Many people spend their entire lives trying to discover their identity. Several things can make this difficult. Not having a supportive family can certainly influence how quickly someone can discover themselves. Another is the state of the world, where people are often encouraged to conform rather than stand out. Perhaps the biggest reason why someone may have difficulties in discovering their identity is mental health disorders, including addiction.
Addiction is nefarious in that it can completely take over someone's life. Those caught in the trap of addiction are not able to take the time to discover their identity. Instead, they have to deal with the negative physical, mental, and social changes that come with an addiction. Anyone at any time can develop an addiction, no matter who they are and their social status in life. In time, some may feel as though their identity is their addiction and that they can't be anything else.
This line of thinking is not true, as everyone has a unique identity just waiting to shine. It's just simply overshadowed by addiction and its co-occurring mental health disorders. These disorders must be treated for someone to discover their identity, and luckily, people don't have to go at it alone. Many mental health care facilities and addiction treatment centers exist to help their clients recover from addiction. One such addiction treatment center is Pathways Wellness Center, which offers holistic, comprehensive treatments for those who seek it.
Discovering one's identity is a part of addiction treatment at Pathways Wellness Center. To those who have never been in addiction treatment or are considering receiving addiction treatment, this may seem strange. Why spend time with identity when there's an addiction to treat? The answer is that personal identity plays a vital role in treatment and recovery.
As mentioned before, someone must discover their identity to recover from addiction successfully. The process of recovery can sometimes be long and difficult. An individual undergoing treatment needs to build up several traits that are important to recovery, such as confidence, resilience, and distress tolerance. When someone takes the time to discover and accept their identity, it helps build these needed traits.
One such trait that can be helpful in treatment is pride in one's self. It's okay for someone to take comfort from their identity to help them recover from their addiction. For example, someone may discover more about their cultural heritage and take inspiration from traditions designed to inspire courage. Someone's ethnic and cultural heritage is an integral part of someone's identity. It can give someone the support they need to stick with treatment. When an individual understands that they are worthy of help and treatment, they are also more likely to ask for professional help.
Another reason why someone needs to discover their identity is so they can find peace with themselves. For example, gender and sexual orientation are essential parts of someone's identity. However, these aspects of identity can be confusing and sometimes even distressing. If someone is struggling with who they are, they cannot focus on treatment. It's especially difficult when this struggle is contributing to the severity of the addiction. Understanding who someone is and accepting themselves allows one to heal. This healing and self-acceptance is very important to addiction treatment.
When someone discovers their identity, it doesn't just tell them who they are. It opens up avenues of support from others who know exactly what they are going through. For example, someone who discovers that they are part of the LGTBQ+ community can find comfort and support from others in that same community. This community would know about the unique challenges that come with fighting addiction while having that unique identity. When someone accepts and celebrates who they are, they can draw wisdom from others, which can aid in their recovery.
Identity can be a complicated topic for people to understand. To make it simple, identity is different from personality and character. Identity is made up of qualities that someone has little to no control over, such as genetic makeup and where someone was born. Race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender, ability, body, and age are all parts of someone's identity that they cannot choose. No matter how much a person may want to, they cannot change these aspects of themselves. Not everyone may accept these parts of their identity, which can cause struggle in their life.
Identity is also made up of someone's ethics, morals, values, and belief system. People are sometimes born into places where these beliefs are part of their culture. However, these factors can sometimes change based on someone's personal decisions, especially when they become adults. Religion, education, social class, and career are all parts of someone's identity that can change during someone's life. It's important to remember that even though these parts of someone's identity can change, it's often difficult. Change is hard at the best of times. Going against how someone was raised can be even more difficult.
Family is also an important part of someone's identity. A person's family plays a significant role in how someone develops their personal beliefs. It also determines how a person will begin their life or what opportunities they have. People cannot choose the families they are born into, especially if they are not supportive or ultimately end up toxic. However, people can choose their own families once they are old enough and surround themselves with the people they choose.
Everyone goes through a time in their lives in which they must discover their identity. It can be more challenging for some than others, depending on where they are. Sometimes, a person's identity can bring distress and self-hatred. However, a healthy person is someone who is accepting of themselves. Once someone understands that they are a person and thus worthy of understanding and compassion, they can accomplish anything.
The great thing about Pathways Wellness Center is that emphasis is placed on treating the individual. This means that no client is shoehorned into treatments and therapies that won't help them. It's a trial-and-error process, where the client and the mental health care professionals work together in collaboration. Part of that is helping someone discover their identity so they can find the courage to complete treatment. To do that, Pathways Wellness Center utilizes a wide range of programs and treatments – one of which is the peer network program.
The peer network program puts clients in touch with their fellow peers. Some of these peers are currently in treatment, and some are in recovery. People are often surprised to meet others who are like them and share similar parts of their identity. It gives them hope that if someone like them is recovering, it means that they can recover, too. Talking to peers doesn't just give people valuable wisdom and advice; it helps people connect. Sometimes, people in these peer networks become part of someone's family, especially if the individual needs one.
Pathways Wellness Center also offers psychotherapy options designed to help someone discover the source of their addiction. Psychotherapy isn't just for addiction treatment; it can also be used to help someone discover their identity. Having a mental health care professional guide someone through the discovery process offers a unique safety net that many people appreciate. Many people are encouraged to step out of their comfort zone through the help of mental health care professionals. That includes delving deep into their identity.
Besides psychotherapy, other treatments at Pathways Wellness Center can help someone discover their identity. Adventure therapy takes clients out in nature, where they can spend time in thought without distractions. Art therapy encourages clients not just to create but to look into art that speaks to them. Nature and art are tied to many aspects of a person's identity, and Pathways Wellness Center gives clients a safe place to explore those. Of course, many other treatments are available, but in the end, their goal is to help the clients recover from addiction and discover who they are.
Clients need to remind themselves that their addiction is not the defining factor of their identity. Addiction can be very complicated. It's a disease that fundamentally changes the chemical makeup of someone's brain and nervous system. Some factors beyond someone's control, such as genetics and the environment they were born in, can influence the likelihood of someone developing an addiction. Despite that, addiction is not the sole trait of a person. In fact, it often consumes someone's true identity.
Addiction, as mentioned before, can take over someone's life to the point where they may feel that addiction is all they are. Part of addiction treatment is untangling addiction from someone's true self. It's a process that takes a lot of time and care to accomplish and can be exhausting to go through. In the end, people find themselves much happier and healthier once they are in recovery and sober.
It's okay for someone to take the accomplishment of recovery and make it part of their identity. They certainly have plenty to be proud of when completing treatment and achieving recovery. However, when someone solely defines themselves by their addiction, it can cause them to feel as though they are bad people. People never deserve an addiction, and addiction doesn't happen because someone has a moral failing. It's simply a disease and should be treated as such with compassion and understanding.
When someone undergoes treatment for their addiction, they rarely feel as though they need to discover their identity. After all, why focus on that when they have a long road to recovery ahead of them? As discussed before, identity is an important part of treatment for addiction, and that includes helping someone discover their identity. Knowing where to go from there is another story entirely.
That's why clients need to communicate their needs and desires with their case workers and other mental health care professionals. They need to be honest and clear in their communication. Remember, no mental health care professional will belittle, mock, or judge someone for asking questions, especially when it comes to helping someone discover their identity. Sometimes, a mental health care professional may need to refer the client to someone who can help them achieve their goals. It's a team effort and can take some time, but clients eventually can get the treatment they need.
Sometimes, a treatment may not be right for someone, and that's also okay. Not every treatment will suit a person, as everyone is different and has different needs. If someone's goal is to discover their identity, they will need treatments that will focus on that. It often takes a bit of trial and error to find the right treatments, so it's essential not to give up. If the client has a treatment they'd like to try, they should, by all means, let their case worker know.
Treatments are as varied as the individual undergoing them, and clients need to consider their values as well as their wants when choosing treatments. For example, Pathways Wellness Center offers holistic treatment options for their clients. Those who prefer the philosophy of wholeness in treatment will appreciate those treatments more than those who want purely clinical treatments. Values are a part of someone's identity, and making choices based on them helps them discover their identity. Again, treatments at Pathways Wellness Center have more than one facet to them. They don't just treat addiction and its underlying causes; they also help people discover their identity.
Pathways Wellness Center makes it easy for people in need to reach out for help, especially those who are nervous or anxious. Perhaps the best trait of Pathways Wellness Center is that many of the staff members are in recovery themselves. They understand how a client feels because they, too, have gone through the same thing. Knowing that there are people at Pathways Wellness Center who do understand and are compassionate goes a long way in making clients comfortable. It also instills hope. If they can achieve recovery, the client can too.
There are also several means of contacting the staff at Pathways Wellness Center. One, of course, is by phone call. Potential clients are more than welcome to have an advocate by their side to help them make the call. With the advent of cell phones and internet technology, people can place a phone call anywhere where they feel most comfortable. Clients are also welcome to use the email web form, which is especially useful for those who have hearing or speaking difficulties. People are also welcome to visit the facility in person, where they can ask questions directly to staff.
With the wide network of peers and alumni around Pathways Wellness Center, it's also easy to find mentors who can help guide someone through the treatment process. The community around Glendora, California, is also positive and welcoming, allowing those in treatment to find fun through sober living still.
Remember that it's okay for someone to search for and discover their identity. Learning and growing are a part of life, and it's normal to want to understand oneself better. Everyone deserves help for their addiction, no matter who they are or what they identify as. By working to understand themselves, people eventually understand that it's okay to get help and that they deserve help as well. Don't allow addiction to consume your life completely; call for help today.
Some people can struggle to figure out who they are without their addiction. Addiction can overshadow everything in a person's life and make them feel as though they have to define themselves by it. However, people are not solely defined by their addiction. In fact, an important part of addiction treatment is discovering who you truly are as a person. Here at Pathways Wellness Center in Glendora, California, our clients learn how to see themselves in a much kinder and forgiving way. People are not bad for developing an addiction, nor do they deserve one for some perceived moral failing. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, don't wait to get help. Call today at (888) 771-0966.
