5 Reasons Why You Need to Talk to Your Family about Your Addiction and Recovery Story
Michael Blackburn
Sr. V.P. Business Development @ American Addiction Centers *First Responder Expert*PTSD/Substance Abuse
Family Stories Month is November, and for people overcoming addiction, stories are often sustaining in recovery. Delving into personal experience and past trauma on the job and in active addiction is a critically important part of recovery. But for many people, the work stops there. No discussion of what happens in therapy or privately ever takes place between many firefighters in recovery and their families. Some experts say that this might be a mistake. Here’s why:
- Talking can begin the process of reconnection. When you open up and start the conversation with your family, you are giving them a different perspective through which to view your time in addiction. It is likely that they harbor some difficult feelings about what you went through, but when they hear from you that there was more to it than what you showed on the outside, it can help them to better understand the pain you were in then and what you need now in recovery.
- Your family member may share in return. It is possible that hearing your story will inspire your loved ones to share some of the difficult issues they may have faced in their lives. The fact that you took the time to sit down and open up to them may inspire them to do the same for you, allowing you to know them better than you might ever have otherwise.
- Sharing out loud to your loved one can be cathartic for you. Though you may have shared your story with your therapist and in support groups, telling someone out loud what you experienced outside of the therapeutic forum can be uniquely therapeutic in its own way.
- Talking about trauma can lead to talking about other difficult subjects. When you own your past trauma, it empowers you to openly discuss any topic that may have been too difficult to touch on in the past, increasing your family’s ability to work through issues now and in the future.
- Letting your loved ones in on your past can help them to feel more involved in your present and your future. The very fact that you trusted them enough to share what you experienced can help your loved ones to feel like they are part of your life. Though you may have shut them out for years, being in recovery means learning how to connect with others genuinely, and it starts when you begin the conversation.
If talking about traumatic events specifically is a trigger for you, give yourself permission to skip that conversation for as long as you need to. Instead, try keeping the conversation focused on how you felt in active addiction and what is different now.
Where Does Your Story Begin?
If you find that your recovery story is fraught with relapse and you struggle staying focused, it may be time to return to treatment. At American Addiction Centers, we offer a First Responder Lifeline Program (Call us at (866) 53-SOBER) that is tailored to meet the needs of firefighters who are ready to commit to recovery. Our programs are available across the country at locations that include:
- Greenhouse Treatment Center in Dallas, Texas
- Sunrise House Treatment Center in Sussex County, New Jersey
- Recovery First in West Palm Beach/Hollywood, Florida
- Desert Hope Treatment Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Clinical Services of Rhode Island in Greenville/Portsmouth/South Kingstown, Rhode Island
- Laguna Treatment Hospital in Aliso Viejo, California
Which program is right for you?
Ogelthorpe Inc.
7 年I like what you have to say. I hope folks suffering with PTSD take a risk to talk about their struggles so they can remove some of the intensity of their memories and feelings. It works...