The Benefits Of Peer Support During Addiction Treatment

We gain meaning in our lives through the love and support of others. This is especially true for individuals struggling with addiction, mental health disorders, or other difficult conditions. Spending time among peers and within a vibrant, robust community reduces difficulties in even the toughest times and makes daily life more enjoyable. Having a community where you feel like you belong and are supported improves our mental well-being and physical health. Our outpatient treatment program at Buprenorphine Treatment Centers, Inc offers patients the resources they need, including peer support, to embark upon a healthy, sustainable recovery process.

With our outpatient buprenorphine treatment and behavioral health services, highly experienced practitioners and recovery specialists, and opportunities for peer support, you can feel assured that you will not have to go through the recovery process on your own. We provide outpatient treatment and services for opioid addiction and mental health conditions in Gainesville, Orange Park, Perry, Palatka, and Ocala, Florida. Contact us today to get help.

Increases The Likelihood Of Maintaining Sobriety

Individuals who pursue addiction treatment and continue to attend peer support meetings, and maintain close contact with those in their peer support group are more likely to maintain their sobriety. Including peer support in addiction treatment and recovery decreases the likelihood of using drugs and alcohol and relapsing back into their addiction. Having an honest, open, and trusting environment with peers who understand addiction from a personal standpoint is key for many individuals seeking to recover and maintain an addiction-free lifestyle.

Helps Patients Build Relationships With People Who Understand

Learning how to establish and maintain trusting, healthy relationships with others is an integral aspect of the recovery process. Oftentimes, the relationships and friendships patients formed before their addiction or during their addiction become fractured or severed. What’s more, the friends a person gains during their use of drugs or other substances are not conducive to leading a healthy, addiction-free lifestyle. Having the support of peers who have had similar experiences or encounters with addiction can be an excellent opportunity for patients to learn how they can form new, trusting, and healthy relationships going forward.

Allows Patients To Learn From Others’ Journeys

At Buprenorphine Treatment Centers, Inc, patients experience peer support by meeting with mentors, either in a one-on-one meeting and conversations or in a larger group setting with others who have achieved enduring sobriety and continue to participate in support groups or a combination of these aspects of peer support. For many individuals, whether it’s their first time pursuing addiction treatment or they are trying a new form of treatment after previous experiences with other programs, having the opportunity to learn from individuals who have similar experiences and have maintained long-term sobriety can instill a sense of hope. In this space, mentors provide us with the knowledge that recovery is possible and sustainable.

Provides Senses Of Accountability & Belonging

Peer support provides individuals with a sense of accountability that can be a unique feature of peer-based treatments. In addiction recovery and treatment, peer support is unique in the social pressure naturally present to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and other harmful substances. This is a type of positive pressure rooted in the communal desire to build a healthy, drug-free life. For many people, seeking sobriety feels like a group effort. Peer support also provides a sense of belonging. Oftentimes, individuals struggling with addiction can lose their sense of where they belong in the world. Joining a peer support group or engaging in peer support activities throughout your treatment can provide you with a sense of meaning and belonging.