Self-Care for Women in Recovery
Self-care isn’t just bubble baths or spa days—though those can certainly help! At its core, self-care is the intentional act of preserving and improving your well-being. It's about checking in with yourself, meeting your needs, and making choices that support your health and recovery. For women in recovery, self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
7 Steps to Finding Support During Recovery
“The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food” Dean Ornish
There is an innate, human desire for connection. We were once young babies in the world, and we not only desired the food our parent provided, but also emotional connection and comfort. As infants, we desired to feel safe. Some of us have had positive experiences with connecting with others: we’ve felt loved, cared for, cherished. There are others of us who have difficulty thinking of a positive relationships in our life. Our perspective on human connection can get transformed or distorted by negative experiences. For many people in recovery, it’s difficult to maintain connection, or honestly, even want to want connection. Still, we have a desire to connect to something or someone, whether we want to admit it or not.
4 Unique Challenges Women Face in Substance Use Recovery
Women face unique challenges when it comes to substance use, which can differ from those experienced by men. While neither experience is inherently greater or more difficult than the other, it's essential to acknowledge that women may encounter distinct barriers and circumstances in their journey with substance use. According to Azzopardi “Women who use substances do so at different rates, have different patterns of use, and have different consequences than men who use substances.” (Azzopardi, et.al, 2022)