The Importance of Education in Recovery
What is the Importance of Education in Recovery?
There is a famous expression: “Know Thyself.”
This expression encourages self-understanding as a path to growth and wisdom.
And this is true in recovery as well.
Understanding how you came to struggle with addiction, what triggers your addiction, and what brings you peace can be central to your freedom from addiction. This is why education and recovery go hand-in-hand.
Though it can be scary to ask yourself these and other difficult questions, the knowledge you will find can help you build a new, healthier life.
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Understanding Education in Recovery
As you prepare for your recovery journey, consider learning as much as you can about yourself, as well as about the steps that lay ahead.
Consider journaling or finding other ways to document your feelings.
The goal is to begin to recognize what you want from life and what sparks emotional responses, good and bad, within you.
This personal education can contribute to your healing.
You should also explore resources about what you can expect from the treatment and the stories of others who have successfully recovered.
These stories can help you set aside your fears and prepare yourself emotionally for one of the biggest steps of your life.
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Effects of Education in Recovery
Before, during, and after recovery, there are questions you should continually ask to help equip yourself for a lasting recovery.
Before entering rehabilitation, consider asking yourself questions, such as:
- How did I find myself struggling with addiction?
- What choices could I have made differently?
- What types of experiences triggered my usage?
- Who has supported me so far in my recovery?
- Why does recovery matter so much to me?
- What activities help me take my mind off an addiction?
- What are my future goals and dreams?
These types of self-education questions can help you remember how you arrived at this place in your life and what you want from your future. By putting effort into both education and recovery, you prepare yourself for a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Furthermore, having this level of self-awareness will help you get the most out of one-to-one and group counseling sessions and may help you remember why you are choosing recovery for your life.
However, once you have started your recovery program, your educational journey is just beginning. As you begin to learn to restructure your time and with your body free from addiction, you may have more opportunities to read or listen to audiobooks.
Books that document recovery journeys, such as, Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man by Bill Clegg, Guts by Kristen Johnston, How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell, and Terry: My Daughter’s Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism by George McGovern, can help you see that you are not alone.
Reading stories of others who have successfully recovered and, sometimes, those who lost their lives can help you remember why you first chose to break the cycle of addiction.
That said, reading books about the physical and psychological reality of addiction can also be important.
Works such as Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions by Anonymous, and Being Sober: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting to, Getting Through, and Living in Recovery by Harry Haroutounian can help you understand more about the chemical changes that take place during addiction, and what to expect in recovery.
But as your reading, do not forget your journaling work. Document the stories and lessons that stand out to you, or that might help you on your way.
Also, do not forget to ask yourself questions. As you continue to pursue your recovery, the questions might change, but self-knowledge will always be important.
For example, consider asking yourself questions like the ones below, to help you further your progress:
- What barriers to recovery did I encounter today?
- How did I address those barriers?
- What new coping skills or resources did I learn about today?
- What did I do to further my recovery today?
- Where did I struggle today?
- What am I proud of today?
This continual learning process, both about resources and yourself, will help ensure that you have tools and an understanding of your needs to help empower you on your journey.
Treatment, Education, and Recovery
Rehabilitation treatment is a partnership and it is a learning process.
There will be opportunities to receive education from your counselors and peers, and each of these opportunities has the potential to make you stronger.
Life skills will be an important part of your rehabilitation or that of your loved one. Education with recovery may include:
- Goal Setting
- Creating a Schedule
- Emotional Regulation
- Financial Skills
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Art
- Music
- Social Skills
Approach each learning opportunity with which you are presented with an open heart.
The more skills you know, the better equipped you will be as you work through the stages of your recovery.
Lastly, if resources are available, you may also want to consider furthering your formal education as part of your rehabilitation journey.
This may mean completing your GED, college education, or pursuing a professional certification program.
Some recovering addicts even consider becoming peer counselors, recovery technicians, or recovery educators.
Whatever path you choose, furthering your education and recovery can help you open up your career potential, increase your opportunities for success, and help you find new coworkers and friends with which to associate that will have a positive influence on you and your recovery journey.
With the support of a caring treatment team and a variety of educational and self-help resources, you can find opportunities to strengthen yourself, deepen your knowledge, and begin your life again through education in recovery.
Payment Options
Do you want treatment but are worried about how you can pay for it?
We have a team of financial professionals who provide free insurance verification.
We will work with you to determine how to move forward with the treatment in a way that works for you and your financial situation.
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How to Get Help
Imagine a welcoming, relaxing recovery experience – one free of judgment and full of compassion.
We recognize that no two addiction experiences are the same, and Resurgence Behavioral Health offers social and medical drug detoxification, residential, outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, counseling, and other customized resources to empower you onward toward your education and recovery.
As your partner in recovery, we can offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat underlying thought patterns, proper and safe prescriptions, one-n-one counseling, group therapy, and many other treatments and strategies to help you learn, grow, and thrive.
Call Resurgence Behavioral Health at 855-458-0050 to schedule an appointment, and say ‘hello’ to a brighter future.
