Has their life improved?
The question that should be asked when determining if one’s life in recovery is working is “has their life improved?”
We know there are many ways for one to get to, and, stay in recovery.
Some find a life in recovery through family intervention and go from there. They might have a loved one say their use is causing issues and make the decision to discontinue use from that point forward. They never pick up again and things in their life improve.
Others find their path to recovery through their employer intervening due to issues in the workplace. They might go to a counselor, get an assessment, and find that they need to go to treatment. They go to treatment, return home, and begin their life in recovery applying the skills they learned in treatment.
Some find a life in recovery through the judicial system. While in active use they break a law, go to court, and are given an opportunity to go to state funded treatment. Additionally, they are given an opportunity to through a therapeutic court program where they follow the guidance of counselors and judges and when completed their charges are dropped. Individuals are able to find their way through these programs.
The reality is there are these examples and many more ways one can find a life in recovery. The key is to to understand there is no “one size fits all” way; There just isn’t.
We must, as a society, step away from the mindset of the one size fits all model of treatment and recovery and move toward a more holistic mindset. If we ask the question of “has their life improved” we can help more people.
Has the person been able to improve their home life? Are they able to get and keep a job? Can they return to, or become, a functional member of the community they live in? These are more broad questions that can help us to step out of a narrow view of what recovery looks like. It can also help us to truly look at each individuals situation rather than having a cookie cutter approach to one’s life in recovery.
The good news is this is one of the key aspects of the KCRCO and the work we do in the community. When an individual walks in our doors we don’t ask them what specific things they are doing to support their individual life in recovery and make a decision on how to support them if they are only following a narrow set of resources. We ask them how we can help them with whatever resources they might need in that moment in time. We guide people to any and all resources they might need in the community. Each person that walks in is treated as an individual who has unique needs.
Our mission will always be to support our community members in recovery however that works for them. We do this through all of the different activities we host at the KCRCO and in the community. Whether it is use of our technology to look for housing or a job, participating in recovery yoga, attending a lunch and learn, or joining us in a fun run, it is all good and we let them decide what will work best for them.
We have been very happy to see our growth in 2022 and are hopeful for what we know will be an even better 2023!