When there is an animal that has been abandoned or lost, we do our best to find them, rehabilitate them, and welcome them into a loving family. These animals are rescues, often tired, hungry, and taxed by the elements. But with some love, they can become healthy and happy again.
Sometimes, we, as humans, are like rescues, too. Whether it is trauma from as early as childhood, or subsequent substance use, or more, we are tired, hungry and taxed by our addictions. If we are willing to do the work to rehabilitate ourselves and find self-love again, we, too, can become healthy and happy again. We, too, can be rescued.
When We Feel Lost
When we are active in our addiction, we can feel lost and alone. Even if we are using substances with others, we can feel emotionally isolated. Addiction is powerful, and it can feel like we are no longer in control of our lives. Whether it takes one big, painful experience to realize that we need help beyond our own, or just a collection of experiences, we may feel the loneliest when we finally recognize that our situation is beyond our control. Guilt and shame may even make us feel like we are hopeless.
No one is ever truly lost. There is always a way back. That road becomes clearer as we look to rescue ourselves from the substances we have been using. Reaching out for help shows strength and courage. If we feel lost or hopeless, we only need to reach out for help, and we can find refuge from the storms of addiction.
Tired and Hungry
Not unlike an animal that has strayed from home, when we use substances, we can feel physically and emotionally exhausted and in need of nourishment. Physically, substances can impact our sleep, our diet, as well as cause damage to lungs, heart, liver, and more. We put our bodies through so much, and the physical stress alone can make us so weary.
Emotionally, we are starving. Starving for healing, starving for self-respect, starving for peace within. Substance use often begins to try to drown pain that we have inside. Ironically, the consequences of our substance use can often create more pain. The more we use substances, the less control we have over our actions, and we can find ourselves physically and emotionally broken and alone.
Choosing to Come Home
If we stay out alone in the cold of our substance use, eventually, something will have to change. Our bodies cannot take substance use forever, our actions are increasingly more likely to get us into trouble, possibly even very serious trouble. The easiest thing would be for us to wake up, look in the mirror one morning, and choose to seek help. However, denial plays a big part in continued substance use, and we may need the intervention of the consequences of our actions or a well-meaning friend, co-worker, or loved one.
“Coming home” means giving up our substances and seeking recovery. We must work to give ourselves control of our lives again, to heal the parts of us that feel broken, and to learn to live our lives again with courage. We rescue ourselves when we take back our own power and are willing to be strong enough to admit our weaknesses.
Restoring Our Health
Just like any rescue, physically, we need to restore our health. First, by removing all of the substances from our bodies and stopping all substance use, we give our bodies the chance to begin healing. From there, we can replace valuable nutrients with a healthy diet. We can begin regular exercise to help our cardiovascular health as well as our overall physical and mental health.
Restoring our mental and emotional health will come as we seek therapy and learn skills and tools to help us become and stay healthy. We often need to seek healing for the pain which preceded our substance use. By seeking total healing, physically, mentally, and emotionally, we are not only becoming sober but rather, we are entering our recovery. It is this type of recovery that allows us to truly rescue ourselves from our substance use.
Loving Ourselves
One of the most difficult parts of healing from substance use is to learn to love ourselves. We have to forgive ourselves for our substance use and the resulting behaviors and actions, especially the things we did that may have hurt others. We need to be able to help ourselves to heal from the things that led us to using substances, too. When we realize that guilt and shame are not necessary, and can accept ourselves for who we are and what we have done, we can learn to love ourselves.
Acceptance is powerful and can help us to realize that who we are is not defined by how others see us or how society sees us. The judgments of ourselves and others should never take the place of loving ourselves. Just like the potential we see in an animal that needs rescuing, our hearts can be opened to our own rescue. We are more than our substance use, more than our behaviors. And we are worth rescuing.
Rescue yourself at Rancho Milagro Recovery.
Call (951) 526-4582 today to find out how we can help you free yourself from your addiction. Come in from the cold and learn to be healthy and happy again. Everyone deserves to be rescued.