Resiliency is an important characteristic for taking control of life without drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol are, in many ways, coping mechanisms for handling life. When drugs and alcohol are not part of coping with life anymore, men in recovery are challenged in developing tools for a manner of living which encourages resiliency. To be resilient is to be “able to withstand or recovery quickly from difficult conditions.” Life can be difficult. Instead of getting knocked down and turning to default destructive behaviors like drug and alcohol use, resiliency creates endurance for making it through, no matter what happens.
Obstacle course races like Tough Mudder, the worldwide phenomenon endurance challenge, build resiliency. A test of strength and endurance in mind, body, and spirit, the experience of a Tough Mudder or a similar race is a voluntary exposure to pain, pressure, and challenge. Over 25 military-style and military grade obstacles await Tough Mudders who will go through mud, cold water, and face electrically charged wires. These challenges foster growth while building a lifetime of memories.
Part of the inspiration behind participating in events like the tough mudder comes from the tremendous sense of accomplishment after finishing the race. Participants feel confident in the kills of their body and their mind. The challenging races inspire the mind body connection to push itself to the limit, participating in intensive activities which necessitates rigorous training and commitment.
It is the relationship to pain that participants develop which perhaps stands out the most. Business Insider writes, “…pain becomes meaningful and gains significance through an intricate process of ritualization and dramatization.” Comparing the process of completing a Tough Mudder to rebirth, the article describes the challenge course experience as a total transformation. In recovery from addiction, the brain is relearning how to tolerate pain. Many who have found themselves in sobriety long-term are able to recognize that the pain of their lives, the pain of their addiction, was necessary and purposeful. Through the treatment process, they are able to create meaning and significance for their experience of pain. Changing the way they approach pain moving forward, they are less inspired to resort to drugs and alcohol because their relationship to pain has changed. They have built the necessary resiliency to withstand pain and recover from it quickly.
At Tree House Recovery Center, our clients are faced with challenges that may feel uncomfortable emotionally, which helps them develop stronger emotional regulation as well as impulse control. By working through their emotional challenges, they develop a healthy relationship to fear. Addiction skews the perception of fear. Addicts have no fear in buying drugs off the street but may be afraid of interacting with the natural environment or being emotionally vulnerable. Through physical challenges, emotional growth, and experiential learning, men at Tree House learn to take on adversity with a smile. They’re always down for a challenge.
Tough Mudder challenges are a metaphor for life in sobriety. Men in the Tree House Recovery program participate in physical training regularly and are invited to participate in obstacle course challenges when available. Teaching men to find freedom from addiction, our programs create sustainable changes for sustainable sobriety. For information on our Portland programs, call: (503) 850-2474
