September is a very important month.
Not only are we able to recognize and celebrate recovery, but we’re also able to educate and provide resources for Suicide prevention.
September has been recognized as National Recovery Month. Recovery is a much more complex topic than meets the eye. Many people have misconstrued ideas about substance use especially when tied with mental health. It has become more and more prevalent in the data being reported that substance use has links to mental illness or disorders.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (or SAMHSA) has created a working definition of what recovery is. Their definition states that Recovery is, “A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” So how can we as friends and family support the ones we love who may be working towards recovery?
Here are some things to think about:
Educating yourself on substance misuse and mental health challenges can feel like a large task, and knowing where to start can feel even more overwhelming. The internet has a bunch of really great resources including, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) webpage. Another way to educate yourself on how to support a family member or friend working on their recovery can be as simple as asking. Sometimes we think so largely on how we can help that we forget that we can directly ask the person how we can help better understand their situation. For people just beginning their recovery process people of support are going to be who they rely on most. An example of how to help support and educate yourself at the same time could be to attend a meeting together, or a counseling appointment.
Recovery is a process and doesn’t happen overnight. As a person of support try your best not to hold unreasonable expectations. The same thing goes for someone who is working on their recovery. Because recovery is a journey, small steps make big changes. Recovery from a substance, specifically, is similar to behavior change and for a behavior change to be successful there need to be a few factors present. You need to be motivated, and you need to be ready. Take this into consideration as you support someone who is working on their personal recovery. While working through your own recovery or supporting someone else through their remember that a relapse in behavior should not be seen as a failure. Rather, an opportunity for growth. Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to take a few steps forward.
Celebrate the little successes. Let the person or people you support know that you are proud of their progress. To offer encouragement can also extend to changing your personal lifestyle a bit to support the person in recovery. An example of this may be hosting drug and alcohol free events, parties and celebrations. This can show that you are serious about their recovery and that fun can still be had without the presence of substances. There are many other ways you can support and encourage friends and family in recovery. Above all let them know they are not alone, allow yourself to be a known support system but balance time for yourself as well.
Talk About Stigma
Stigma plays a large role in how we view people with substance use, or mental health disorders. Part of how we can break the stigma surrounding these challenges is to talk about these topics. There tends to be so much shame and blame placed on people who are actively working towards a healthier lifestyle. With this being said a lot of how we contribute to these stigmas is by the word choices we use. Words like addict, druggie, dirty, psycho, or crazy have been used in the past to describe people who may be experiencing addiction or a mental health crisis. However, what needs to be addressed is that these people are experiencing something and might not have the resources to get the help that they need. People are more than a word that degrades their situation. We can begin to shift stigma by starting with the word choices that we use to describe some, and talking openly about topics that might feel uncomfortable. The only way to make a positive change is to educate ourselves and to normalize that recovery is possible.
Setting boundaries is a helpful strategy that you may have to practice as someone who is in recovery or as someone who is supporting someone else working on their recovery. As a person who is working on your own recovery, it can be helpful for your own growth to recognize and identify people or situations in which you were challenged in your recovery. It is okay to give yourself some space from these people, places or things that you may have associated with during your active addiction. Boundaries may be
physically or verbally set. As a person supporting someone else’s recovery boundaries may look a little different. Enabling tends to be a common factor for people of support. Enabling can vary based on each individual situation. For example, enabling a person in recovery could be giving them money. Typically, someone who is enabling will not know that they are enabling or being used, because their intentions to help are good. Remember that you can still be helpful and supportive without enabling, but challenges may be faced in this piece.
Help to make sure recovery is possible by sharing support groups and help lines. Support groups may meet locally or use online platforms due to Covid-19. To find a meeting near you you may choose to start with the National Helpline through SAMHSA at (800) 622-4357.
For more specific meetings and assistance with recovery visit:
This webpage has resources on mental health, drugs, alcohol, and prescription medication, as
well as domestic violence information.
Southwest Counseling Service offers a variety of solutions for those who hope to begin their recovery journey. To learn more about the services provided call (307) 352-6677.
Septemba ni mwezi muhimu sana. Si tu kwamba tunaweza kutambua na kusherehekea uponyaji, lakini pia tunaweza kuelimisha na kutoa rasilimali za kuzuia kujiua. Septemba imekuwa mwezi wa kupona kwa kitaifa. Kupona ni jambo gumu zaidi kuliko inavyoonekana kwa macho. Watu wengi wana mawazo yasiyofaa kuhusu matumizi ya dawa za kulevya hasa yanapohusiana na afya ya akili. Kwa sasa, ni wazi kuwa matumizi ya dawa za kulevya yana uhusiano na magonjwa ya akili. Shirika la Huduma za Matumizi mabaya ya Dawa na Afya ya Akili (SAMHSA) limetoa ufafanuzi wa kazi wa kile ni kupona. "Ufafanuzi wao unasema kwamba ""uponyaji ni mchakato wa mabadiliko ambayo watu huongeza afya na ustawi wao, kuishi maisha ya kujitegemea, na kujitahidi kufikia uwezo wao kamili."" - Mwalimu wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa." Kujielimisha juu ya matumizi mabaya ya dawa za kulevya na changamoto za afya ya akili inaweza kuhisi kama kazi kubwa, na kujua wapi kuanza inaweza kuhisi hata zaidi. Kwa mfano, kuna tovuti ya huduma ya afya ya akili inayoitwa The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Njia nyingine ya kujielimisha juu ya jinsi ya kusaidia mwanachama wa familia au rafiki anayefanya kazi juu ya kupona kwake inaweza kuwa rahisi kama kuuliza. Wakati mwingine tunazingatia sana jinsi tunaweza kusaidia kwamba tunasahau kwamba tunaweza kumwuliza mtu moja kwa moja jinsi tunaweza kusaidia kuelewa hali yake. Kwa wale ambao wanaanza tu mchakato wao wa kupona, watu wa msaada watakuwa wale wanaotegemea zaidi. Mfano wa jinsi ya kusaidia na kujielimisha wakati huo huo inaweza kuwa kuhudhuria mkutano pamoja, au uteuzi wa ushauri. Kupona ni mchakato na haitokei usiku mmoja. Ukiwa mtu wa kutegemeza, jaribu kadiri uwezavyo kutokuwa na matarajio yasiyo ya akili. Jambo hilohilo laweza kusemwa kuhusu mtu anayejitahidi kupona. Kupona ni safari, hatua ndogo hufanya mabadiliko makubwa. Kupona kutoka kwa dawa ya kulevya ni sawa na mabadiliko ya tabia, na kwa mabadiliko ya tabia kuwa na mafanikio, kuna sababu kadhaa zinazohusika. Unahitaji kuwa na kichocheo na kuwa tayari. Fikiria jambo hilo unapomsaidia mtu anayejitahidi kupona. Wakati wa kufanya kazi kupitia uponyaji wako mwenyewe au kusaidia mtu mwingine kupitia yao kumbuka kwamba kurudi nyuma katika tabia haipaswi kuonekana kama kushindwa. Badala yake, ni fursa ya kukua. Wakati mwingine ni lazima uondoke hatua moja ili uendelee hatua chache. Sherehe mafanikio madogo. Mruhusu mtu au watu unaowaunga mkono wajue kwamba unajivunia maendeleo yao. Kutoa moyo pia kunaweza kupanua kubadilisha mtindo wako wa maisha kidogo ili kumsaidia mtu huyo apone. Mfano wa hili unaweza kuwa mwenyeji wa dawa na pombe bure matukio, vyama na sherehe. Hii inaweza kuonyesha kwamba unajali juu ya kupona kwao na kwamba furaha bado inaweza kuwa na bila uwepo wa vitu. Kuna njia nyingi za kusaidia na kuwahamasisha marafiki na familia katika kupona. Zaidi ya yote, wacha wajue kuwa hawapo peke yao, wacha wewe uwe mfumo unaojulikana wa msaada, lakini pia ufanye wakati kwa ajili yako mwenyewe. Stigma ni tabia ya kawaida ambayo huathiri jinsi watu wanaotumia dawa za kulevya wanavyoonekana au wanavyoonekana. Sehemu ya jinsi tunaweza kuvunja stigma inayozunguka changamoto hizi ni kuzungumza juu ya mada hizi. Kuna aibu na hatia kubwa kwa watu wanaofanya kazi kwa bidii kwa mtindo wa maisha wenye afya. Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya jinsi tunavyochangia stigma hizi, ni kwa njia ya kuchagua maneno tunayotumia. Maneno kama vile addict, druggie, dirty, psycho, au crazy yametumika katika siku za nyuma kuelezea watu ambao wanaweza kuwa na tatizo la kulevya au matatizo ya afya ya akili. Hata hivyo, ni muhimu kutambua kwamba watu hawa wana uzoefu na wanaweza kuwa hawana rasilimali za kupata msaada wanaohitaji. Watu ni zaidi ya neno linalodhoofisha hali yao. Tunaweza kuanza kubadilisha stigma kwa kuanza na chaguzi za maneno tunazotumia kuelezea baadhi, na kuzungumza waziwazi juu ya mada ambazo zinaweza kuhisi kutofautisha. Njia pekee ya kufanya mabadiliko mazuri ni kujielimisha na kuifanya kuwa kawaida kwamba kupona inawezekana. Kuweka mipaka ni mbinu muhimu ambayo unaweza kuwa na mazoezi kama mtu ambaye ni katika kupona au kama mtu ambaye ni kusaidia mtu mwingine kufanya kazi juu ya kupona yao. Kama mtu ambaye anafanya kazi juu ya kupona kwako mwenyewe, inaweza kuwa na manufaa kwa ukuaji wako mwenyewe kutambua na kutambua watu au hali ambazo ulishindwa katika kupona kwako. Ni sawa kujipa nafasi kutoka kwa watu hawa, maeneo au vitu ambavyo unaweza kuwa umehusishwa nao wakati wa ulevi wako. Mipaka yaweza kuwekwa kimwili au kwa maneno. Kama mtu anayeunga mkono mipaka ya uponyaji wa mtu mwingine inaweza kuonekana tofauti kidogo. Kuwezesha huwa ni sababu ya kawaida kwa watu wa msaada. Kuwezesha inaweza kutofautiana kulingana na kila hali ya mtu binafsi. Kwa mfano, kumwezesha mtu katika uponyaji kunaweza kuwapa pesa. Kwa kawaida, mtu ambaye ni kuwezesha si kujua kwamba wao ni kuwezesha au kutumika, kwa sababu nia yao ya kusaidia ni nzuri. Kumbuka kwamba unaweza kuwa na msaada na msaada bila kuwezesha, lakini changamoto zinaweza kukabiliwa katika kipande hiki. Kuimarisha uwezo wa kupona kwa kushirikiana na vikundi vya msaada na mistari ya msaada Vikundi vya msaada vinaweza kukutana mahali hapo au kutumia majukwaa ya mtandaoni kwa sababu ya COVID-19. Ili kupata mkutano karibu na wewe, unaweza kuchagua kuanza na Nchini Helpline kupitia SAMHSA (800) 622-4357. Kwa mikutano maalum zaidi na msaada wa kupona, tembelea: Ukurasa huu wa wavuti una rasilimali juu ya afya ya akili, dawa za kulevya, pombe, na dawa za dawa, na pia habari ya vurugu za nyumbani. Huduma ya Ushauri ya Kusini Magharibi inatoa suluhisho mbalimbali kwa wale ambao wanatarajia kuanza safari yao ya kupona. Kwa maelezo zaidi kuhusu huduma zinazotolewa, piga simu (307) 352-6677.