Numbing Behaviors
Finding a therapist from the first steps of Sobriety to a Life in Recovery
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Whether you are newly concerned about the way your tendency to “numb out” through substances impacts your life, you are in recovery, or are working through those experiences with a loved one, we are here to help.
If you are impacted by a tendency to numb through substances or engage in risk-taking behaviors and have questions, concerns, or emotions to work through, we are here for you. Our licensed therapists can help foster eye-opening clarity and motivation for change for those looking to maintain their recovery.
When you are struggling with substances
When you’re in the thick of it, recovery can feel like a daunting, far-off dream. But when you feel chained to the things that once felt like an escape, it’s time to make a change. It’s a long journey ahead, but you don’t have to go it alone.
It’s time to ask for help.
You have not failed if you need support in your journey through recovery. It’s quite the opposite. You are here, prioritizing your health and healing, even when you know it will be difficult. You are doing brave and strong things to make positive changes in your life.
Alongside ensuring you have the physical support you need to restore your health and begin a life of sobriety, we want to help you cultivate the tools for shaping your emotional health.
Supporting someone who has unhealthy coping skills
The last thing we want for the people we love is to feel isolated or unloved while they’re in pain. It can be taxing through the ups and downs of recovery, but you have chosen to be there for them. Let us be there for you.
It’s okay to ask for help.
When you are supporting someone and loving them through the rigorous journey of recovery, it feels like a vacuum on your emotional energy. Having the tools to stay supportive while still expressing your own complex emotions can make all the difference.
You are doing something selfless and deserve space for your own journey. Accessing a support system of your own will ensure that you continue to be available to support your loved one in their recovery while building support for yourself.
The far-reaching impacts of these maladaptive coping skills can feel isolating or impossible to overcome but you are not alone.
HOW DO I KNOW IF IT’S A PROBLEM?
If you are using substances and experiencing any of the following, you may want to consider cutting back your use:
Withdrawal symptoms when you’re not using
Difficulty keeping your word when you say you won’t use
Frustration or defensiveness when questioned about your substance use
Increasing frequency or quantity of use
There are many types of support that you may need (or can offer someone) when numbing through substances has become their main form of coping.
Some of those are:
Encouragement
An emotional safe space
Guidance to staying on track with goals
Reminders of strength
Daily task support
Help with physical care
It can be hard to show love to yourself in recovery.
Here are some ways to try:
Speak to yourself with compassion instead of judgment
Practice patience with your progress
Be unrelentingly forgiving for the things you did while you were under the influence
Connect with support that feels safe when temptation arises
Celebrate the wins you have- even when they feel too small
The road to healthier coping
Knowledge is your superpower in fighting back against the emotional avoidance strategies you’ve used for so long.
Arming yourself with information about the process, as well as knowledge about the stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance), is key.
Knowing when you are ready to take the next step and arriving there emotionally prepared will give you a fighting advantage against your current programming. This kind of empowerment is critical, along with using compassionate language to discuss your experiences and your feelings about them. Removing stigma and reducing the voice of the harsh inner critic are valuable tools in how you approach your emotions about recovery.
2. Get educated about the way recovery looks and the things that may help support healing.
Instead of blame and threats directed at yourself or the one you love who struggles, approaching their recovery journey with a compassionate heart is key. The words we use and the knowledge we hold will make all the difference in creating an environment that fosters and celebrates change instead of shame.
Change takes time, and using that time to learn as much as possible about each stage and to process the emotions they bring up will help your journey be a more sustainable one.
Speaking with respect instead of judgment can go a long way in providing (or asking for) support through a recovery journey.
3. Healing will feel lighter and be more sustainable with the support of our experts.
We are here to guide you through with knowledge about the process and validating support for the emotions you may feel along the way.
REACH OUT TODAY & GET THE SUPPORT YOU DESERVE
There is nothing wrong with you, and you are not broken for the way your mind functions. The type of person who turns to substances to deal with emotional challenges is not faulty, they’re just driven by brain signals and a body that feels chronically unsafe.
The goal of intervention is to rewire the brain and show you other ways to create safety in your body and system. With therapeutic support, you can work through the learned behaviors and trauma that numbing behaviors reinforce and create healthier coping mechanisms to turn to in times of distress.
Frequently asked questions
I’m just so angry. How do I get past it?
I’ve got great news for you, you’re in exactly the right place for that. By fostering an environment for you to feel your anger and spend time with it to understand its root (sometimes, the feeling that looks like anger truly starts somewhere more vulnerable).
Through the support of a therapist who understands the journey of recovery, we will make space and safety for all of your emotions. While your journey is unique to you and may take longer than you hope, there’s no urgency to get past your trauma. In time, you will know the way forward.
Does this make me weak?
There is absolutely no correlation between your strength and your use of substances. You are not weak, and you have not failed. Making mistakes, missteps, or being irresponsible with the hearts of those we love while making decisions in the grips of illness are not a mark of our hearts, so please hear us loud and clear: You are not weak. You are not failing.
You can heal, and you deserve to. We believe in you, and we want to work with you so that you believe in you, too.
What if I relapse?
No matter the bumps and stumbles your healing takes, it will not undo the progress you make every step of the way.
It may stall or take new turns, but even a relapse cannot fully undermine the progress you made in growing beyond where your story started.
Without working through the emotions you’ve been trying to numb, you may be more likely to rely on those coping mechanisms again, so reach out to us now and let’s ensure you have every tool to make your recovery smooth.
When will I stop being in recovery?
You won’t. Your healing journey will never be over. You will always need to be mindful of the risk that lingers and of all the work you’ve done to help yourself to heal.
While you will always be in recovery, this part of your story won’t always need to be front and center if you put the work in now to deconstruct the trauma and emotional experiences tangled up with it. That’s what we’re here for.
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
-Nelson Mandela
YOU CAN GET WELL; AND TOGETHER, WE CAN FIND NEW WAYS TO FILL THE GAPS SUBSTANCES ONCE OCCUPIED.
Many people in recovery have battled a lifelong sense of emptiness that leaves them longing for anything that can fill up those spaces. Using the emotional tools of therapy alongside medical treatment, we can help you find lasting ways to create a meaningful change in your life without substances.
