One day at a time is common recovery phrase. ย It may seem simple enough to live for today, but the phrase can mean more to the recovering addict or alcoholic. ย There are reasons this statement is so important in recovery.
Once an addict or alcoholic enters recovery, living one day at a time becomes necessary. ย At the start of recovery, the addict faces financial, relational, vocational, and social problems. ย There is a lot to address. ย No one can fix everything in one day! ย Recovery is a lifelong commitment to staying clean and sober. ย
Living one day at a time gives the addict the opportunity to focus on what they can do today and not worry about yesterday or tomorrow. ย Research supports the idea that if an addict begins to focus too much on the future, recovery might be jeopardized. ย During recovery there will be time to focus on the issues of the past including healing family relationships or resolving financial concerns. ย
One day at a time also emphasizes the positive idea that you did not use alcohol or drugs just for today. ย This mindset allows many addicts to put the emphasis on not using today; tomorrow will take care of itself. ย Living one day at time also means that one will not take on what cannot be worked on. ย In some cases, recovering addicts will change this one hour at a time or one minute at a time. ย This illustrates how difficult, but not impossible, recovery can be.
Living for today is also spiritual. ย This is the day we have been given and we will make the most of it. ย We will focus our energy on the day ahead of us and what we can accomplish today. ย If we cannot work on a problem today, we can review it tomorrow. ย Living one day at a time provides a sense of serenity knowing that all of your post-addiction problems do not need to be fixed today. ย We will find the time to work on our problems and find solutions as recovery unfolds. ย For today, you did not use drugs or alcohol and that is a very good thing!
One day at a time, Avalon Malibu provides the residential treatment programs you can trust for trusted results. A leading provider in primary mental health and substance use disorder treatment, our full continuum of care brings clients the serenity and tools they need for living a peaceful live, free of suffering. Call us today for information:ย (888) 958-7511
