Recovering from drug and alcohol addiction or a mental health disorder is a lifelong process. Though it comes in ebbs and flows, the work is never entirely done. Little do we realize upon getting sober that our addiction had found a way to affect every part of our lives.
Cleaning out and reorganizing every single drawer in a household takes time. It cannot be done in a day, or else something important might be missed. Similarly, addiction cannot be overcome in a night. Not indulging in drinks or drugs is a daily task, and never a permanently completed one. Changing everything is a tall order, but not an impossible one.
Not absolutely everything changes in its entirety. Instead, there are many parts of your life that become repurposed.
For example, some of your thought processes and beliefs can be used to enhance your recovery rather than damage it. Here are a few examples:
Go Big or Go Home
The disease of addiction is always demanding more. We have to try harder, go bigger and get more drugs and alcohol. Risk taking, thrill seeking and trying to meet the every whim of addiction creates a reckless lifestyle where life is lived on the edge.
You can take all of that motivation and determination away from addiction and put it right into recovery. There’s no real way to only sort of do recovery. You’re either sober or you’re not. Give it everything you’ve got and you’ll be amazed by the results.
Feeling Connected to Your Body
Hallucinogens, getting drunk, using drugs, abusing substances, harming ourselves through self-mutilation – all of these things can contribute to a skewed relationship with the body. Some people abuse substances to feel more connected to themselves in what they believe is an authentic way.
Others would rather use substance abuse as a way to escape their bodies instead. Whatever your connection is, put that into learning how to take care of your body in addition to your mind.
Raising the Bar (Without Sitting at One)
When you become tolerant of and chemically dependent on drugs and alcohol, you are reliant upon a lot of substances. Compared to your friends, you’re probably using more than anyone. You lead by example, even though you might not be setting the best one.
In recovery, you have a chance to set an example for others just by staying sober one day at a time. When others feel like they can’t make it and don’t know how, you’ll be able to tell them, and more importantly show them, that it is possible.
