Advocating For Yourself When Researching And Seeking Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment

In recovery, “self-advocacy” means championing what you believe is the best course of action or treatment plan for your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. It also means being an active participant in your recovery process and articulating your needs to those that are helping you.  

How to Advocate for Yourself 

It is important to advocate for yourself when seeking help. While seeking treatment and beginning your recovery journey, you may have those close to you, or even health care professionals, try to make decisions for you without your knowledge. If this begins to happen it is important that you speak up for yourself and let them know you are taking an active stance in your recovery process.  

However, before you begin making demands around your health care, you will need ways to empower yourself to ensure you are well informed to speak up for yourself. Here are some tips on how to begin to advocate for yourself: 

• Do your research: Gain confidence by finding out more information about your illness or disorder. Doing this research will allow you to know what kinds of questions to ask your health care professionals. 

• Speak up: No one knows your body better than you and if something affects you physically, emotionally, or mentally, voice your concern. If something is not working, let your health professionals know. 

• Be informed of your rights: In any treatment plan you pursue you have rights to a certain standard of care and the ability to participate in your recovery. Do not let others take control of your recovery process. Even if you are suffering from a mental disorder, you are entitled to the same rights as other patients. 

• Set goals: Know what you want to accomplish with your treatment plans. Set incremental, attainable goals that you can realistically reach. Having goals that you can accomplish during your recovery journey will help to keep you motivated throughout your journey. It also allows you to take assessments and see firsthand the progress you are making. 

• Document everything: It is impossible to remember everything as you discuss your treatment plans. To help keep track of all the information and action items you will be receiving, make sure to document everything. Carry a small journal you can write in and take detailed notes. This will help you keep track of all communications and the next steps in your program. 

• Have confidence: Believe in your abilities to do what is best for you. You have done the research, set your goals, and now it is time for action. Be confident. Communicate with your health care professionals clearly and concisely. Ask others to communicate your words back to you as to leave no room for miscommunication. 

• Establish your support community: Support from others has been proven to be key for having a successful recovery. Surround yourself with those who want to see you get better and will hold you accountable. 

As you begin to practice self-advocacy, you will begin to see how you can benefit from speaking up for yourself. Self-advocacy increases your sense of self-worth and empowers you to have a voice in your own recovery process. Being an advocate for yourself is also a form of self-care. You can give yourself permission to act and improve your overall well-being.  

How to Fully Engage in Your Own Recovery  

If you are currently experiencing an emergency or immediate crisis, please do not hesitate to call 911. 

As you are conducting your search into different treatment programs, there are numerous resources that will help you find treatment options that may work best for you. Take your time discussing your recovery plans with different healthcare professionals or treatment centers.  

These sources will help you get started on finding treatment options: 

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline is free and confidential. You can call them at (800) 662- 4357 (HELP). They are available 24 hours a day, all year long. Learn more about this organization here. 
• You can find treatment centers close to you here. 
• Additional resources for Mental Health and Substance Abuse can be found here. 

If self-advocacy is new for you, please know that it will take time to research and find out what may work best for you and your recovery goals. Also remember, there are skilled doctors and health care workers who are trained to offer you the best service possible. Finding ways to listen to the professionals and speak up for yourself to get the best care possible will help to ensure your road to recovery is successful.