While countless recovery programs provide very specific directions on what needs to be done to achieve and maintain sobriety, not everyone will have the same experience with recovery. For some, the process may be easy, but others may require multiple attempts and face unanticipated struggles on their journey of recovery. There is no single treatment method that is appropriate for everyone. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Treatment varies depending on the type of drug and the characteristics of the patients. Matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to an individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and society.” Our journey of recovery will require that we look at our own needs as well as rely on the knowledge and experience of others to see what the most effective route for us to take will be. Perhaps we have feel that we need to address issues surrounding our families more thoroughly, or issues pertaining to our mental health. The NIDA explains, “Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse. To be effective, treatment must address the individual’s drug abuse and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. It is also important that treatment be appropriate to the individual’s age, gender, ethnicity, and culture.” Our experience with recovery will depend on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to our age, gender, the drugs we were using, the severity of our addiction, any other mental health concerns, our environment, and any other problems we may have that contributed to or exacerbated our drug and alcohol use. There is a very real danger of comparing our addiction to someone else’s who is also attempting to recover. We may feel that our addiction was not as bad or that our addiction was much worse and allow ourselves to create judgments based on our own ideas of what works and what doesn’t. We may feel that the recovery program that we adhere to is superior to another’s, or that others are not going about their recovery in a way that we think is best. We must remember that recovery is a personal journey to each individual. What works for them may not work for us, or vice versa. We are all striving for the same goal: a happy, joyous, and free life in sobriety.
Your story can become one of serenity and peace of mind in sobriety. You can begin building a brighter future by making the courageous decision to seek help now. Oceanfront Recovery, a men’s treatment center in the heart of beautiful Laguna Beach, is staffed with a passionate team of clinicians and care providers dedicated to addressing the unique needs of each client as an individual. For information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
