Addiction isn’t something that’s widely understood, as it’s a complex issue that is influenced by many things, like biological, physiological, social, and cultural factors. It’s important to understand how cultural and community influences addiction and recovery outcomes. Like anything, addiction and recovery can be influenced by multiple different things, and knowing why they are influenced, as well as how they can influence, will help you to be better suited for addiction recovery in your area or culture. We’re also going to dive into how Symetria Recovery can help to give you personalized, culturally sensitive care that will give you the absolute best results possible when it comes to recovery.
Understanding Culture in Addiction
Culture is something that can be seen in addiction, and it can actually form the way addiction is presented or even perceived. Various cultures look at things like drinking, drug use, and even seeking help in different ways. Some cultures openly drink and use drugs as a part of their daily or regular lives, and some see things the complete opposite way. Also, some cultures see help-seeking as something that’s frowned upon, while others are supportive of the decision. Navigating these differences can be difficult for someone going through addiction and recovery, as there’s a lot of shame or stigma around certain things.
Mental health can also be a taboo topic in some cultures, as it’s not normalized, or it can be viewed as a personal problem, not a medical condition. Faith, family expectations, and traditional values can change across cultures when it comes to addiction recovery. Ultimately, these cause barriers and cultural misunderstandings, which can make recovery extremely difficult, especially when seeking out a support system.
Community Factors that Impact Addiction and Recovery
Community can include everything from social environments, economic or environmental stressors, and support systems or resources that can impact addiction and recovery. In different cultures, different potential community factors might make recovery more difficult or easier, depending on the situation.
Social and Peer Influence
Social networks, neighborhoods, and community norms can make a huge impact. Who and what you are surrounded by can make or break a recovery, meaning that someone could be encouraged or discouraged from substance abuse depending on these factors. Although it might sound like a good idea to steer clear of those in your community due to substance abuse, however, it’s also important to remember how much loneliness or isolation can trigger addiction or substance abuse. It’s important to surround yourself with people who have your best interests in mind, not just eliminate all social interaction altogether.
Economic and Environmental Impacts
When it comes to your economics or environment, many might not think that these play a role, but they do. From financial stress, to unemployment, to housing instability, these stressors can be huge triggers for someone trying to overcome addiction. On top of this, there may also be limited access to quality care or recovery programs in certain communities, in which it’s best to seek them in other communities that you could travel to. It’s important to understand what triggers someone might be going home to that is in recovery, as understanding them will help to navigate through them.
Support Systems and Community Resources
A strong support system is an extremely important part of recovery, and it’s often overlooked. Someone who is in an active recovery cannot go through it alone, and it’s important to have an established support system that has their best interest in mind at all times. Access to community resources can be great as well for social interaction and having a plan for getting through potential triggers or possible relapses. Community organizations, peer recovery groups, and faith-based communities are all great at supporting recovery. Having a sense of belonging can give the recoveree something to look forward to, as well as give them a sense of connection and normalcy.
What is Culturally Competent Addiction Treatment?
When we look at different cultures, there are some pretty large differences. Culturally competent treatment approaches the situation while acknowledging and respecting the cultural background of the one in recovery. They also use language-accessible programs and diverse clinical teams to help get the best results for the person in recovery. Creating a safe space where clients feel seen, heard, understood, and respected is the main priority of a culturally competent addiction treatment. Representation is something highly important in recovery programs, which is why these specific treatments exist.
How Symetria Recovery Implements Culture and Community into Care
At Symetria Recovery, we always have a personalized treatment plan that respects every single cultural background. When it comes to family dynamics, religions, cultures, and community influences, we have personalized treatment that’s perfect for every scenario. Our team approaches every situation with a compassionate approach that is nonjudgmental approach, and we meet patients where they are in their journey. We also push that addiction is a medical condition, instead of a mental condition or a personal failure, which can often be misunderstood by some cultures. Inclusive care and full accessibility to sources a perks to working with us at Symetria Recovery. Ultimately, we have a wide range of resources and support systems that will allow each individual to find a program or support group that works for them, their beliefs, and their cultural background. Providing top-notch care with resources that last is what will help someone beat addiction and make a full recovery, with the support systems that they need.
If you or someone you know is battling addiction and looking for a culturally inclusive program to go through for recovery, contact us at Symetria Recovery. We have a skilled team that is here for compassionate and personalized care to ensure that every patient we interact with is getting exceptional care. We understand the hardships of addiction recovery, and we understand how to help clients work through it. Give us a call or visit our website to see more about what we offer and how we can help you, or someone you love, work through recovery.