Contrary action is one of the best suggestions someone can give an individual in early recovery. Our minds have been warped, and our perception has been clouded by alcohol and substances for a long time. Everything we thought was right has turned out to be false. We can see that, on our own, we had tried to recover before and never succeeded.
If we did succeed, it was only for a short while. It may sound counter-intuitive to take direction from someone else instead of yourself. However, it’s not hard to see that our own ideas have not been successful. To overcome our addictions, we must find out what it is that we are doing wrong.
Saying You Don’t Know
To admit that you do not know is a powerful and humble practice. When you first join a recovery program, you must have an open mind. In fact, this is perhaps even more true if you have been in recovery several times before. To have a new experience, you must follow what others who have successful recovery do.
At some point, everyone has been in a place where they do not know what is best for them. You will find that the more time you have in recovery, the less you know. Your best thinking got you to where you are.
Doing The Opposite
Our minds create habits. Because of this, we have to break old habits and replace them with new ones. We are used to the solution of drugs and alcohol. When we feel sad, angry, lonely, or happy, we turn to those things for comfort. What we can do instead is go to a 12-step meeting. We must have a few people that we can reach out to when we feel this way in early recovery.
Service Work
Service work has shown positive results when we are suffering. Helping others will get us out of our heads for long enough to let the feelings pass. Those feelings always pass, and because we act on impulse, we have to retrain our brains to call someone rather than drink or use substances.
Create New Habits
If you have a commitment at meetings or with a sponsor, then you will start to replace your old habits. When you feel like you want to use alcohol or substances to change how you think, you will find that your feet are trained by your 12-step program. They will immediately lead you to a better solution that is healthy and nondestructive.
Avalon Malibu helps individuals find their habits and formulate a plan to replace those with healthy coping strategies. With the help of groups and professionals, you will find yourself in a much better place. Call today at (844) 857-5992.
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