Why ‘Becoming’ is Not a Finish Line in Recovery
For some people, there is a tendency to think that life is complete with a finished set of goals that are accomplished. Being ‘set for life’ is what some people ascribe to become, while others look at it as an everyday awakening, a becoming, that they gradually move into. Becoming is not a finish line in recovery. It is much like that awakening to the everyday mundane, the step-by-step process of naturally growing into who you are. Find some ways to consider what becoming means in recovery and how to navigate this time of your journey.
Going on a Journey
One of the best ways to become more of who you aspire to be is to think about ways to meet all your needs. Early on in recovery, your needs are simple: stay sober, don’t relapse, focus on recovery. As you progress through, you will want to think about wider, larger goals and how you might accomplish them. Some of the needs you might consider looking at include:
- Safety: what makes you feel secure
- Love: what makes you feel loved and connected in relationships
- Esteem: what self-esteem has to do with your accomplishments and recognition from others
- Physiological: what is needed to survive, including food, water, and shelter
How to Get There
The steps you need to make the right changes are going to vary. When you know you are ready, you will take the necessary steps to shift away from where you’ve been to where you are going. Some ways to consider how to meet your higher potential:
- Be ready to change: if you are not ready, nothing will change. It is hard to step out in faith that what you want is available to you, especially after many missteps in addiction and recovery. Even misery can feel safer than change
- Belief in yourself: when it comes to recovery, you have to believe in your own ability to change. Once you’ve decided to get clean, you have to have a conviction to do it
- Support: interpersonal support is key to recovery. It is not easy to maintain sobriety and recovery, especially without support. It is important to be surrounded by people who understand you, know what you’re going through and are willing to stay by your side.
The final way to consider how you might become more of who you want to be in recovery is to lead a balanced, structured life. Active addiction is very unstructured with people being all over the map, unstructured, and unpredictable. To get to your goals and be successful, you need to have help building a consistent routine you can stick with that will give your life a sense of order that is amenable to life’s changes, but gives you focus and intention for the future.
Don’t sell yourself short in recovery. Find help from mental health professionals who have experience with addiction. You are not alone.
A Step in the Right Direction provides quality care for clients seeking support for addiction recovery. One of the things we teach people is how to be consistent in recovery and build a healthy routine. Life after addiction is hard, but it does not have to feel impossible to manage. For more information on sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702