Support in the Recovery Process

by Max Menius / Thursday, 29 January 2015 / Published in Addiction Recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous, Drug Treatment, Narcotics Anonymous, Recovery, Treatment and Recovery

Stepping onto the path of recovery is a huge, positive step. Your commitment to change is the key ingredient in staying on that path. Research has consistently shown that those who remain engaged longer in the treatment and recovery process have a much greater likelihood of successful, long-term sobriety.

This path of recovery offers information, insight, and hope, as well as intelligent direction that makes sense and produces results. Again, as long as a person stays on the path. Addiction does lead people astray even when their intentions may be good. Addiction has at times been called a “baffling” disease meaning it is difficult to understand. Sometimes a person steps off the path of recovery and discovers that their addiction was patiently waiting for them on the sideline.

When a recovering person relapses, it is important for him or her to know that relapses can be halted and that support and a helping hand is always there – often just a phone call away. They say in meetings “Keep coming back, it works if you work it, but you have to work it every day”. This is a unique and memorable way of reminding people that recovery does take daily effort, and that coming back, no matter what, is exactly the right thing to do. Don’t let embarrassment or guilt keep you from coming back to treatment or to meetings. Remember, the path of recovery is a journey. Don’t stop taking those forward steps. Look for them! Believe it can get better. It usually does when you truly commit to change.

Support in the recovery process provides emotional energy and also motivation to continue on. When you take the risk to share your time and yourself with others in recovery, one discovers that the burden of addiction is lightened. This feels good. In addition to feeling better, recovering people who give & receive support find that they also think better, and they begin making good decisions in their lives that lead to higher ground and a better quality of life. Getting on the right path, and staying on it, really does change lives.