism can indeed reap personal, powerful rewards. Volunteering is an act of service that can help an individual reshape their dynamics of social interaction, providing structure and purpose, alongside a palpable sense of success and change, and should be practiced throughout recovery as an act of community building, belonging, and personal development.
Creating Purpose
Overcoming addiction can leave a large well of free time in one’s day that a person must learn to fill with new activities to help stave off the temptations and urges to reengage with an addictive substance. Engaging in a volunteer program is a fantastic way to fill this time.
Volunteering is something that an individual can dedicate an afternoon to if they need it, and can accomplish this not by just providing a fulfilling activity but also by providing direction and focus of one’s time. These kinds of distractions that use all of a person’s focus and energy can force addictive urges out of the spotlight for the time, providing a break from constantly thinking about the trials of their recovery.
A Place of Belonging
Isolation is another monumental trial to overcome throughout addiction recovery, and it can be very easy to begin to separate one’s self away from others, even family, throughout the process as a defensive mechanism. Breaking through this is essential to finding peace within a community, helping fulfill one’s social needs as a person. Volunteering ingratiates oneself into a community by providing a space where they can be seen for the services they are providing rather than the lingering guilt of their past. It is a way for each individual to see themselves for the good they are doing in the present rather than dwelling on regrets.
Make Change Tangible
Change is both the central focus of addiction recovery and enigmatic at its core, with uncertainty surrounding it. However, volunteering can be a way to make the idea of change manifest in one’s life. Even small acts of service can both change the mood of another and empower one’s self to see that they have the capacity to engage in meaningful, transformative behavior. Helping another throughout their day can translate to helping one’s self in the same way, helping transform change into something that can be seen, felt, and believed in.
Volunteering is a powerful form of expression that allows an individual to impart their newfound life skills, sober identity, and sense of community to others in their lives, showcasing the power of one’s transformation. At Valiant Living, we understand the power of volunteer work. Your time with us is built upon the idea that helping to make a difference in others’ lives can empower each person to make the same kinds of differences in themselves. Your time with us can be personalized to fit your needs, with professionals working to help you create a balance of activities and needs every day. For more information, call today at (303) 952-5035.
