Become Knowledgeable About Recovery
There are many approaches to accomplishing recovery. In choosing a route to recovery, one must consider the primary addiction, complicating co-occurring addictions and/or physical health problems, the possible presence of co-occurring mental health disorders, one's philosophy of treatment, the availability of resources, cultural and ethnic influences, and available support networks.
Once a person has done his homework and decided on a course to recovery, it's time to get started. Recovery occurs in three phases:
Phase One is making a commitment to recovery, detoxification, and stabilizing one's physical health.
Phase Two involves making changes to achieve a lifestyle of recovery and repairing physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational damages caused by the addiction.
Phase Three is maintenance and a commitment with a plan to never return to a life ruled by addictions.
Essential
Recovery from addictions is not just stopping the use of the addictive substance and/or behavior. If underlying thought patterns, problematic relationships, and dysfunctional behaviors aren't changed, relapse is inevitable. Addictions are powerful forces and must be battled on multiple fronts to reach lasting recovery.
Many an individual finds that she is grateful for the addiction in the end. Initially, that may sound very strange. However, the process of recovery can lead a person to a place of honesty, health, and inner peace that she would never have reached had she not been faced with the challenge of dealing with an addiction. Thinking of recovery as an opportunity is a first step in working with the process.
