We don’t always want to own our addiction or our recovery. Going to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction comes with a lot of shame because of the stigma associated with addiction. In time you’ll find that your addiction isn’t something to be ashamed of, nor is your recovery. You can own the fact that you’re in treatment and make choices accordingly.
Own your choices in your addiction
What really causes addiction? Talking about recovering from addiction we talk about psychological, physical, and emotional matters. Addiction is developed in the brain as the brain gets increasingly chemically dependent on drugs and/or alcohol. However, there is also discussion about the underlying issues which contribute to addiction, like trauma, emotional issues, mental health disorders, and more. People try to assign blame for their addiction by pointing to parents, bullying, their personality, their siblings, a bad relationship, and more. Addiction is described as a highjacking of the brain, which is true. Addiction is also a choice. Describing addiction as a choice is controversial because of the way addiction highjacks the brain from making good decisions. It is important to recognize that once you are done using drugs and alcohol, you have surrendered to the fact that you cannot control or manage your using, you choose to stop. From that moment forward, you continue choosing to stay stopped and use more tools to make that choice easier.
Own your choices in your recovery
People tell a similar story across recovery. They got sober because their parents wanted them to. They got sober because they had to for court. They got sober to be abetter parent for their kids. They got sober to be a better spouse to their husband or wife. They got sober for a job. Then, they relapsed. They couldn’t stay sober for anyone else because they didn’t want to stay sober for themselves. Your recovery can’t be for anyone but you. You can dedicate your recovery to others and thank them for their inspiration. Ultimately, your recovery is about you because it has to be about you. It might sound oxymoronic. Addiction is often described as a selfish disease and recovery is often illustrated as a program of doing opposites; for example, when you want to drink and use, don’t drink and use. Recovery has to be a selfish program as well. Being of service and helping others is an important theme in recovery. Your recovery is an act of service to others by you staying sober and living a new life for yourself. In turn, others will benefit. Keep your commitment to yourself one day at a time and do what it takes to stay sober.
When you change your story, you change your life. Oceanfront Recovery wants to help men rewrite their story of addiction to become a story of recovery. Offering a full continuum of residential care, men have the opportunity to transition into total autonomous independence. For information, call us today at: (877) 279-1777
