Identity

Changing a relationship with substance use can raise questions about who you are, what matters and where you belong. Recovery does not require one label or one version of yourself.

Identity is the way a person understands who they are. It includes roles, relationships, values, experiences and the groups with which they identify. Substance use can become part of that understanding, but it does not describe the whole person.

When use changes, familiar ways of socialising, coping or describing oneself may change too. Some people find a recovery identity helpful. Others prefer different language, or do not see identity change as the centre of their recovery.

There is no requirement to erase the past, discover a hidden true self or become a completely different person. Meaning can come from ordinary commitments and relationships as well as larger goals, religious belief or secular values.

A person's sexuality, gender or cultural identity is not an addiction to overcome. Respectful support should make room for those parts of life without assuming that people who share an identity have the same needs.

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