Your Recovery Should Reflect You: Why One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work

Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong in a recovery space?

I have.

I’ve walked into many recovery spaces where I showed up, sat down, and still somehow felt invisible. The language was polished, the steps were outlined, the chairs were full—yet I didn’t see myself, meet someone like me in the room, or hear stories similar to mine. Even when I joined recovery spaces online, no one mentioned the same layers I carried. 

More so, no one acknowledged or understood the intersection of my military service, my Black womanhood, and my unspoken trauma. When I did decide to speak up in these spaces, I felt like I had to water down these experiences.

I wanted to feel supported, but not at the expense of editing my story so that others would feel comfortable or could relate. I wanted to feel supported in my healing … just not if it meant editing my story or silencing parts of myself to fit into someone else’s version of recovery. That’s when I realized—recovery, as it was offered to me, wasn’t built to embrace all of me as a Black woman veteran. It wasn’t made to encourage, mend, and heal every aspect of us.

Many Recovery Spaces Overlook Black Women Veterans

Instead of recognizing the depth of our experiences, many recovery spaces often overlook the impact of military service and racial identity on addiction and healing. Too often, they follow a rigid, outdated model that leaves little room for personal growth, lack culturally affirming or veteran-centered support, and expect participants to follow a set of predetermined rules rather than honoring individual experiences.

You’ll hear me say this time and time again: Recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all. Yet too often, we’re told to simply “take what you need and leave the rest” from systems that were never meant to reflect our walk in recovery. As Black women veterans, we’ve carried grief that isn’t named in most rooms. We’ve walked through trauma that’s often misunderstood or ignored. Not to mention, we’ve been conditioned by the military, society, and by former and current generations to keep it all together.

So when we finally enter spaces seeking healing, we carry more than just our addiction stories. We carry cultural silence, hyper-independence, and the burden of having to be “the strong one.” When those things go unacknowledged, recovery can feel like another place where we’re asked to perform instead of being present.

When recovery spaces fail to acknowledge our realities, we are left trying to fit into programs that don’t fit us. The result? A sense of disconnection, feeling unseen, and the lingering question of whether true healing can even be found in spaces that weren’t built with us in mind.

Creating the Space I Needed

After several years of feeling like I didn’t fit in, I stopped hoping for a room to be more inclusive, more understanding, more prepared to embrace my story. Instead, I built what I had been searching for: a space where Black women veterans in recovery could exhale. A space where we didn’t have to explain our strength, our softness, or our sober story.

The elorasong® Healing Hub was born from that need.

Imagine walking into a space where you don’t have to filter yourself or explain your struggles. A space where your military service, your racial identity, and your life experiences are not just understood but honored. A space where you feel seen, supported, and empowered to take each step of your recovery on your own terms.

It’s a seat at the table that was made for you.

This space is built on three core principles:

• Culturally Affirming and Veteran-Centered Support – Your military service and cultural identity are recognized and woven into every part of the recovery journey.
• A Safe and Empowering Space – No microaggressions, no outdated models—just a place where you can heal without having to justify your experience.
• A Recovery Path That Honors You – There is no one-size-fits-all solution. You define what works best for your sobriety, healing, and future.

Your recovery should never feel like something you have to force yourself into. It should feel like home.

A Seat at a Table That Was Made for You

If you’re ready to experience recovery in a way that feels culturally aligned, supportive, and empowering, you’ve found it.

The elorasong Healing Hub is a recovery community specifically for Black women veterans. It’s a place where you don’t have to shrink, edit, or explain. A place where you can reclaim, renew, and refine your life—at your own pace, in your own way.

You deserve a space where your voice isn’t just heard, but honored. Where your softness is celebrated. Where your story is held with admiration and care.

Join The Hub and take your place in a space built for you. Start with a free 30-day trial ... no credit card required.

You just need a space that sees you fully—and holds you gently. Let’s build your recovery journey together.

Until next time … ciao for now.

Elora

P.S.

If you believe healing should be accessible, affirming, and deeply personal, I invite you to walk with us.

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