The Positive Effects of Volunteering During Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery is often a lifelong process, requiring you to continue the healthy habits you’ve built in treatment. Volunteering’s impact on addiction recovery cannot be overstated. The positive activity offers an opportunity to give back to your community while gaining a sense of purpose and belonging. Continue reading to learn the importance of volunteering in addiction recovery and how to get started. 

5 Benefits of Volunteering for Sobriety

Many addiction counselors and therapists recommend volunteering as a recovery activity for its mental and social benefits.

1. Boosts Social Connections 

Volunteering aids in addiction recovery by helping you build bonds and strengthen connections. People with addiction may isolate themselves from friends, family and social situations, and volunteering can help them rebuild their support systems. Most volunteering activities involve interacting with new people in new places for an extended period, which can help you avoid loneliness and reclaim a sense of belonging you might have lost while in the throes of addiction. 

Whether you work with children, adults or animals, volunteering offers numerous opportunities for connection, which can motivate your recovery journey. 

2. Encourages Healthy Habits

Living with addiction can feel chaotic, causing you to feel lost or discouraged. Recovery is all about building healthy habits and structure, and volunteering is a healthy activity that offers a clear path in one direction. Working for a cause you believe in can provide a sense of purpose, allowing you to explore your passions and bond with those who share your interests. 

Helping others can also help you forget about your troubles and keep you mentally stimulated. While unscheduled time can leave you vulnerable to relapse, volunteering offers a positive way to fill your days and promote a successful recovery. 

3. Recenters You in Society

Volunteering helps you transition back into society and a routine. You can branch out, meet new people and even get your foot in the door of an organization that is meaningful to you. Even if you aren’t looking to make the activity a full-time job, volunteering lets you network and build professional relationships that could benefit your future.

While addiction can cause you to feel isolated from your family, friends and society as a whole, volunteering is a great way to stay engaged in the world. Working for a cause means surrounding yourself with positive influences, gaining career opportunities and striving to better your community. 

4. Provides Purpose

Volunteering can offer a sense of purpose for people in addiction recovery, helping them break the cycle of isolation and providing a positive place to return. People start counting on you, and that’s why you keep showing up — to help those in need. Plus, while leaving treatment can sometimes make you feel vulnerable, volunteering offers a positive perspective. It can show you that you are not alone in your experiences and can overcome your struggles. 

The feeling of making a difference in someone’s life is inherently rewarding. Using your resources and skills to help people can make you feel good about yourself, boost your self-confidence and give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. 

5. Reduces Stress

When we help others, our brains release feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which can have a naturally relaxing effect. While addiction can add stress and anxiety to your life, volunteering can help you shift your focus and ease your worries. Giving back to others can be a helpful coping mechanism in recovery, as it can make you happy and promote a sense of calm. Less stress also means fewer health issues like high blood pressure, supporting your recovery toward better health and wellness. 

How to Volunteer While in Addiction Recovery

Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of volunteering opportunities while in recovery. While volunteering has several advantages in recovery, remember to consult your therapist or recovery counselor before starting a new project. They can help you determine which projects might be too stressful or involve triggers that could lead to relapse. Here’s how to find an organization and get started: 

• Connect with a community support group: To get started, you might connect with a local support group and join others who are already volunteering. Or, if you’re already enrolled in an aftercare program, you might talk to your counselor about volunteering. Many programs already encourage residents to volunteer and will offer assistance. If you have a sponsor, you can consult them for suggestions on where to begin. 
• Explore volunteer opportunities: You can also do a quick online search to find opportunities that pique your interest. Examples include food pantries, shelters for unhoused people, animal rescue centers, building or repairing homes like Habitat for Humanity, a crisis hotline, or even an addiction recovery center. Whether you donate goods, serve food, help animals or advocate for people grappling with addiction or mental health issues, you will find plenty of activities to give back.
• Submit your application: After selecting a few causes you’re interested in, complete all necessary applications and submit them online, by mail or in person. If you need help filling them out, you might ask your sponsor or another trusted individual for help. If you don’t hear back within a few weeks, don’t give up. Keep applying, and you’ll find an opportunity that’s a good fit. 

Why Trust Diamond House Detox for Addiction Treatment

Recovery from addiction is possible — but why face the battle alone? Diamond House Detox offers comprehensive treatment programs to residents in Northern California. We understand that recovery is a lifelong process, so we provide continuing care through outpatient treatment, support groups and sober living homes — offering evidence-based therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy, art therapy and dual diagnosis treatment.

We aim to provide a safe, comfortable environment for our clients as they focus on recovery, and we are proud to offer incidental medical services to help us achieve that goal. These services include real-time medication adjustments, medically assisted detox, on-site injections and more to support you through your recovery. Read our testimonials to discover the difference our treatments can make in your life. 

Get Comprehensive and Compassionate Addiction Care at Diamond House Detox 

The road to recovery never truly ends, but making positive choices and investing in the well-being of your community can help you reduce stress, recenter yourself in society and gain purpose and belonging. At Diamond House Detox, we can help you find volunteer opportunities and other coping skills that promote a successful recovery. 

Our medical professionals will create a comprehensive treatment plan for your unique needs, with options like individual and group therapy, medical detox, art therapy and dual diagnosis treatment. Each option is designed to help you recover from alcohol or substance use disorders as well as co-occurring mental health conditions to achieve a happier, more fulfilling life. 

Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive addiction treatments. 

Vicky is a board certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She began her nursing career in healthcare by working in the intensive care unit, and then an inpatient psychiatric hospital. After realizing the mental health needs of both the patients and the families she served, she became a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Throughout her experience working with clients, she has developed a passion for those with dual diagnoses and specializes in helping individuals recognize the issues driving their substance use. This recognition has been crucial to the individual’s success in treatment. Vicky opened Diamond House Detox so that she can address these issues early on in a therapeutic environment to allow clients to transition to the next level in their recovery.

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