17 Feb How do I add another thing to my list? A hard look at parenthood and early recovery
‘My son has basketball, my daughter needs cookies for school tomorrow, work is crazy and there is laundry piled up to the ceiling…… how do you expect me to get to group too?’ Life does not stop coming at you, especially in early recovery. If anything, it just gets faster, more demanding and stressful. Many times, it seems like once you choose recovery all those loose ends and negative consequences finally catch up with you.
For parents in recovery it is hard to grasp time management and taking time for themselves. The biggest paradigm is how does life regain stability if you are not stable? What ball is most important in the juggle of life? Answer is you.
While groups and individual sessions seem like something that can be the things that get pushed back, they simply are the things that should be the first on your list. Allowing yourself to process these new or regained responsibilities can be lifesaving. Knowing that you are not alone, having a safe place to vent and verbalize, learn new skills and reframe priorities and deal with trauma, anxiety, depression is essential. Question to ask yourself, who is taking care of you? It is not your children or your boss’s responsibility to get you back on track and once you find a path it seems to get easier.
The clinic offers introspective groups that can help you organize your thoughts, balance emotions and get back to fulfilling life demands. Look into the schedule that is posted at our resource table get ready to feel supported again. We understand that this is a process and recovery takes time. Get back to being you, you got this.