While dealing with addiction or going through recovery, the last thing we may think about is helping others. Finding the motivation and energy to care for other people while struggling to take care of ourselves might seem impossible. However, while helping others, we can also help ourselves in many ways.
Refocusing Your Attention
Committing yourself to care for others is a great way to refocus your attention positively. By putting the well-being of others at the front of your mind, you can release some of the anxiety that comes along with constantly worrying about yourself. Having less anxiety makes it easier to avoid using substances to cope. Shifting attention to someone else’s needs also allows you to avoid external factors that may lead to substance use by keeping you busy. While focusing on helping another person, we are less likely to become involved in potentially triggering situations or be around people who may encourage us to use.
Gaining a Sense of Fulfillment
We feel good when we accomplish things, and the same can be true of when we help others with their own needs and goals. Beyond that sense of accomplishment is the feeling of compassion and love that comes with knowing that we have positively impacted someone else’s life. Acts as small as helping someone reach a tall shelf in a grocery store or returning a lost wallet have the potential to fill us with happiness.
Spreading positivity brings us joy and also lends to creating a more positive environment for everyone around us. Helping those who are truly in need also lets us find a deeper purpose in our own lives. It can be stressful to have someone else depend on you but also rewarding when helping that person is something within our limits. Self-esteem can be greatly uplifted by taking note of our ability to help others.
Enhancing Feelings of Connection
Human beings are a social species that thrive off of connection due to a long history of mutual aid. Helping others can help us feel a deeper connection with them, and keeping in mind that kindness ripples outwards, we can also recognize the impact we have on people we may never meet. When people receive care, they feel more empowered to help the people around them. In this way, one small act of kindness can impact an entire community.
Actively supporting the community around you creates a more supportive community for you to live in. Depending on who you’re helping and how you help, you can form a relationship with others that will foster a mutual sense of care. Letting others know that you are there for them makes them more comfortable and eager to be there for you in return. Relationships built off of care and compassion tend to have deeper bonds and be more constructive. Having and forming connections with others is a proven way to elevate our moods and relieve anxiety.
Learning How to Help Ourselves
The people we help may be experiencing issues similar to our own, and by assisting them to work through those issues, we learn new ways to work through these issues ourselves. Trying to find solutions to problems that we are deeply engrossed in is often difficult. However, when we can view those problems from a different perspective, we can develop new strategies to approach them and recognize that we can use these strategies to help ourselves.
Seeing these issues from an outsider’s perspective and providing compassion to the people we care for can help us see our addiction in a more forgiving and understanding light. It can be hard to recognize the difficulty that we face as individuals but seeing and helping others as they struggle can remind us that we are just as deserving of care. Recognizing this can alleviate the feelings of guilt and shame that may be associated with our addiction.
Ways We Can Help Others
Small acts of kindness can go a long way, and accumulating them can enhance our sense of fulfillment. Engaging in multiple small acts of kindness throughout the day can reassure us that our help reaches many different people. Things like giving up your seat on the bus, paying for someone’s meal, or helping your neighbor take out the trash have the potential to make that person’s day.
It’s even possible to help others from your own home by donating to private fundraisers, charitable organizations, or public grants. Money often acts as a huge barrier for many people. Even donating in small amounts can make a difference in the life of someone who needs it.
In most cities, there are also volunteer programs that can benefit any number of different causes. Some programs are dedicated to specific groups of people and smaller communities, while other programs operate nationally. Volunteering with these programs may mean collecting food or other necessities, teaching classes, or providing care in shelters. One of the best places to start when we want to help others is with those closest to us. Simply taking the time to reach out to loved ones and ask if they need support or care can be a way to uplift their spirits and let them know that you are there for them.
Helping others and showing compassion can provide us with many benefits. When we help others, we help ourselves by boosting our moods, relieving stress, and gaining valuable knowledge to care for ourselves. For people struggling with addiction, helping others can be a great way to put our situations into perspective and recognize what we need to improve our lives. If you are struggling with addiction and seeking care, call Rancho Milagro at (951) 526-4582 to discuss treatment options. Rancho Milagro is here to give you the help you need and is full of a team of compassionate individuals committed to your recovery. We offer both detox and inpatient care with specialized treatment plans to fit your specific needs because we know that there is no one path to recovery. Our ranch is located in the secluded hills of Temecula, CA, where you will find a peaceful space to recover, surrounded by our rescue animals and miles of private hiking trails.