Communication in recovery, both in a drug or alcohol rehab or after rehab.

There is a phenomenon in early recovery, especially when just leaving a rehab facility, where many people feel compelled to share every last detail of their compulsive behaviour–to unload all of the secrets that have burdened them for so long.

And while this may feel wonderful at first, it frequently is a source for much regret and shame later in recovery.
Keep in mind, you cannot ask someone to un-know what they know.

Choose with great care the people with whom you share details of your past.
When you err, err on the side of sharing too little information, you can always give more information later but you canâ??t take it back.

Share information within the confidential and ethical boundaries of group and one to one therapy only enough to support your personal growth and understanding of yourself and others.

What to communicate to others regarding your past

When discussing your past addictive or destructive behaviour, talk in terms of how that behaviour is changing, not how bad it was at one point in your life.

Never share play by play or blow by blow descriptions of past behaviors or events such as the time, place, method of sex, what you wore or didnâ??t wearâ?¦ too much information.

When discussing other people’s addictive or destructive behaviour, stick to facts, personal insights and maintain a “growth-oriented” focus. Ask questions that bring out other’s values, not more gory details
In all cases, get to know the people, rather than their addiction.

Share yourself, not your addiction
(http://www.understandingsexualaddiction.org/pridelessons/pride_00o.asp)

Concentrate on your future not on your past;
on your strengths not your mistakes

The last point in critical as it will always keep your boundries intact. It is wonderful to be sober for the first time in a long while. It is wonderful that spending time in a rehab has helped you grow. Just like the process of going to an alcohol and drug rehab may take some time to complete, go slow on revealing everything to those around you. Caution will prevent you from damaging a relationship, that may just be starting to heal. Damaging a relationship will just lead to more stress which just complicates the whole process of re-building your life after your addiction and rehab experience.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 20th, 2005 at 8:59 am and is filed under Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.