Why Good Communication Is Important in Treatment and Recovery

Being able to communicate is important for many things in life. For instance, you need to communicate effectively to get things you want and need. This can include things as simple as placing an order for lunch to bigger things such as applying for a grant for college or a home loan. Effective communication is also important when it comes to relationships and success in the workplace.

Good communication skills may come naturally to some, while others may need to work a little harder to be effective communicators. Addiction can be very isolating. In turn, you may find yourself communicating with others a bit less during this phase of life. Good communication is often dependent on practice and exposure to real-life scenarios. While you are battling substance abuse, you probably are not spending much time practicing these skills.

Seeking treatment for your addiction can help you improve your communication skills and teach you how to implement them into your life in recovery. A few reasons why good communication is critical in recovery are discussed below.

Good Communication Facilitates Healthy Relationships

It is no secret that forming relationships and connections in adulthood can be hard. If you are battling or recovering from addiction, you may experience even greater challenges when it comes to building new relationships. Having good communication skills allows you to relate to others. Relatability is often what sparks relationships and connections.

Addiction and even recovery can sometimes be very isolating. It is important to form connections with others whom you can trust. Having a good support network around you in recovery can increase your chances of success and help you stay on track. By communicating well with others, you can begin to develop these natural supports in treatment and continue to build your network in recovery.

Good Communication Motivates Self-Advocacy

Advocating for yourself is incredibly important in addiction recovery. There are about a million different scenarios that could call for self-advocacy. One example could involve boundary setting. Setting boundaries can be difficult, especially if the boundaries apply to those we love and care about. Being able to effectively communicate your need for space, understanding, etc., can help you get your point across while still preserving the relationship.

Advocacy can also refer to expressing your need for help or support. This is huge in recovery. Recognizing your need for help is only half of the battle. Possessing the ability to verbalize what you need and how you need support from others is essential. This is easier said than done and can take some practice.

You may benefit from writing down what you need first or talking things through with a therapist. This can help you feel more confident when having conversations with others that may feel a little uncomfortable.

Good Communication Can Influence Employment

Good communication is critical when it comes to employment in recovery. The ability to communicate effectively is important during every phase of the job-seeking and maintenance process. Good communication skills can even be reflected on your resume. The interview is your only chance for a good first impression. Being able to speak professionally and clearly about your experience and what you have to offer is imperative.

Good communication is also necessary for maintaining a job. You will be required to communicate effectively with coworkers, supervisors, customers, or all of the above for many jobs. Jobs often require teamwork or collaboration. Communicating well on the job is key to working successfully with others.

Enlightened Solutions helps clients build good communication in a variety of ways. We incorporate many different group wellness and therapeutic activities that allow clients to interact with their peers and staff members to help build a sense of community and support. We believe there is great value in learning in groups and encourage clients to work together and communicate to accomplish a common goal.

Building Communication Skills at Enlightened Solutions

Here at Enlightened Solutions, we also provide individual therapy and group therapy to help address some of the communication barriers that often accompany addiction and recovery. Opening up and sharing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences can be difficult. Individual therapy can help assess your specific struggles regarding processing and communication and offer strategies for working through these challenges. Group therapy offers an opportunity to practice these strategies and provides chances to learn from listening and interacting with others.

Good communication is important when getting what you want and need out of life in recovery. By developing and practicing communication skills during treatment, you can enter recovery feeling confident and capable of expressing yourself and connecting well moving forward.

Communicating effectively in recovery is important. You’ll need to convey your needs, set boundaries, and form healthy connections with others. You may even need to mend some relationships that may have been damaged as a result of your addiction. Developing strategies for communicating well during recovery can and should take place during treatment. At Enlightened Solutions, we help clients establish a firm foundation when it comes to communicating. We practice communicating effectively in therapy, during wellness groups and activities, during experiential therapy, and more. Our staff help clients enhance their communication skills in several areas pertaining to asking for help, setting boundaries, forming connections, and networking all while healing from their addiction. If you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction and could benefit from our program, we would love to hear from you. To begin your journey to recovery, call Enlightened Solutions today at (833) 801-LIVE.