Hope and Full Recovery From Addiction

I was asked the other day “is full recovery from addiction possible?” and that is the question that consistently is asked, and needs to be consistently addressed, because those who struggle with addiction, eating disorders, self-harm, etc. truly need to hear an answer from those whom are in recovery from addiction or recovered. Anyone who follows me on Twitter, or reads my blogs, knows that I believe in full addiction recovery. I know it is possible not only because I am living proof, but because I see people daily who are also living proof.

Addiction Recovery Means Facing Our Fears

I believe the question is asked because people are scared, struggling, and feel lost and dismayed that their fighting is getting them nowhere. Perhaps a person is struggling more, facing a relapse, or deep within their tenth full relapse. I cannot repeat enough, nor loud enough, that I absolutely believe addictionrecovery is possible, and believe that hope in that is a key cornerstone to those fighting for recovery.

"Strong hope is a much greater stimulant of life than any single realized joy could be." – Friedrich Nietzsche

Life in general can be hard, we face struggles, and the point isn’t to avoid them, it is to find a way to help cope with them in a healthy way, in both mind and spirit. When in recovery from addiction, hope is a key perspective to embrace.

Recovery From Addiction Means Embracing a New Perspective

When I was in early recovery I struggled, tripped, fell over and over and thought recovery just wasn’t for me. I wasn’t willing to give up my old behaviors and was able to rationalize that they weren’t that bad, anything to avoid the fight for recovery. It took a long time to see that the perspective I was choosing wasn’t one of hope. Once I started to look around me with clearer (and sober) eyes, I started to see people surrounding me at all different levels of recovery, and saw myself piece by piece within their stories, their feelings, and hope built more and more.

I realized that having strong hope in recovery from addiction, was just as important as embracing a “one day at a time” perspective, seeking therapy, seeking a support system, having courage to change, and determination to never give up no matter how many times I fell. There are many ways to help you embrace an attitude of hope:

Take time to write down all that you have done in your day!

I think acknowledging the progress we are making is so important. Often we get stuck thinking we are making no progress in the recovery journey. If you keep a list, and look back over a few months you will see progress happens, just one day at a time and builds over time.

Relapse does not mean you are a failure, or aren’t still moving forward in your recovery.

I think a lot of people get tripped up over relapse, they lose hope, and worry they are back at square one, but this is not the case. You are constantly learning in recovery, and with each relapse you learn new triggers, and can apply new tools to help you stand back up and fight for recovery. We never start in square one; we just may have stopped moving forward. Keep pushing forward knowing that you have learned from the past, will continue to learn, and there is hope that with each new day you are moving farther in your recovery.

Hope isn’t static – it will grow over time.

Every day, you may learn to embrace a little more hope. Do not be so hard on yourself for not feeling like you have “enough” hope. Your recovery path is different from others, and the hope we are building will take time. After years of addiction, eating disorders, self-harm, etc. you may have lost any hope you ever had, and it will take time to build a reservoir of hope you can tap into on the hard days.

Manage your expectations in recovery.

I know that many people may be overachievers, perfectionists, and want to be recovered fast, and with little effort. You may feel frustrated when you see others doing so well, and you feel like you are fighting harder and harder and not getting anywhere. It is important to stop comparing to others, and lower your expectations in recovery. You will be progressing at your own speed, and having hope and accepting a mindset of being present in the moment will help you take one step at a time. This isn’t a race, and finding a support system to help you along the way, can help slowly build hope in the recovery process.

I believe embracing a mindset of hope is returning more and more to our authentic selves, working with and embracing who we really are.

Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you – all of the expectations, all of the beliefs – and becoming who you are.
Rachel Naomi Remen

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