What’s vital to addiction recovery?

What’s vital to addiction recovery? I hear a lot of people say that you can’t help someone unless they want help. That’s basically true, but it’s more complex than that. Many people say they want help, yet deep down they’re unsure — many people say they don’t want to change, yet deep down they’re seeking intervention and help. It’s almost always a combination of wanting help and not wanting help – wanting to change, but not wanting to change too drastically. Some are afraid of change because they don’t know what to expect or how to manage it. Some people are simply conning to get out of trouble and have no intentions of changing at all, yet, once in treatment I’ve witnessed a good number these clients change after they’re in an environment of honesty in which people are making real attempts to change their lives.

At some point, though, it’s true that a person must make a decision to embrace recovery and change. It’s often a slow, educational process of change, but it can be a sudden, deep realization, a spiritual awakening of sorts that transforms a person – recovery takes off almost immediately. A person in recovery should ask themselves honestly what goals they’re seeking. What is it that they want out of life that they’re having a hard time achieving, or having a hard time taking any action at all. Once a person’s fairly clear about what they want, they have to ask themselves what it’ll take to achieve the goals. Just wanting to achieve the goals is not enough. A person can express the strongest desire to change and to become a different, better person, but if no actions are taken, no plan is made, and there’s no persistent effort, then it’s probably not going to happen. The other thing a person must decide is if they can achieve they’re goals without giving up alcohol or whatever is their drug of choice. Can they continue to take mood-altering drugs without the consequences that drove them to treatment and prevented them from accomplishing their life goals?

What’s vital to addiction recovery? Honesty, open-mindedness and willingness are the keys, and then it’s about recovery management, consistent, persistent actions taken to bring about change. Sounds simple, yet it’ll likely be the hardest thing a person has ever done, and, also, the most rewarding.