Stigma can keep us in a perpetual cycle of suffering. As human beings, it’s easy to deny there is a problem, it’s also easier to care what other people think in our heavily judgmental society. The world will be saved by the brave humans who are able to step out of fear and into the truth and light. When it comes to something as sensitive as substance use disorder (SUD), our society is still operating as if it’s a moral failing, when, in fact, SUD is a severe imbalance in the body, mind and spirit of the individual.
As a woman in long-term recovery, I learned over the many years of my own arduous healing process, that the root cause of SUD is trauma. Trauma is defined as this: when a person experiences very stressful, frightening or distressing events that are difficult to cope with or out of one’s control. It could be one incident, or an ongoing event that happens over a long period of time. Most of us will experience an event in our lives that could be considered traumatic.
The interesting thing about trauma is it is relative. It’s based on many factors. One I’ve learned is that the more sensitive the person, the more likely they are to experience a traumatic event more intensely than someone who is not as sensitive. I have also learned that the ability to recover from trauma hangs on resiliency. Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. The more resilient the individual, the more they are likely to recover & bounce back from a traumatic experience.
When I founded Serenity House Communities, in 2015, I founded the organization out of the need for a more holistic approach to healing. Our mission statement did not include trauma recovery until 2020. When we changed our mission, it opened the door for family members to join our groups and events with a sense of belonging.
Serenity House Communities has two locations, one in Flint Michigan and the newest location at 3056 Davison Road, Suite #1, Lapeer, Michigan. In Lapeer, we offer free meditation, acupuncture and emotional freedom technique groups. We will soon be offering the science-based approach SMART Recovery. In addition to these events, we also provide sober social events like Euchre, with new events that will include sober bowling. We also hosted a family trunk or treat in October serving around 50 people throughout the night.
Serenity House Communities also offers free peer recovery coaching. A non-judgmental approach to finding a personalized pathway for recovery. We also provide transportation when services are available.
For more information, visit our website at www.lapeerserenityhouse.org or give us a call at 810-336-1018. All calls are 100 percent confidential.