Entering and Maintaining Recovery is the fourth and final entry in this series, The 4 Phases of Drug Addiction and Alcoholism Treatment.
Entering and Maintaining Recovery:
At this point, one has worked toward maintaining abstinence, achieved a length of time of abstinence, and a stable. Sometimes this final phase of recovery is called “maintenance” or “stability” phase of drug and alcohol addiction recovery.
In this, the final phase of addiction recovery one moves toward personal growth and discovery. Having learned some skills to handle life on life’s terms, the good and the bad and not turning back to drugs and alcohol for solutions, we move toward personal growth and success. This does not mean that a person can coast along there is work to be done.
What we are aiming for in this phase of recovery is to be living a life completely based on principles, not on ‘fixing’ uncomfortable emotions. For example, sometimes is very difficult or uncomfortable to tell the truth even when we know it is the right thing to do in principle. If one is living a life based on principles decision will be made to be honest, suffer the unpleasant feeling of the moment, and noted in principle they are doing the right thing. In addiction, the easier solution is to lie about it and not suffer the uncomfortably of the present moment by sacrificing long-term principle of honesty.
Here are some tasks it may be appropriate to take on:
1. Taking personality issues examining their source, their function and usefulness and, perhaps changing them.
2. Figuring out behaviors that are sabotage life and changing them, coming up with alternatives.
3. Dealing with family of origin issues and dysfunctional behaviors learned as a child that appear in adulthood.
4. Spiritual or purpose of life questions. What is your purpose in life, what is it that makes you truly happy? What is your degree of connection to people, the world around you, and to a Higher Power
You may not find the answers to roll these questions, but the process is all about steering some education of trying to find the answers. I strongly suggest that you address purpose of life questions if you haven’t looked at it them before. I’ve known many people with 10, 20 and more of sobriety reach a point where they ask themselves “Is this all there is? I might be better off drinking or drugging.” An attitude such as this is a direct result of not achieving peace and happiness in recovery. Paying attention to long-term goals even after you have made mastered the basics is the key to success in this phase.
We hope you enjoyed this series on the phases of drug and alcohol addiction recovery, please leave a comment and tell us what you think.
For the complete series Click Below:
Part 1. – Beginning Addiction Treatment
Part 2. – Learning abstinence.
Part 3. – Maintaining abstinence.
Part 4. – Entering and maintaining recovery.
Related posts in Phases Of Recovery
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