Nike recently unveiled its new ad that centres around the theme of community while the world is going through lockdown and isolation. The ad is called “You can’t stop us,” and it reminded me of the importance of having a trusted community around you.

People say that you need to hit rock bottom before you can truly recover and while that rings true for many, many more people can be assisted on the road to recovery long before that ever happens. There are a number of factors that play a crucial role in determining the success rate of a person’s recovery from addiction. Unfortunately, for the people that need help the most, its either out of reach or unaffordable. Compounding the problem is the gap through which so many people fall when they leave their rehab facility, only to find themselves back in the same environments in the same place that led them down the path of addiction in the first place. These are the people most often overlooked but they need our help the most.

It is part of the reason why I embarked on this journey after my own battle with addiction of over 15 years. Some of the things I discovered along my journey is that the success of someone’s recovery rely hugely on the support of trusted coach to guide them along the journey of recovery and help them to keep focus. Having said that, not everyone is coachable. Your need to change must be greater than the need to stay the same. This can be overwhelming for many people and taking the right action steps a most daunting task.

Click on the image below to have a look at the Nike ad.

Many people who are forced into rehabilitation feel that they cannot trust the coach they are assigned. That is why taking the first steps is vital. When deciding to take that first step, find a support specialist that you feel comfortable with. These experts get involved before you go for treatment or check-in to a rehabilitation centre and they are able to help you find where you are on the Jelinek Curve, a term used to describe the stages one goes through during addiction. While it was originally created to describe the spiral to alcoholism, it has been applied to broader types of addiction and covers use, misuse, abuse, and dependency.

For most people there can be a lot of personal growth along with the benefits of harm reduction when trusted support specialists get involved early on. I welcome anyone who wants to reach out and take those first steps to get in contact with me [insert details]. I am also available for consulting so please get in contact with me if your need to change has reached the point where it trumps your need to stay the same.