Donating your time to help others has massive benefits. Among them are increased social interaction, decreased stress and the learning of new skills. While volunteering your time and skills offers advantages at all stages in life, it’s especially important as you recover from drug or alcohol addiction. By spending time with others and making a difference in the world, you can find your purpose, keep your mind mentally stimulated and combat depression.

Volunteering Your Time in Rehab

Rather than waiting to get involved in your community, there are ways you can start during treatment. Helping others during this transition can benefit your recovery and lessen your risk of relapse. Talk to your treatment center about the opportunities you can take part in and how other patients stayed active during their time in treatment.

Outpatient treatment offers more flexibility than inpatient treatment because you don’t spend all of your time in rehab. If you are receiving outpatient care, discover some of the organizations in your local community that are in need of volunteers. Not only will you reap the rewards of volunteer work, but also you will fill your time with a healthy, productive activity.

If you are in a residential treatment program, it’s more difficult to participate in community service, but you may still have options available. Some recovery centers have programs for patients who have reached a certain point in their treatment. It’s a great way to transition patients into the real world while also getting them started with various organizations in the community.

Benefits of Community Service During Treatment

The benefits of participating in community service while in treatment are:

• Give back to the community with purpose

• Find meaning in life

• Develop skills for the working world

• Establish a positive support network

• Decrease stress and anxiety

• Prevent boredom and keep the mind stimulated

• Prepare for the transition to society

Drug rehab is for more than stopping the use of drugs or alcohol. It’s also a time for recovering addicts to work through their problems, recognize their motivations for using and develop healthy, constructive ways to deal with stressful situations. Community service is one more tool that can be used to teach recovering addicts how to lead a life of sobriety, even in a world filled with temptation. As you look for treatment centers for yourself or a loved one, inquire about the benefits of volunteering and what opportunities are available.