When we awaken from the nightmare that was our active addiction, we are essentially faced with 3 choices; we can go back living in our disease, we can choose the path of recovery, or we can try to remain sober by virtue of mere willpower. This last option, often termed “white knuckling”, is arguably the most difficult to maintain. Due to ignorance surrounding what is required in order to maintain lasting and quality recovery, some individuals believe that they can avoid the process of self-discovery and rebirth and simply stop drinking or using. Let’s take a look at some reasons why someone new to sobriety might avoid working some type of recovery program to better understand this approach.
Firstly, those new to sobriety may believe that certain people might need to work a recovery program but that they happened to be excluded from this. Most people who have approached sobriety believing they could do it alone and without the willingness to do the hard work have found themselves back in their disease. We cannot afford to believe that anything other than a radical transformation will sustain us in our sobriety.
Another reason newly sober individuals might avoid working a recovery program is due to pride and stubbornness. This is the person whose notion of recovery is something like, “that’s great that a program works for you but I have really strong willpower.” This type of arrogance and lack of understanding towards the power of this disease has led many back to active addiction because although they might be able to abstain for a period of time, without the personal transformation gained through patience, honesty, and willingness, we cannot expect anything other than a relapse of old behaviors and eventually substances.
In conclusion, working a solid program of recovery where we are honest with ourselves and others, voluntarily adopt responsibility, make amends when necessary, and engage in selfless acts is not just the most effective way of approaching recovery; it is this attitude and orientation that actually facilitates the ability for us to live a life we could’ve never dreamed of. While this approach arguably yields the most time in sobriety, more importantly than the time we accrue is the quality of the time we have earned while sober. If you or someone you love is struggling to find purpose and mean in sobriety, contact the professionals at Treehouse Recovery in order to get started down your best path! Call (503) 850-2474.
