The iconic German philosopher Albert Schweitzer once said, “The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others.” That is not only what life is ultimately about, but it is also the essence of recovery. Many people think that recovery is about simply putting down the drink or the drug. Yes, of course, this is the goal. However, recovery is also about growing as a person. Service work in recovery can help make this growth happen.
What Is Service Work in Recovery?
“Doing service” in recovery is a very broad concept. Essentially, service work just means giving back to the community.
It is important to remember all of the people who work to help get an individual sober. Many of these people are just regular people in recovery themselves. This is the cycle of recovery. One person who got sober helps another person get sober.
What Does Service Work Look Like in Recovery
There are many ways to do service work in recovery. One example might be volunteering at a 12-Step meeting in one’s community. These meetings always need people to lead the meeting, help set up the meeting, clean up, make coffee, etc.
It is important to remember that the first word of the Twelve Steps is “We” – “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.” Recovery is a “we” program, never a “me” program.
Another way to be of service is to become a sponsor in recovery. This is a direct way to serve someone else who needs help in recovery. Service work can also help keep the individual doing the service sober.
The Benefits of Service Work in Recovery
There is a chapter in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book) entitled, “Working With Others.” This chapter discusses how there are benefits for the individual doing the service as much as the one being served.
The chapter states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. You can help when no one else can.” So doing service is actually one of the best ways to stay sober and avoid a relapse.
Many people don’t realize just how common relapses are in the U.S. So, doing all that one can to avoid one is crucial. This includes doing service work. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment.” Also, “For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.” With service work, these statistics can go down exponentially.
The Benefits of Connecting With a Sober Community
In order to do service work, one has to find a place that needs service. Connecting with a local recovery community is an ideal way to connect to these places. Also, connecting to a recovery community is also a way to make recovery more fun and engaging.
People don’t get sober to be miserable. No, they already had enough of that in active addiction. People should get sober to have fun and live the dreams that they once thought impossible. A recovery community can be the support system needed to help make that happen. The key is to also give back via service work.
Another great way to connect to a community and do service work is to connect to a recovery center alumni group. Connection to treatment does not have to end just because the program is over. Staying connected to the recovery center and recovery peers is a great way to keep the common goal of long-term recovery front and center. This is also a great way to stay plugged in for when service opportunities arise, such as finding an individual in recovery who needs a sponsor, or bringing a 12-Step meeting into the recovery center.
A Focus on Long-Term Success at Lantana Recovery
The ultimate goal of recovery is long-term success. This is why, at Lantana Recovery, we always focus on long-term success over short-term “fixes.”
Recovery is about the journey, never the destination and that journey is always much more fun when it is taken with others. Being active and doing service work is a great way to meet others on the same journey. We are all in this thing called recovery together. For those who need it, it’s just a phone call away. For those who want to keep it, it’s just a matter of being ready and willing to pick up that phone and help others.
It is important to understand that being part of a recovery community is one thing, but engaging and volunteering with it is much different. Volunteering for service work in recovery keeps people involved and accountable, and those two factors can be crucial for maintaining long-term sobriety. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of mental illness, addiction, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the road to long-term recovery right away. You do not have to go through this process alone. For more information about volunteering and doing service work in sobriety, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
