Substance Use Recovery and Resources
Created by: Michelle Luszczewski LCSW, LCADC on
Making the decision to ask for help is always a difficult one, as we often don’t recognize that we need help or that we have a problem. However, when you ask for help, you are giving yourself the chance to start a new chapter and progress toward a healthier life.
I have been working in the field of substance use since 2016. I have worked at a medication-assisted treatment agency, a harm reduction agency, a psychiatric hospital providing 7-10 day detox programs, and with agencies handling court-mandated clients due to substance use.
Throughout my time working with clients who misuse substances, I have found that although there are several ways people may begin misusing substances, the most common reasons I have heard are trauma and grief.
When someone begins misusing substances due to trauma or grief, it is often a way to avoid the painful feelings, flashbacks, and memories associated with those experiences. When a person decides they are ready to stop using substances and gains clarity, they often return to thoughts of the original trauma or grief, which leads back to substance misuse. This cycle of relapse and recovery continues unless the person seeks mental health support to process and heal from these experiences. Without this support, the individual may fall into the same cycle and begin misusing substances again as an unhealthy coping mechanism. This is referred to as the “cycle of addiction.”
One effective way to move through alcohol and drug addiction is by talking about the events that led up to substance use. Processing the trauma and grief helps to diminish the power these events have over the individual. The goal is to reach a point where the person feels confident and secure in the work done to break the cycle of substance misuse.
In treatment, one of the most important skills to learn is the development of healthy coping mechanisms. Without healthy coping skills, people tend to revert to unhealthy behaviors, such as substance misuse, alcohol use, overspending, gambling, overeating, or engaging in physical altercations. EVERYONE needs healthy coping skills.
A critical component of recovery is having a strong support system. This support system should include a mix of people such as family, friends, and social support groups. Not everyone finds support groups helpful, but they can be beneficial when we feel alone or when we believe no one else understands what we are going through. Support groups can also provide a sense of connection with people who share similar experiences in recovery, especially when our friends and family do not understand. As Johann Hari states, “The opposite of addiction is connection.” This concept suggests that sobriety is most successful when we build connections and relationships that have meaning and value. Below is a list of resources for support groups.
References
Hari, J. (n.d.). The opposite of addiction is connection. Retrieved from https://www.johannhari.com
Support Group for Recovery from Alcohol and Substance Misuse
NA Meetings in Clark County
https://region51na.org/meeting-list/
https://www.narcotics.com/na-meetings/nevada/las-vegas/
https://www.na-meetings.com/na-meeting-near-me/nevada/las-vegas/
Heroin Anonymous
https://heroinanonymous.org/meetings/?tsml-region=nevada
Crystal Meth Anonymous
https://www.crystalmeth.org/meetings/?region=usa-nevada
Alcohol Anonymous
https://lvcentraloffice.org/meetings/
SMART Recovery Meetings
https://meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings/
Celebrate Recovery- Christian Based Recovery
https://www.celebraterecovery.life/schedule
https://thecrossinglv.com/cr-weekly
https://www.canyonridge.org/celebrate-recovery
Refuge Recovery – Buddhist Based Recovery
Support Groups for Family Members of a Loved One with An Alcohol or Substance Misuse Diagnosis
Narn-Anon Family and Friend Groups
https://www.nar-anon.org/find-a-meeting
Al-Anon and AlaTeen Meetings- Family Member and Teen family member meetings
https://www.nevadaal-anon.org/assets/files/2024-MeetingListWebVersion-ActiveGroups5.pdf
https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/find-an-al-anon-meeting/
Ready to start your journey to healing? Schedule an appointment with Michelle by calling (702) 527-8362 or by emailing evokeinsighttherapy@gmail.com