More on Mental Health

Because it’s easier to not type alcohol and other drugs, this post will refer to recovery from alcoholism – however, the recovery principles addressed here apply to recovery from all types of addiction. Recovery from alcoholism is best accomplished when it’s comprehensive. In other words, recovery is most sustainable when it encompasses physical recovery, mental recovery, emotional recovery, spiritual recovery, financial recovery, relationship recovery, and so on. Some of these areas overlap, of course, but each area has specific concerns to address.

Mental health might be the most critical, because how we think affects all other areas in major ways. Financial concerns are important, but we can recover even if we’re broke. Physical concerns are very important, but we can recover even if we’re in poor health. We can even have emotional problems, but if we’re working on mental health issues, the emotions will improve. It’s inter-related, but recovery is about priorities.

First, a person in recovery from alcoholism learns that they must stay away from the first drink — that’s pretty basic, but it’s also not easily done in the beginning when the mind can tell the recovering alcoholic that a little wine with dinner won’t hurt. An alcoholic must accept that abstinence is necessary for recovery to happen. This has to be a deep acceptance at the level of commitment. After accepting that the first drink must be avoided, then the alcoholic reaches out for support. It’s recommended that a major part of the support come from someone who’s recovered from alcoholism. Alcoholics Anonymous is the most successful support group, but there are others like Secular Organization for Sobrity (SOS) and Rational Recovery (RR). There are also church groups designed to help support the recovering alcoholic. It can be a friend or a co-worker, but AA is usually the most effective support source.

So, once the basic acceptance of alcoholism and the necessity for abstinence is established, the person in recovery begins working on mental health issues — this might require professional counseling, but it can also happen taking the 12 Steps of AA. Whatever path a person takes, it’s our thinking that gets us in trouble. Through the years, especially if there is trauma, built up resentment, or if a person suffers from a chemical imbalance of some sort that causes anxiety or depression, our thinking can become painful and confused. In recovery, if these issues aren’t dealt with as soon as possible, the painful, confused thinking will most often lead to relapse.

Some people will tell the recovering alcoholic all they need to do is experience a spiritual awakening and that this will sustain them and lift them out of the darkness into the light. I’ve seen many recovering alcoholics suffer from shame because they couldn’t overcome their “demons” through a spiritual awakening. From my experience, spiritual growth comes from first taking actions to deal with the mental health problems. Until the thinking is cleared up and the thoughts are not painful, the recovering alcoholic will find it difficult to do the other things necessary for comprehensive recovery.

Tomorrow, I’ll write about emotional recovery.