If you are recovering from addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex it is imperative to develop a strong support network. A support network may consists of (but is not limited to) your health professionals, sponsor, family members, 12 step group and spiritual advisor. Here are 7 tips to get you started on your healing journey.

1. Make sure your Health Professionals are Knowledgeable about Addiction

Is your primary care provider trained in addiction medicine? Does he treat many people for addiction related health concerns? Unfortunately it is still quite common for a well intentioned practitioner to prescribe mood altering chemicals and narcotics to an addicted person. Remember that there are usually several other effective and safer treatment options. Ask your doctor how he will treat you if you present with severe pain, anxiety and other such conditions.

2. Make sure Family Members are Supportive but not Enabling

It is crucial that your family understands and supports your aftercare plan. An aftercare plan is a list of tasks performed on a daily basis to help you recover from your addiction. Appropriate family support includes anything that will help you follow your aftercare plan. Your family should encourage you to attend your meetings, call your sponsor, eat healthy and exercise. However, it is not their responsibility to cover up for your mistakes, omissions or absence from meetings. They have every right to and should point out and call you on inappropriate behavior. Remember that your goal is to develop a new life with healthy practices to replace your old addictive behaviors.

3. Choose your Sponsor Carefully

A good sponsor is worth his or her weight in gold. You are going to have many low points and dilemmas in your early recovery. There is no way around it. A good sponsor will help you though these rough periods by drawing upon the experiences of his own recovery. How long has your sponsor been addiction free? Does he lead a healthy and balanced life? Are you compatible? Both the sponsor and sponsee should have a clear understanding of what they expect from each other right from the beginning.

There is an old saying from an AA sponsor that says it all.

“Don’t take that 1st drink and I promise I’ll stay with you to hell and back. But don’t bother calling me when your drunk and you can go to hell alone.”

4. Try Several Support Group Meetings

Twelve step meetings and support group meetings range in value from poor to excellent. The only way you can truly find out is by attending and experiencing a wide array of meetings. Twelve step meetings such as AA, NA and GA have various formats and are usually run by a volunteer chairperson. It is important that you consider such factors as meeting size, time and location. However, it is more important to evaluate how the meeting “feels.” Was there an opportunity for you to share your comments and concerns? Was there good chemistry? Did you feel connected? Was there adequate time to socialize before and after the meeting? Finding the right support group meetings is essential in developing a strong support network.

5. Have Patience and Tolerance

Remember that you are embarking upon a very long and difficult journey. Recovery from addiction is not easy and requires tremendous patience and tolerance. Attempt to be gentle with yourself and with your friends in recovery. The true joy of recovery is in the fellowship and camaraderie. Be honest, be a friend and be committed to your recovery. Nobody ever said it would be easy.

6. Seek out those who are Successful in their own Addiction Recovery

Always be respectful of each person in your recovery circle, but try to hang around with the winners. Who is talking the talk and walking the walk? Find out what the winners do to keep addiction free. They will be more than happy to share their successes and their challenges.

7. You Cannot Do It On Your Own:

It is true that you are 100% responsible for your own recovery. However, it is absolutely futile to attempt to recover on your own. I have read a few alternate addiction recovery programs who take tremendous pride in “bashing” the 12 step movement. They claim that meetings and a belief in a higher power are disempowering and promote an unhealthy and unnecessary dependence on a group.

Have you ever listened to the most successful athletes in the world accepting an award for outstanding achievement?

They always thank their coach, teammates, trainers, God, doctors and family! Their success was due to a total team effort. If the most successful athletes in the world need support, do you think it is possible to recover from addiction all by yourself?

Recovering from the disease of addiction is a monumental task that requires time, persistence and determination. Success does not come overnight but by taking small steps forward on a daily basis. Remember that you do not have to do it alone. Help is just a phone call or a meeting away. Use your resources wisely and develop a solid Support network.

Dr. Larry Smith Chiropractor and Author of:

Embrace the Journey of Recovery: From Tragedy to Triumph! and co-author of:

Inside the Minds: The Art and Science of Sports Medicine

Embrace the Journey of Recovery will passionately reignite your spirit and teach you how to confront, conquer and powerfully triumph over any life threatening illness! Experience the remarkable story of two courageous yet ordinary individuals and their astonishing recoveries from heartbreaking tragedy. The message is simple. They transformed their lives and you can too!