Serving Others
What is the importance of contribution and serving the community we all share?
When in addiction recovery, the opposite of isolation is connection … and what better way than serving the community and getting a chance to connect with our neighbors.
The importance of community in recovery can’t be overstated. Why? Because it helps support a life of recovery. It encompasses social networks and relationships that offer support, love, friendship, and hope. Also, having a strong community is one of the most important relapse prevention strategies ever!
The Healing Sanctuary has created relationships with various nonprofit organizations in our community to help our guests relate to others by offering their time, attention, and resources. This helps propel those organizations’ advancements regarding their cause or adding to the manpower that’s often short-staffed or simply just spending quality time with human compassion.
This relationship also helps our guests generate responsibility and purpose boosting confidence
and a sense of joy by accomplishing positive deeds. Studies have shown feelings of shame, guilt or negative emotions dissolve when working towards a common goal. We are inherently social creatures … it’s built into our DNA that we need community to thrive!
A sense of belonging is established and reinforced when the generosity of the heart is given. Many people do not take the steps needed to give back but often it is only because they don’t know the first step in order to contribute. The Healing Sanctuary is proud to assist in those first steps because often times this will set the tone for a lifetime of giving.
Within the Healing Sanctuary program, guests begin to see how it helps squash the negative self-talk and will improve the person’s self-care. This goes to the point where they begin to have the all-important ideology of going beyond themself and their needs so they may begin to see the big picture that it is not about the “me” but all about the “WE”.
Community promotes recovery in a number of ways!
- Support: This network is key for long-term recovery. Beginning with the Healing Sanctuary Team, friends, family, co-workers, therapists, and sponsors. We work together to give you the tools to succeed and be the best you can be.
- Occupied: When you are busy and fully engaged, your attention is held in a positive light and not reverting back to negative emotions, cravings, and problems.
- Fun: The association of positive feelings and doing good is so important in order to find joy in your life by helping others. Here you begin to look forward to sharing with others and it reinforces the idea of a stress-free existence.
- Connection: Here you begin to live – one that’s life free with contentment in your heart that is now easy to find. Healthy social skills are rebuilt and communication about how you feel can become mutual in an environment that is positive by doing and sharing experiences.
