Extreme vs. Restraint: The Path towards Addiction Recovery
I have often met people who say they are in recovery from alcohol, drug or any other type of addiction. Sometimes people in recovery go from being addicted to a substance or process (e.g. sex, work, love, etc.) to being addicted to recovery!
You've met them. They've SEEN THE LIGHT! They are apostles for the Gospel of clean and sober living. They have memorized the Big Book and carry the message like a zealous apostle. They may have the same intensity and desire as they had when they were using. True, being addicted to AA/NA meetings, strictly adhering to a clean and sober life will not kill you, but you may end up with very few friends and missing out on what it means to be in recovery in the first place. Are they truly in recovery? Have they truly transformed?
You don't have to be a "Meeting Nazi" to experience the transforming effects of recovery!Recovery usually occurs from the inside-out. We transform as individuals seeking to thrive and experiencing life...FULLY ALIVE!
Restraint is a much better virtue to practice than the extreme practices of an addict. The recovering addict needs to transform that extreme energy into a practice of questioning, examination and prudent decision-making. It takes a while to consistently make the right choices for yourself. Relapse is a too often element of this disease, but if you embrace recovery and prioritize your recovery "above all else", then you are more likely to have healthy and sober options when stressed, triggered or tempted to act in an "extreme" manner.
If you or anyone you love has an addiction problem, please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898 and speak with one of our recovery counselors.
Recuperatio Primoris! (Recovery above all else)
Dr. Bill
There are limits to self-indulgence, none to restraint!
Mahatma Ghandi
You've met them. They've SEEN THE LIGHT! They are apostles for the Gospel of clean and sober living. They have memorized the Big Book and carry the message like a zealous apostle. They may have the same intensity and desire as they had when they were using. True, being addicted to AA/NA meetings, strictly adhering to a clean and sober life will not kill you, but you may end up with very few friends and missing out on what it means to be in recovery in the first place. Are they truly in recovery? Have they truly transformed?
You don't have to be a "Meeting Nazi" to experience the transforming effects of recovery!Recovery usually occurs from the inside-out. We transform as individuals seeking to thrive and experiencing life...FULLY ALIVE!
Restraint is a much better virtue to practice than the extreme practices of an addict. The recovering addict needs to transform that extreme energy into a practice of questioning, examination and prudent decision-making. It takes a while to consistently make the right choices for yourself. Relapse is a too often element of this disease, but if you embrace recovery and prioritize your recovery "above all else", then you are more likely to have healthy and sober options when stressed, triggered or tempted to act in an "extreme" manner.
If you or anyone you love has an addiction problem, please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898 and speak with one of our recovery counselors.
Recuperatio Primoris! (Recovery above all else)
Dr. Bill
There are limits to self-indulgence, none to restraint!
Mahatma Ghandi
Labels: addiction treatment, alcohol rehab, best drug rehab centers, exculsive drug rehab, virtues in recovery
1 Comments:
One of the best examples I've seen so far of recovery from the inside out is Eileen DeClemente. In her book Alive! A Courageous Story of Addiction, Love, and Forgiveness she tells the whole story of her addiction and recovery in a really heartfelt way.
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