Recovering from an addiction to alcohol or drugs is hard, but we believe that it’s always possible. We believe that twelve-step programs are the most effective method of treatment, but it’s by no means the only way an addicted person can achieve sobriety.
Mediation is another helpful and important component in recovery from addiction and can be done in combination while you’re working through your twelve-step or another treatment program.
When in recovery from addiction, it’s important to confront a lot of different emotions, including the ways in which your addiction has affected your family. Mediation provides an opportunity to speak openly with your loved ones and work out any remaining issues that may stop you from moving forward.
Mediation and Intervention
If you’ve exhibited the signs of drug abuse or addiction, your family may have staged an intervention. They may not have known how to support you without accidentally enabling your behavior and enlisted the help of a mediator, a neutral third party.
If you have a loved one that has been suffering from an addiction, learn more about how to plan an intervention here.
Addressing How Your Addiction Has Hurt Your Loved Ones
Without the presence of a neutral party, it may be hard to talk about or accept the way your addiction has affected your loved ones. The presence of a mediator helps to ensure each person feels like their perspective has been heard and valued.
Learning New Skills
Mediation can do more than just repair relationships – it can also help you learn valuable skills for coping with negative emotions in the future.
Through mediation, you’ll learn strategies for processing feelings and dealing with relationships that you can apply to other situations. Using these coping skills will help you avoid turning back to substance abuse the next time you find yourself struggling.
Communication is another skill that can be taught through mediation. Not only is this helpful for working through relationship issues with any of your loved ones, but it can also come in handy in your career when you’re ready to go back to work.
Mediation as an Alternative to Jail Time
Certain areas of the United States and elsewhere in the world place more of an emphasis on rehabilitating an addict, rather than punishing them. If your substance abuse has caused legal problems, consider speaking with an attorney about your options for pursuing treatment options instead of jail.
Mediation and twelve-step programs are two of the most powerful tools for overcoming addiction and achieving lifelong recovery.