When we abuse substances, they become intrinsically linked throughout all aspects of our lives. In a way, they become a part of us. They dictate what we do, who we do things with, and where we go. Addiction is so powerful that we begin to believe that we cannot live without our substances and we identify ourselves with everything surrounding our substance use. So what happens when we begin treatment and recovery? Is it even possible to separate ourselves from our substances?
Breaking Free of Substances
The first step to separating ourselves from our substances is to break free of the substances themselves. Treatment for substance abuse is difficult and recovery is a lifelong process. This process involves making wholesale changes in our lives that will allow us to physically remove the substances from our bodies, while mentally and emotionally removing them can sometimes be more challenging.
We must change not only physical habits but help to change our thought processes and even combat the very reward center in our brain that was changed during our substance use. We learn about the why of our addiction and we learn to survive cravings as they come along, literally putting our mind over matter. All of these steps help us to physically and mentally break free of our substances, but how do we unravel our lives from that life?
Sorting Actions From Self
Those of us who were always the life of the party may look in the mirror after becoming sober and not recognize the face staring back at us. The same goes for any of us for whom our identity and reputation were built around our substance use. Are we that gregarious, funny extrovert? Or was that just the alcohol doing the talking? Or maybe are we somewhere in between? That is a question that only we can answer, and that answer may only come after asking ourselves “Who do we want to be?”
During the recovery process, we get to do a lot of looking in the mirror. This is a time of sorting ourselves out. We can embrace the things we like and remove the things we don’t. We can also determine which parts of us we want to keep from our previous substance use, and we may even discover parts of us that were hidden during addiction. The process can be painful, but we learn so much about ourselves as we are willing to evaluate who we really are when the substances are gone.
Evaluating Lifestyle
Another opportunity we have is to evaluate our lifestyle. Are we living in a way that promotes health? Are we able to get the sleep, nutrition, and exercise we need to be both physically and mentally well? Is our job too stressful? Or are there people around us who may not support our new recovery lifestyle? We have so many questions to ask ourselves during this crucial time of change.
Making Hard Choices
Once we have evaluated our lifestyle, it may be that we need to make some hard choices about the people surrounding us, our job, and maybe even where we live. Breaking off relationships that don’t support our recovery can be really difficult, especially when we are already fragile from stripping down our lives and rebuilding ourselves from the inside out. However, these hard choices have to be made so that we can maintain our recovery. As we seek to separate ourselves from our addiction, we will find that ultimately, the people who love and support us clean or sober are the ones who will be there for us in the long run.
Rediscovering Joy
During active addiction, our understanding of what makes us happy is limited by the addiction itself. Our brains are wired to seek pleasure primarily from our substance(s) of choice. When that is gone, we are left bare to find the things that actually do make us happy. We can explore activities and hobbies to find things that truly help us to feel joy. This is one of the more rewarding experiences in our recovery process, as we may remember something we enjoyed as a child or find something we always wanted to do, but our substance abuse prevented us from doing.
Finding Self
Throughout the recovery process, we have the opportunity to not only separate ourselves from our substances but also to learn more about who we really are and what brings us true joy. While we may need to make hard choices and prune people, places, and things from our lives that we are attached to, in the end, we can stand taller, be more authentic, and happier in our recovery.
Separating yourself from your substance abuse can be one of the most difficult tasks you ever undertake, but it is also one of the most rewarding. Making difficult choices also allows you to improve your quality of life and make new relationships that are even more rewarding and fulfilling. Just like pruning a tree seems harsh, the recovery process has painful parts. But in the end, you can stand tall like a tree with strong branches and become a better version of who you were and become who you want to be. Call us at Rancho Milagro Recovery at (951) 526-4582 to talk about separating yourself from your substances. We can guide you through your process and help you to find more joy and fulfillment in your life. The recovery process can be challenging, but the end result is a person that can look in the mirror with authenticity and true joy.