We get that. Sometimes it takes a while to determine if there even IS a drug- or alcohol problem. You may already know there’s a problem, but doing something about it isn’t as easy as everybody thinks, right?! Everyone may have an opinion, but ultimately, we know you need to have a safe space to figure out if you need anything at all. So if you’re uncertain, here’s what we’d recommend:

• Start with some individual counseling to see if you can reduce your use, moderate your risk, and stick with it. Harm reduction isn’t appropriate and doesn’t work for everyone, but sometimes trying to cut back it is a necessary step in even knowing if recovery is needed.
• If you’ve reached the conclusion that you need to stop using, deciding which mutual support network is the best fit can be an important exploration in counseling. We appreciate that “one size does not fit all” when it comes to recovery, so we’ll help you explore the options.
• When there are more “slips” than “clean and sober days,” that’s probably a pretty good indication that you need more than just weekly counseling if you’re going to really experience the joys of recovery. That’s right! We believe that your life really can be joyful in recovery! If more help is needed, we’ll help you figure out how, where, when and how to pay for it.

Sometimes the best person to learn from is someone who has “been there,” and Full Life recovery coaches have walked the walk successfully. They can help you learn what it really means to build your life around recovery and find that joy we mentioned! Recovery coaching can be a more informal, real and down-to-earth way of connecting at Full Life. A Full Life recovery coach can:

• help you explore different mutual support meetings in the community,
• actually go with you to a few meetings so you don’t have to in alone,
• introduce you to the young people’s recovery fellowship activities (yes, there’s more than just meetings!),
• help you figure out how to find a sponsor,
• or be a sober companion through especially challenging times.

So no, you don’t have to know what you need. But if YOU are concerned enough about yourself to be reading this, you probably need something. The best place to start is to schedule with a counselor, share your ideas, what you want to avoid, how you want things to be different, and then we’ll figure it out together.