Look around you. What do you see? Who do you see? How do you feel when you see them? Our environment can affect us a lot, good or bad. It can provide a loving and supportive space for our recovery, or it can be a chaotic trigger and factor in our addiction.
Toxic Environments
Scenario 1: Imagine a cramped and messy trailer. The TV is on. Dirty plates and empty pizza boxes are everywhere. The smell of stale beer punctuates the scene. Everyone yells back and forth not noticing the wincing of a kid who swears that they will have a better life someday.
Scenario 2: Imagine an affluent house. All white walls and white carpet. Shoes are removed upon entry. Everything has to look perfect. Everyone has to BE perfect. Feelings aren’t properly expressed because they’d ruin the image of the perfect happy family.
Environments like that cannot be healthy to a recovering individual and are likely the source of many of their problems. Be it a home, social, work, or relationship environment, if you’re in a toxic environment, it’s time to consider your options.
Safe and Secure Environments
We don’t always have easy options to just change our environments, and sometimes we have to learn how to manage them as best we can. But this can often lead to long-term problems with bad coping habits. Sometimes, we need to consider other options such as recovery houses for clean living, establishing and enforcing boundaries, and sometimes even relocating to a different environment to establish new routines.
A safe and secure environment is one that validates your feelings. It is a place where you are comfortable to honestly express yourself and your needs. It’s a place where you don’t always need to have all the answers and that’s okay.
Finding or creating a safe and secure environment is an important part of a long-term rehab plan. If you’re in Florida and would like to learn more about your options, call (833) 596-3502.
