The Power of Sharing Stories
When we are looking to make changes in our lives, we look for inspiration on how to move forward and get to where we want to be. While every one of our stories is unique, hearing what others have gone through and how they have made progress helps us find hope and aids us to take the steps we need. This is why sharing stories is such an important part of treatment at pH Wellness. When we share stories, we feel heard, and when we listen to others, we learn valuable lessons that can guide us to find balance in our lives after addiction.
Importance of Sharing Stories
For those of us who have or do have addiction in our lives, we know that there are strong stigmas. We hear stories about how we cannot change, how we are stuck and will always be an addict. However, pH Wellness knows that sharing stories of hope and change can help us break these stigmas, foster community, and build empathy.
Consider Tony Hoffman. When Tony was a teenager, he was on track to becoming a successful BMX racer. However, after one time smoking marijuana, Tony was hooked. A few short years later, Tony was homeless, addicted to opiates, and far from the track he was originally on.
Fortunately, this was not the end of the road for Tony. After going to prison multiple times, Tony found hope. He started by changing himself internally, setting goals that he wanted to achieve when he got out of prison and got to work. Since getting out of prison, Tony has achieved the goals he set for himself, including starting a non-profit, going to the Olympics, competing in BMX racing, and becoming a public speaker regarding addiction.
Fostering Community Through Sharing Stories
Tony's story is one of many. When we hear Tony's and others' stories, we begin to understand each other in a deep and meaningful way. In effect, we build and grow our community. This does not just mean knowing each other. Instead, it means connecting and understanding each other.
We all know that with addiction and substance use comes loneliness. Our loneliness makes it difficult to break out of the cycle of addiction. However, with a community fostered by sharing stories, we find hope and connection that serves us on our path to change.
Breaking Stigmas
Our society believes in many stigmas regarding addiction. Due to the propensity of these stigmas, we often begin to internalize them. This makes us believe that we are bad and that we cannot change.
However, this is not true. We can choose to make changes in our lives. Sharing stories, like Tony Hoffman's story, helps us to see that no matter where we are at, we can take steps to change. Even if we have failed before, we can engage in a community like the one at pH Wellness, find a home, and learn how to live our lives with balance.
Building Empathy
A big part of recovering from addiction is for us to understand how we got to where we are. This means understanding our own story with the help of therapy. However, along with connecting with ourselves, we also need to connect with others.
Through sharing stories, we learn to build empathy. As we hear others' experiences, we understand how they got to where they are. Therefore, when we connect with others in our lives beyond treatment, we can see that there is a story behind them as well. This helps us to create real relationships with others that serve us and others as we become truly part of a community.
Sharing Stories: Part of a Transformation Process
Recovering from addiction and mental health challenges is a transformative process. As with Tony, the process was not just one step. Tony worked every day to build new skills like consistency. He focused on his health and well-being. His work was one step at a time. While he did not know how to get there, he knew where he wanted to be. Tony transformed by focusing on the small things and taking each step of his transformation with care.
Tony's story is one of many. Each story has twists and turns. We will connect with some and learn from others. However, sharing stories is an important part of the transformation process. It helps us to learn about other people's transformation and gives us ideas on how we can improve our transformation.
We might feel like we do not have a story that is as important as Tony's. However, our story is equally as significant. We are valuable, and we can change. Sharing our story helps us see and believe this fact and is, therefore, vital in our transformative recovery process.
Each of us has a unique story. At pH Wellness, we encourage you and others to share your story. In addition, we use storytelling as a way to share lessons and helpful tools that we believe can make a significant difference in your life. We understand that the stigmas existing around addiction make it difficult, and through storytelling, we aim to break through these stigmas and help you see the true power of change that exists inside of you. If you are struggling with addiction, substance use, and mental health challenges, we can help. Call us today at (951) 262-8046 to learn about our treatment programs and how they can help you change your life.