Recovery is a transformative experience where each person can set future goals and discover new practices that can lead to a new, sober lifestyle. However, recovery is challenging and requires a great deal of commitment.
Nothing about overcoming an addiction to drugs or alcohol is easy, and coping with the anxiety, depression, or withdrawal symptoms that accompany the process can add even more hurdles. Despite the difficulty, recovery is always possible. However, it demands that each individual be willing to commit themselves wholly to their transformation both inside and outside the recovery sphere.
Finding Your Reason
Finding one’s personal reason to go through the recovery process can make committing oneself to their transformation much easier. If an individual has a personal stake in their recovery, it can be easier to continue looking towards the positives in the future despite any difficulty in the present.
For some, one’s skin or hair can reinforce their reason to recover as they may want to improve their health and self-image. Some people may have made the difficult decision to overcome an addiction to drugs or alcohol to reconnect with friends and loved ones. Others may have financial reasons for needing to cease their use of addictive substances or risky behaviors. Committing oneself to recovery is difficult and takes a lot of focus and energy, but having a reason that makes the effort feel worth it is invaluable at every stage in the process.
Recovery and Treatment
The terms “recovery” and “treatment” may be used interchangeably, but there are critical differences between the two words. Treatment refers to a program that guides a person through their recovery and involves medical appointments and structured programs that they are involved with, such as detox or inpatient care. These programs typically have a relatively rigid start and end date. However, recovery doesn’t operate under any specific time limit and instead is a mindset that does not have a certain timeframe or location. While treatment programs can help a person learn essential coping skills or grounding strategies to employ when experiencing urges or moving through mental health issues, recovery is the umbrella under which one’s entire story with an addictive substance or behavior is told. It is how a person thinks and behaves inside and outside of the recovery sphere and maintains new, healthy, transformative practices for days and years after first stepping into a treatment facility. Recovery demands personal commitment to maintain a sober lifestyle. Committing oneself to recovery means understanding that their commitment to their new, healthy lifestyle isn’t defined by a calendar date or any one particular facility.
Keeping an Open Mind
Recovery requires that each individual is prepared to genuinely listen to advice and move towards a transformed lifestyle. Keeping an open mind about strategies is essential when dedicating oneself to new therapeutic practices. It is normal to feel uncomfortable when trying new approaches to recovery, and some modalities may not seem to be effective at first as one’s mind and body adjust to the new approach. However, committing to recovery means keeping an open mind about these practices and giving them each the time and effort needed for one’s benefit.
Committing to Personal and Social Change
Change is a part of recovery that is essential for overcoming addiction. Committing to change on a personal level may mean accepting that certain aspects of a person’s life may not be conducive or healthy to a sober lifestyle and will require a person to adjust accordingly. One may need to avoid certain places, from bars or rooms in one’s house associated with drugs or alcohol, and accept new restrictions to continue moving towards their goals. Certain social groups may need to be adjusted or even avoided if it is clear that they will create unnecessary stresses or temptations. Cutting these ties can be incredibly difficult, but it may be necessary for one’s health and success to commit to these social adjustments.
Remind Yourself That It’s Worth It
The commitment required by the recovery process is intense, and changes may need to be made at every stage in one’s life. Lifestyle adjustments, dedicating time for self-care and therapeutic practices, and even one’s morning and evening routines may all be a part of one’s commitment to change. However, it is essential to remind oneself of the reason for these adjustments continuously. These are changes made to pursue the larger goal in sobriety beyond the moment-to-moment struggles an individual may face.
Whether these commitments are made for the betterment of an individual’s physical health and self-image or to reconnect with loved ones whose relationships may have become strained due to addiction, commitment to this change is worth it. Committing to enter a treatment program is a huge step, but one’s dedication to a transformed, sober lifestyle requires the pursuit of recovery as a whole, regardless of the time of day or location.
Recovery can feel overwhelming, and many parts of your life may change to pursue a sober, transformed future. However, individualizing your experience and approach to recovery can help make this commitment seem personal and impactful in your daily life. At Avalon Malibu, we can work with you to create a path to recovery that is right for you. We offer a variety of different programs, from detox services to intensive outpatient care, residential treatment, and a partial hospitalization program, all coupled with aftercare planning to help you through each step of your own sober transformation. We also utilize a wide variety of therapeutic approaches, from art therapy, yoga, and 12-Step programs to physically active approaches, including our seasonal ropes course. For more information on how we can help you in your unique situation, call to talk to one of our caring, supportive staff members today at (844) 857-5992.
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