Every person has their limits and comfort zones and the field of addiction recovery is no exception. Though addicts should challenge and push themselves past usual solace, they should not force themselves far beyond. Rather, they should discover for themselves how far they may be willing to go in different aspects.
Enrolling in recovery programs can help addicts discover these thresholds as well as the best treatments for them. Treating addiction not only encompasses the addiction itself but underlying causes such as anxiety, depression, and other triggers. Furthermore, it works to improve health such as building self-esteem, re-evaluating values, and other important needs.
By seeking help and discovering their own personal securities in various aspects, addicts can achieve a truly fortified recovery.
Types of Boundaries
Human beings have many wants and needs and as such, require many different boundaries in different areas. In fact, you could associate the boundaries addicts require to the famous Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This covers a person’s physiological needs, safety needs, needs of belongingness and love, and esteem needs. In recovery, addicts must seek and discover their boundaries and what they feel comfortable with physically, materially, and emotionally.
Physical boundaries revolve around your comfort zones regarding corporeal touch, space, and interaction. This includes when and if you are comfortable with touching, hugging, shaking hands, and when you find these appropriate. Perhaps you only feel comfortable with these activities with certain people. For physical boundaries, you must be willing to voice what you feel comfortable with, how, and when. Emotional boundaries can be similar but relate to your personal information, feelings, emotional responses, and what you feel comfortable disclosing. If you feel unprepared to talk about a traumatic experience with specific people—or anyone—you must address that.
A more specific boundary to establish is your material boundaries: restrictions regarding your possessions and finances. How comfortable do you feel about sharing and disclosing these objects? If you feel concerned about being damaged or taken advantage of, be vocal about your limits. Your material boundaries also relate to people close to you—do you seek their financial support, or fight against it? Do they feel comfortable financially supporting you?
Finally—and perhaps most importantly—you must establish and balance your boundaries of time. Recovery does not develop overnight, and you will need time to regain trust, stabilize physically and emotionally, and regain routine. This includes developing responsibility on your part to balance different portions of your life; for example, know when to dismiss hobbies for recovery time or when to terminate work for a healthy social life. Be open with family and friends on these boundaries, know what to prioritize, and confident when to say no.
Arranging Your Own Boundaries
Setting and managing your boundaries requires identifying them, establishing motives, confidence, responsibility, open communication, and self-control. Creating these boundaries not only acts to protect yourself but also others in a difficult time for you. By knowing your limits, explaining them to others, and securing them, you can build and ensure a healthy recovery.
Understandably, these struggles may not be overcome quickly or easily as you may hope; developing trust and openly communicating with friends and family in recovery can be a long process with many complications. Before working on interacting with others and creating boundaries, consider therapy for self-esteem and confidence as a starting point.
As you develop your recovery and gain an understanding of your emotional parameters, you can reinforce boundaries, gradually move and extend them until finally discovering comfort in sobriety. Whether about your comfort of emotional or physical struggles, taking small steps in progression can help extend your reach overall.
If you or a loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, contact Discovery Place’s Treatment & Rehab alternative in Tennessee. You might be interested in Discovery Place’s own treatment center alternatives, such as our 30 Day Residential Addiction Alternative Recovery Program or our Long Term Alternative Recovery Program in Burns, Tennessee. Call us for a free consultation at 1-800-725-0922.
