Will life get better after treatment? The answer is unequivocally yes. Life gets better the minute you make the decision to get sober, seek treatment, or confront the presence of a mental illness in your life. From that moment forward life continues to get better on an exponential scale. There is, however, one catch: it takes work. Though the first step in solving any problem is admitting you have one, and the second step is realizing that you need help in solving it- this is not the full solution. Each day in recovery, there is work to be done. Popularly, people in recovery say “it works if you work it”.
Part of that work includes recognizing that there will be obstacles and it will take some additional work to get over them. Mistakenly, people think that the work done in treatment is all the work that needs to be done. Life continues to happen as life does, whether we are sober, in recovery, or not. Coming across obstacles, or creating them ourselves, is a natural part of life. Our recovery and success is not defined by the lack of obstacles in our lives but the way in which we approach and overcome them.
Do An Audit Of Your Recovery
The core of each person’s recovery will look different depending on the type of program they want to or need to work. Take an honest look at your program and how you are working it. Are there obvious flaws? Things you know you should be doing that you aren’t doing? Are there areas where you’ve neglected to take care of yourself? Have you fallen into a negative headspace and are forgetting to be grateful?
Take Responsibility
It can be awkward and uncomfortable to take accountability for our actions. Riddled with shame and guilt, we don’t want to admit we’ve made a mistake. People who are in recovery tend to be perfectionists. Remember that everyone makes mistakes, and there’s like a few thousand people out of the 7 billion on earth who just made the same mistake you did. By owning up to your actions, you won’t run away from them. Instead, face them head on and take proactive steps to change.
Get In The Solution
Wallowing over an obstacle and the problems it has caused is time much better spent creating and implementing a solution. Take from this experience what needs to be taken and leave what does not. One step at a time, you’ll walk away from this obstacle towards the next one. Realize obstacles are inevitable, but each time you learn and grow a little bit more.
Are you ready to put in the work to change your life? Avalon By The Sea is here to help. Within each of our programs, clients learn the necessary skills for living a happy and successful life in recovery. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.
