When Recovery Becomes Real

At NewDay Counseling we have a slogan – With Each New Day, Recovery Is Possible – that sounds a little corny, but the truth behind this corny slogan is powerful and real. When a person understands the “new day” concept, this is when recovery becomes real.  I’ve witnessed thousands of patients/clients through the years go through the treatment process and embrace recovery from addiction. Recovery is more than getting the drug out of the body — it’s a transformation. Each person’s recovery is a little different, but there are common factors, too.

Addiction can be like a long, continuous nightmare. There’s a newness to recovery that’s like the start of a new day. The difference is that the things which happen during addiction are all too real. The nightmarish quality of addiction begins to dissipate only when the person accepts reality and becomes willing to change. No one can tell a person how to change. Each person recovering from addiction chooses their own path. Many use support programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, and some choose their church community, while other might utilize a network of family and friends.

If you’ve ever had a bad day, or a string of bad days, and it seems like nothing will change, but then wake to a beautiful “new day” that inspires hope, then you understand a little about recovery from addiction. Hope is powerful when you’ve suffered from the emptiness and anxiety of hopelessness. The “new day” experience is a deeply human experience — it’s the realization that things can change, that life doesn’t have to stay the same.

Recovery becomes real when the recovering addict becomes honest, open and willing. Of course, nothing changes dramatically once and for all with no further effort. The “new day” experience is the acceptance that one “new day” at a time, a person can stop using alcohol or other drugs, repair the past as best possible and achieve goals. As I’ve said, I’ve witnessed thousands of people recover — it’s real, and when recovery becomes real, things change — there’s hope.