There comes a time when a person knows that their use of substances is beyond their control and is negatively impacting their life and those they care about. Each individual’s transformational recovery process will be unique, yet certain factors lead to the successful liberation of one’s self from the grip of addiction. A couple of these factors are:
1. Training and Preparing for Abstinence
2. Nourishing the Conditions for Staying Clean
Examples of pre-abstinence preparation include getting educated on the detox/withdrawal process (very important!) and identifying one’s related triggers, reasons, or any other associations that keep the person using/abusing substances. Another example is practicing sobriety in segments—challenging oneself to go for as many minutes or hours without engaging in the addictive behavior and acknowledging all the thoughts and feelings that arise.
"Nourishing the conditions" to stay clean starts by identifying the changes that need to happen, such as detoxing and/or reducing exposure to toxicity, getting proper rest, nutrition, and correct supplementation to support brain chemistry, prioritizing healthy connections and relationships, and reconfiguring your life, relationships, and schedules as necessary. It’s also crucial to get clear in identifying one’s personal values, standards, and non-negotiable boundaries—and then adhere to them! (Go ahead and write these things out!)
Admitting and confronting one’s own strengths and shortcomings is courageous and requires radical honesty, vulnerability, and the willingness to feel. This is where true healing and change can take root. Change is not an easy process and requires physical and mental practice to create new and healthier patterns in our lives. Having a coach and/or “accountability buddies” in this process can be of great benefit. Ultimately, you are the artist of your life, and you get to choose what is true for your path forward.
Warmly, your transformational ally,
Mary Diehl (a.k.a. Mary Isis) www.
https://youtu.be/E1wQsMuS9u8?
