We strive for feelings of peace and serenity in our recovery. When we are at ease with ourselves and the outside world, we don’t feel the familiar compulsion to use alcohol and drugs because we no longer need to “fix” anything in our lives. Meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, a 12-Step recovery fellowship, open each meeting with the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Acceptance of the unchanging keeps us from getting caught up in problems outside of our control and stop wasting unnecessary energy, allowing us to peacefully progress in our sobriety. This acceptance also extends to our ability to admit and recognize that we have no power over our addiction and alcoholism, allowing us to maintain an awareness of why we are unable to use drugs or alcohol without our lives becoming entirely unmanageable. We can even accept our more negative emotions. Rather than focusing them and wasting time ruminating on our bad feelings, we can choose to accept them, make room for them, and let them go. Lila MacLellan, in recent Quartz article, “Accepting Your Darkest Emotions is the Key to Mental Health”, explains, “However, psychological studies have shown that acceptance of those negative emotions is the more reliable route to regaining and maintaining peace of mind. Whether practiced through the lens of ancient Eastern philosophies, or in increasingly popular forms of treatment like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, acceptance of one’s dark emotions is now backed by a body of evidence connecting the habit to better emotional resilience, and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.” Our ability to accept our emotions rather than attempting to change them keeps us in a state of connection with our mind, body, and spirit, and in much less danger of becoming overwhelmed or putting our sobriety at risk.
Your story can change into one of peace and serenity through sobriety. Positivity begins to flow into us when we break our addiction and begin engaging in a recover program of action. Oceanfront Recovery is men’s treatment center in Laguna Beach determined to give you all the tools needed to achieve long-lasting sobriety. For more information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
