Knowing without pity is the best outcome for sharing your story. We all so want to be understood without judgment. People coping with mental illness, are in recovery from substance or alcohol use disorder, have been homeless or incarcerated are fearful about sharing their past experiences. No one wants to be defined by their traumas or unhealthy choices. No one wants to be pitied because their past life was not pretty.
Knowing without pity is truly understanding someone in a caring way
Did you know that immigrants rarely shared their stories with children and grandchildren because they didn’t want their loved ones to know their past or how hard their journey was? Recovery is kind of like immigration. We’re building new lives after the trauma of addiction or mental illness. Knowing without pity allows people the dignity to own their past and stories while moving forward.
