Most of my recovery path started behind a keyboard.
Clear minded for the first time in longer than I wish to remember, my brain eagerly absorbed all there was to learn about addiction and recovery. Countless hours navigating the latest trends, epidemics and tragedies of the thousands of lives lost from this forbidden curse we call addiction. And just as much time was spent wandering through the myriad of pathways to recovery I never before knew existed.
But in no way would I recommend doing recovery alone. Isolation leads to what they call in treatment, stinkin’ thinkin. That deceitful little voice in your head that says everything will be alright so long as you just have one. I listened once, which was reminder enough that my brain no longer understands moderation.
1. Recovery thrives in community.
Perhaps with a sober mind, I discovered we actually enjoy creating meaningful relationships with others. Especially with people whose story looks like ours. Relating to someone with the same sorrow and heartbreak. To cheer them on with every milestone and pick them up when they fall. It’s nothing short of empowering. Especially when they begin to like themselves. And the same thing starts happening to us.
Friendship today is so much more than getting drunk together in a bar. Meaningless conversation bringing nothing but the passing of time while the poison erases the pain. I never understood the significance of “community” until I found an online recovery group where I discovered people who really were just like me. Similar stories, but various paths in how they got there. There’s a relief from the pain with support from “the broken” that a loved one’s embrace might never reach.
2. A discovery of a lost passion.
A relatable tribe allows us to seek a lost treasure perhaps only those in recovery truly find. A forgotten passion buried deep beneath the pain of our afflictions. A revival of our inner child, the one who loves to dance in the rain and finds joy in the unearthing of anything new. Discovering recovery blogs and online publications reminded me of the comfort I once found by writing away the worries of my broken past.
Starting my own blog helped me process the pain until shame and regret released their
stronghold. It keeps me focused on how far I’ve come and less tormented by my shaky past. Laying to rest the dreaded nightmares and delving into dreams where my destiny awaits. My strongest tool in recovery has been reconnecting to my younger self. I’ve restored my joy by writing about the hopes of tomorrow instead of drowning sorrows of yesterday with a swig of a drink.
3. Using our passion to pay it forward.
Time in recovery can lead to complacency if not followed by action. I found myself thrusting about in stagnant waters, eagerly desiring to flow forward but not knowing how. Reaching beyond the solitude of a journal, I haphazardly plunged into the realms of public blogs and online publications, hoping my still small voice might someday reach the ears of the one who needs to hear.
I consider myself blessed to have finally found recovery, so I hold onto it with all my might. It’s far from a goal I check off my ‘to do list’ and move on to the next. Rather, it’s a continuous cycle of engaging in support systems and embracing new methods that enhance my life purpose. It’s a constant renewing of my mind, fueling of my body and soaking of my ever healing spirit.
And in nurturing who I am in recovery, I’ve discovered a love for myself I never thought possible. A love that allows me to forgive myself, provoking admiration not shame. A long awaited acceptance that breeds courage to not only survive, but to thrive in my recovery.
5. My recovery journey is ever changing.
