Recovery Needs Community
 | So, the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is human connection. – Johann Hari
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I attended my first Lifering meeting almost 2 years ago, just before the global pandemic sent so many of us into isolation. Having spent 25 years in active addiction, I was no stranger to isolation. I had sought support in other recovery communities in the past but never quite felt comfortable. In LifeRing, not only do I feel comfortable and safe, but I have also developed a much deeper understanding of why I was so uncomfortable in other programs. In LifeRing, no one is more important than anyone else, and we get to choose what labels we use to identify ourselves and choose what our individualized recovery plan looks like. We’re able to connect and provide support to others at every meeting.
Whereas so much of life is about community, everything about recovery is about community.
Community is important for people in recovery, especially early recovery, to identify and build a foundation of connection and support. Community can help us maintain and enjoy sobriety by helping avoid feelings of isolation, rediscover who we are without substances, connect, and receive validation from others who may be familiar with what we’re experiencing.
The common denominator of all recovery programs is that they connect people. That can look all kinds of ways for diverse kinds of people. Rachel and I found an amazing community through LifeRing. Then we took it a step further and created the perfect community – for us, and folk like us.
We started “LGBTQIA+ and Friends: Come Out and Recover” as a safe space to unite a community of people who felt like they didn’t fit in other places. It was the kind of recovery meeting that we wish we had when we started our recovery journeys. Since then, we’ve become like a small, queer family. If you feel like you found your family in LifeRing and want to help others reap in the benefits of connecting to a community, please make a donation today.
Happy Holidays, y’all!
Casey C.
LifeRing Secular Recovery, 2020