Recovery is a Journey Not A Destination

Taking the Journey of a Lifetime: Embracing Recovery

It wasn’t all that long ago that addiction was believed to be a character defect and moral failing rather than the disease we know it as today. People who exhibited problematic substance abuse problems were considered to be bad people and were typically punished for their misdeeds. Over the years, we’ve come to realize that addiction is actually a disease and that recovery is a journey rather than a single event or moment in time.

In fact, it’s a chronic, progressive brain disease that’s characterized by the altered structure and functioning of the brain. Those who develop this disease find themselves unable to control themselves; they pursue alcohol and drugs via a number of self-destructive means, which means that they continue to act in defiance of what’s in their best interests. Addiction recovery is a lifelong journey that takes work every day.

Keep reading to find out more about the recovery journey, and get tips and guidance on how to help make your sobriety successful and lasting!

Addiction Recovery is a Journey: Not One and Done

Unfortunately, addiction is not a disease that can be cured. Once a person becomes addicted, the disease causes permanent brain changes that cannot be reversed. Even in terms of behavior, the development of an addiction isn’t something that can simply be overcome overnight. While this may sound bleak, there are actually a number of addiction treatment options available to those in need, which allows those who have become addicted to regain their independence and health.

Through these numerous resources, the symptoms and effects of addiction can be addressed and mitigated, resulting in a person — who will still have the disease on a physical, and neurological level — being able to live as a normal, healthy human being.

There are many misconceptions that people have about the recovery process today. Many people look at addiction like it’s a task to be checked off one’s to-do list. Since substance abuse would appear to be a behavior problem, addiction recovery would likewise seem to be a behavioral solution, but it’s actually much more than that. Recovery is a journey, not a destination and we’re going to explain why below.

Relief Can Be Found When Suffering from Active Addiction

The effects of being in active addiction are vast and profound. Many times we focus on the physical, or health- effects of addiction, but there’s actually much, much more to it. But in terms of the physical effects, there’s a major reduction in the body’s immune system, making those who’ve become addicted significantly more susceptible to illnesses. There’s also damage done to many bodily organs and even entire systems, including the central nervous, respiratory, and circulatory systems.

And depending on the substance to which the person has become addicted, the route of administration may put the individual in danger of contracting bloodborne diseases like HIV or AIDS, Hepatitis C, and others.

In addition to the physical effects, there are many psychological, social, and even spiritual effects, too. As an addiction takes hold, a person begins behaving very differently. The cause of this is the fact that alcohol or drugs are taking an increasingly central role in the individual’s life. Moreover, the financial strain of a substance abuse problem makes addicts increasingly desperate to obtain more alcohol or drugs, and increasingly worried about the experience of withdrawals.

This results in behaviors that would otherwise be very uncharacteristic of sober individuals. Addicts also become very emotionally distant, inadvertently either damaging or destroying many of their important relationships. In essence, anything besides alcohol or drugs becomes much less important, resulting in a major decline in overall health and lifestyle.

Recovery is a Journey: Embarking Down the Path

Although it’s not a requirement, many addicts must hit “rock bottom” before they’re ready to begin their recoveries. The perception is that they’ll go to rehab for a few weeks and be completely sober when they get out, ready to move on with their lives. However, recovery doesn’t work that way.

Instead, recovery should be considered a lifelong journey or even a lifestyle. A popular saying in the sober community is “recovery is a journey, not a destination”. Recovery might begin with a person’s entering a rehabilitation program, but it doesn’t end when the rehabilitation program has been completed. The rehabilitation stage of recovery is the period during which a person first detoxes from alcohol and drugs, and then participates in a variety of different therapies and group sessions wherein the individual learns the skills and strategies necessary to achieve long-lasting recovery.

But even when a person’s rehabilitation program lasts for an extended period of time, these programs don’t cover everything. The purpose of addiction recovery programs is to offer patients a basis on which they can begin establishing themselves into a recovery lifestyle. Again, they’re not fully recovered after having completed a treatment program. There’s no such thing as being “fully recovered”; instead, completing treatment means they’ve acquired a number of skills that can be used to remain sober after rehab and continue progressing into later stages of recovery.

Reacclimating Into the Community

After completing an addiction treatment program, a person must return home and begin rebuilding his or her life around recovery. It’s often said that the real work doesn’t begin until after a person gets home from rehab, and most recovering addicts find that to be true. When a recovering addict returns home after rehab, he or she must go through the process of eliminating the people, places, and things from his or her life that pose a threat to his or her sobriety. If the individual were to simply resume life as he or she had been living prior to rehab, there would be a strong chance of relapse.

However, this lifestyle transformation is something that happens over time; especially when it comes to weeding out harmful or dangerous relationships, it can take time to figure out with whom a person should surround him or herself so that one’s newfound sobriety is protected. Over time, it gets easier and easier to live a sober lifestyle, but becoming sober and optimizing one’s life for sobriety represent a process. It’s important to approach it as a process or journey so that one knows to always be putting effort and paying special attention to his or her recovery needs.

Next, we’ll review a few of our favorite and most immediately impactful ways to ensure you protect your recovery!

The Importance of Eating Right and Exercise in Recovery

When it comes to recovery, it is important that you maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise as possible in sobriety. Make sure you add plenty of nutritious food to your diet. Exercise at least 20-30 minutes per day (or more). If you’re not into the gym, walking at least 30 minutes a day can help enhance your strength.

Also, it is important that you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Getting sleep plays an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Take it Slow and Get Support from Healthy Friends

Some people expect recovery to happen overnight. In reality, recovery is a process. Like anyone who has ever gone through recovery, you will experience negative thoughts. The key is to utilize the techniques you have learned during your recovery treatment, whenever negative thoughts come to mind.

Remember, you have the power to control your thoughts. Negative thoughts do not have control over you.

Don’t Give Up. Ever.

The main ingredient to successful recovery is to never give up. Even when you fail, do not give up. People who made it through recovery and other difficult events in life survived because they never gave up on themselves.

Recovery is tough, but it is not impossible. You can make it!

Call Now for Support on Your Recovery Journey

If you or someone you love would like a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable and experienced recovery specialists, call Rehabs Of Armerica toll-free at 877-723-7117.

Whether it’s day or night, we’re always available to help you or your loved one take the first steps on the journey to long-lasting sobriety and happiness. All calls are strictly confidential, so please reach out now to get options and our support!

Edward P.

Edward lives and works in South Florida and has been a part of its recovery community for many years. With a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Massachusetts, he works to help Find Addiction Rehabs as both a writer and marketer. Edward loves to share his passion for the field through writing about addiction topics, effective treatment for addiction, and behavioral health as a whole. Alongside personal experience, Edward has deep connections to the mental health treatment industry, having worked as a medical office manager for a psychiatric consortium for many years.