Drug Addiction Treatment Blog

“Al-Anon is where many of us who have lived with alcholism begin to grow up for the first time. We learn to face the world as it really is and to take responsibility for our actions. We deal with our feelings and share honestly about our experiences. We learn about ourselves and nuture our spiritual growth and our physical and mental well-being. We become responsible adults.
An important part of the serious business of recovery involves recognizing our need to have fun - to take a trip, fly a kite, attend a concert, make noise, race down the street, or blow bubbles. Light-heartedness can put troublesome situations into perspective. It reminds us that there is more to life than the problem at hand.
Taking ourselves too seriously won’t solve a problem any quicker. In fact, taking a break may help more than continuing to struggle-even Jello must be left alone in order to form as it should. A good laugh may be the best tool available to help us let go, and we’ll come back to our task refreshed.

Today’s Reminder

A well-developed sense of humor helps me detach from my personal struggles and triumphs. I will avoid taking myself too seriously today.

‘One inch of joy surmounts of grief a span,
Because to laugh is proper to the man.’ Francois Rabelais”

Courage to Change

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The greatest love starts within ourselves. Simple concept… difficult to do. Being a recovering addict, I know first hand that I did not love myself: heck, I didn’t even like myself! Recovery started when I came home to me. That meant learning to set boundaries, honor my space and my time, have self discipline, and make better life choices.

When I went to treatment I did not buy the concept of all this “inner child” fluff talk. This was just something weak minded people made up to sell to unsuspecting souls. I was too smart for that. And then, after a very intense experiential session with my therapist, there she was, right in front of me, my “inner child”. Her name is “Sparkly”. I tell you this because doing the work brought new energy and balance into my life. Sparkly loves shiny things. She loves ice cream, jumping up and down and is full of life, and joy, and innocence, and dreams. She has hope and always sees things in a positive way. She is quite the contrast from the self-loathing, self-deprecating active addict who had zero for self-esteem. All these results from taking the risk of doing what was asked of me in therapy, even if I didn’t believe in it myself.

Many people mistake the idea of self care in recovering addicts for “selfish”. It is a misconception. We must learn to love ourselves and what better way than finding that loveable small person inside ourselves? Whitney Houston says it best when she says “Learning to love yourself…is the greatest gift of all”. Everyone needs a hero….learning to love yourself lets you be your own hero. Make loving yourself a priority. It gives you back your dignity, reminds you to laugh at yourself, and you will always be in good company!

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