The Miracle of Recovery

The miracle of recovery is not in reaching your destination but rather that the destination did not come sooner. Recovery is a journey that is to be enjoyed.

I have to be reminded of this almost daily. The only destination in life is death. Death is the only aspect of life that offers finality. Life is a fluid state that never stops and should not even become stagnant. Life in fact only stops once you are dead and only becomes stagnant when you are depressed. Life is meant to be lived every day and enjoyed. Living suggests that you are enjoying at least some aspect of life. Addiction is the act of being physically alive but emotionally and spiritually dead. Without intervention, physical death is not far off. As such, the miracle of recovery is just that, a miracle.

As an active addict we flirt with death every day. Subconsciously we have already sentenced ourselves to death. We have determined that we are not worthy of a happy life and that we should suffer a slow and painful death. Pulling one's self out of this darkness and despair is the most difficult life transition any person could ever imagine. It is a fact that the majority of addicts will never truly be successful at this life transformation and begin to enjoy life. This is a sad reality and a fact of addiction. Statistically speaking, it is estimated that 8.9% of Americans require treatment for addiction. Of that 8.9%, only 1% actually access some for of treatment. Of that 1% that actually receive help it is estimated that 50%-90% of them will relapse. These numbers then suggest that only 0.1% - 0.5% out of the 8.9% of the population actually recover. These numbers suggest that only 1.5% to 5% of addicts actually recover. Clearly recovery is a miracle.

Recovery to me is much more than simply staying clean and sober. What is the point of getting clean and sober only to continue living in misery with the only difference being that you have no substances to cope. This is almost a worse life sentence than active addiction itself. This is pure torture. Recovery to me suggests that you allow yourself to be happy. You begin to deal with the demons that have prevented you from enjoying life. Shame is exposed for the irrational belief that it is. Empathetic supports reaffirm the value of your life and you begin to believe that you are important and have a purpose in life. You begin to wade through all the irrational beliefs and ideas and uncover the core beliefs that once made you the strong happy person that you once were. Recovery is this journey of self discovery. It is meant to be enjoyed and uplifting. It is positive and motivational. If it is not these things it is being done wrong and you need to revisit your recovery plan. Start enjoying life today through your recovery. Start by being grateful for the miracle of your recovery today. Millions will not be so fortunate.

(Stats from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends and https://teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week/chat-with-scientists/frequently-asked-questions